By Lenn Thompson, Executive
Editor

Here are seven wines that have crossed the
NYCR tasting table in recent weeks but will not be reviewed as part of a
stand-alone post. As always, these are notes almost verbatim from my
tasting notebook:

Martha Clara Vineyards 2005 Estate Reserve Merlot ($25): Ripe red cherry, milk chocolate, tobacco and light spice on the nose. Juicy on the palate with red cherry and raspberry fruit flavors. Soft tannins and subtle spice with more chocolate. Medium length with nice blueberry compote flavors towards the end. On day two, a bit more complexity emerged. Rating: 85

Lenz Winery 2007 Blanc de Noir ($15): Pinot noir rose. Delicate, almost austere nose strawberry candy, red cherry, cotton candy and orange zest. Light body and somewhat short, but show nice varietal character — red berries with silky texture cut with fresh acidity at the end. Simple, but with a little earthiness on the finish. Rating: 83

Lenz Winery 2007 White Label Chardonnay ($12): Soft vanilla and toast aromas surround a nose that shows ripe apple and delicate lemon zest and butter scents. The medium-bodied palate shows much less oak and is far fruitier bringing ripe pears, Meyer lemons and green apple. There is a minerally vein that really steps forward on the end of a medium-length finish. Simple but fresh and tasty, this is the kind of every day chardonnay people are looking for. Great value. Rating: 86

Red Tail Ridge 2008 Semi Sweet Riesling ($14): Big pear aromas with a little tropical fruit cocktail on the nose. Lush and mouth-filling. Sweet but good balance because of juicy, citrusy acidity. Grapefruit note — along with that acidity — scrubs the palate on the end of a long finish. Nicely done in the sweeter style. 40 g/L RS. Rating: 86

Vineyard 48 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($19): Spicy but a little underripe with tomato leaf flavors a bit too apparent mingling with sweet red cherry and raspberry flavors. Rustic acidity makes it a wine best enjoyed with food — perhaps pizza or other tomato-based cuisine. Rating: 81

Vineyard 48 NV "48 White" ($13): Blend of chardonnay, riesling and sauvignon blanc. A little matchstick on the nose, but once that blew off fruity aromas of peach and grapefruit were accented by a little herbal quality and a note of canned pears. Medium-bodied and a little un-focused on the palate, the flavors are mostly fruity — peach, citrus and a little melon — with fresh acid and a bit of residual sweetness. Rating: 80

Vineyard 48 2007 Riesling ($20): Shows some nicely maturing character on the nose — almond, candy shell , golden apple and honey. Off-dry style with good-not-great acidity. There are fruity pear and apple flavors on a medium-light bodied palate with more almond notes. A little short, but in a tasting room-.popular style At $15 this would be a nice every day wine for people who like a little residual sugar. At $20, it’s a little overpriced. Rating: 84