Evan Dawson: Cab Franc showdown (Domaine des Ouches 2005 Bourguiel and Red Newt Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc) It's always enlightening to compare, and this was a nice little linear comparison: Cabernet Franc from its sweet spot in France and Cabernet Franc from one of the strongest Finger Lakes producers in a very good vintage. Unfortunately, the Bourguiel suffered from some storage issues (we assume) and was prematurely tired. But the Red Newt showed beautifully, with our guests showing genuine surprise when it was finally revealed as a Finger Lakes red. I wouldn't say it's highly indicative of place, but not…
Posts Written OnAugust 2010
Swedish Hill Winery 2009 Dry Riesling
Not all that many have hit tasting room lists or store shelves yet, but if the early returns are any indication, 2009 may prove another great year for Finger Lakes riesling. Swedish Hill Winery winemaker Ian Barry makes a lot of wines. When we stopped there last month to taste, I was shocked at just how many wines were on the tasting sheet — at least 30. Throw in the fact that he makes the wines for Penguin Bay Winery and Goosewatch Winery and he's one busy man come harvest time (and the rest of the year.) Swedish Hill Winery…
Looking back at the Niagara Wine & Culinary Festival
Two weeks ago the Niagara Wine Trail hosted its second annual Niagara Wine and Culianry Festival at Artpark in Lewiston, NY, welcoming close to 1,100 guests to taste local wine and eat local food during a weekend that saw perfect weather. In its second year, the event drew twice as many people as its first. I had an insider’s look at this year’s festival as I spent all day Sunday pouring wine and schmoozing with food vendors. Having just participated in the much larger Finger Lakes Wine Festival I was impressed at how coordinated the Niagara event was despite its…
The New York Cork Report Tasting Table — August 16, 2010
These are some wines that have crossed the NYCR tasting table recently but will not be reviewed as part of a stand-alone post. As always, these are notes almost verbatim from my tasting notebook: Atwater Estate Vineyards 2008 Big Blend ($15): Cab sauv, lemberger, syrah and merlot. Peppery medium-intensity nose with a little oak/vanilla. Black cherry and blackberry fruit aromas. Medium-light body, black cherry and cranberry flavors with sweet spice. Juicy mouthfeel with low tannins and maybe a bit too much acidity. Caramel coffee and chocolate flavors linger on the medium finish. Rating: 82 Channing Daughters Winery 2008 "Clones" ($29):…
Vineyard Visuals: Merlot Veraison at Vineyard 48
Photo courtesy of Vineyard 48 According to winemaker Matt Berenz "I'd say we are 2-2 1/2 weeks ahead this year. I can see us bringing in riesling around mid-September"
The Science of Biodynamics, Part 1: Ground Rules
Back when I was first getting into wine, I was shopping at Red Feet Wine Market, an Ithaca boutique wine shop. I noticed that some of their shelftalkers had little stickers (seen above) with the letters "O", "S"or "B". Having lived in Ithaca for a bit, I soon gathered that "S" stood for "sustainable" and "O" stood for organic. I had no idea what "B" stood for. "Biodynamic," owner Dewi Rainey informed me. "It's like organic plus." Intriguing. She went on to explain that in addition to being 100% organic, grapes are farmed according to an astrological calendar and how…
Vineyard 48 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
Though not typically a fan of comparing local wines to those of other, more-established or better-known regions, sometimes I can't help myself. Sometimes the parallels are too obvious. Vineyard 48 2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($22), my favorite of the winery's current white releases, evokes New Zealand sauvignon in a way few other local renditions do. If you love that aggressively grassy style, this is a wine for you. The nose shows classic grapefruit and gooseberry fruit aromas layered with fresh-cut grass, sweet herbs and cat pee aromas — and I mean that as a positive. When closer to room temperature, some…
It’s Back: TasteNY Returns with Wines From Shinn Estate Vineyards
TasteNY is back… but it's a little bit different this time around. When we launched the project over a year ago, it was simply about getting the great beers, wines and spirits made in New York into the hands of bloggers and writers. That's still part of the idea, but we want to get the wines into even more hands and mouths. With that in mind, we've decided to transform TasteNY into a Twitter-based tasting event, not unlike the ones I've been hosting for Finger Lakes Wine Country this year. But, it's not just about sending samples out to bloggers…
What We Drank (August 10, 2010)
This is what the NYCR editors and contributors are drinking… Evan Dawson: Domaine des Baumard 2007 Savennieres Trie Speciale Screwcap! This wine had the dual interest of being a nicely regarded Savennieres along with being closed by a screwcap. I'm told this estate made the difficult decision to change to screwcap several years ago. I say it was difficult because in the Loire Valley — in many places not named Australia or New Zealand — screwcaps are viewed with some suspicion. This wine is too young to detect any problems or witness great success regarding the screwcap. I confess that…
Heron Hill Winery 2008 Pinot Blanc
I have to admit that most of my experience with pinot blanc is with New York renditions — especially from Long Island where a few wineries produce it. I've had a handful from other regions too — Alsace of course and one or two from northern Italy — and I'm always surprised that the grape doesn't get more attention. If nothing else, they are great summer sippers and I find it difficult to ever dislike them. They are what they are — sometimes austere to the point of being boring, but hardly offensive. Heron Hill Winery 2008 Pinot Blanc ($18)…