By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

Valvin Muscat is a hybrid — known genetically as 62-122.01 — developed in the early 1960s at the Cornell Experimental Station in Geneva and was released commercially in 2006. It is a cross of muscat ottonel and muscat du moulin.

There are a handful of wineries in the Finger Lakes experimenting with Valvin Muscat, but no producer has embraced it as much as Hunt Country Vineyards. (read about their first release back in 2008). In fact, it's one of the grapes the Hunt family is most excited about. They expect great things from it in the future.

I've been a bit less enthusiastic based on the examples I've tasted — but this Hunt Country Vineyards 2009 Valvin Muscat ($15) certainly shows the grapes promise. It's certainly the best the winery has released thus far.

As you'd expect with muscat, the nose is floral — explosively so — but also with aromas sweet citrus and Fruity Pebbles cereal.

Just off-dry, the palate is pleasant if a bit simple in its floral-lemon candy profile. Though balanced, just a bit more acidity would really sharpen the mid-palate and finish.

I don't know how high the ceiling is for this grape in the Finger Lakes, but it seems like it hasn't been achieved just yet. There's potential here.

Producer: Hunt Country Vineyards
AVA: Finger Lakes
ABV: 12%
pH: 3.7
TA: 7.4 g/L
RP: 1.7%
Price: $15*
Rating: 84