By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor
This is a selection of New York wines that have crossed the NYCR tasting table recently but will not be reviewed as part of a standalone post. As always, these are transcribed almost directly from my notebook with little editing. Note that these were not tasted all in one sitting/flight but instead over the course of several weeks. And for this edition, some of these are from an old notebook that I misplaced and recently found
Bedell Cellars 2007 Musee ($75): Dark-roast coffee, plum and black cherry on the nose with a little blueberry compote and a sprinkling of spicy tobacco. Polished, silky tannins with more of that coffee/espresso with gobs of sweet, concentrated fruit. Tastes like more than 13% abv. Ripe and intense. Rating: 90
Hunt Country Vineyards 2009 Cayuga White ($10): Nondescript nose with faint apple blossom and generic fruitiness. Sweet apples on the palate. Very fruity and off dry. Decent balance — just-not cloying. Short. Rating: 78
Hunt Country Vineyards 2009 Vignoles ($10): Big nose of pineapples and other tropical fruits, Lemon Pledge and a smoky-flinty edge. Very good acidity. Simple — tropical fruit with a little exotic spice. Juicy and citrusy finish. Rating: 84
Hudson-Chatham Winery 2009 Baco Noir Reserve ($19): Nose is all about sour cherries and a little plum with subtle spice/black pepper character. Medium-light in body, very pinot-esque. Lots of cherry with a little red raspberry. Light spice and much less oak than previous releases. Fresh acidity that almost goes too far, but doesn't. Light tannins with a medium-length finish. Rating: 85
Kings Garden Vineyard NV Knight's Blend ($20): Coffee-meets-cola nose with plum, black cherry and a little bacon. Soft approach but nice, if a bit rustic, tannins come in on the mid-palate. Oak tannins? Plum and cherry lead the way with a bit of that coffee-cola character. Cab sauv, cab franc and merlot. Rating: 84
Macari Vineyards 2007 Malbec ($35): Blackberry and blueberry fruit on the nose Chinese five spice, cocoa powder and black pepper accents. Plush with more black-and-blue fruit, black pepper and a low oak footprint. Mouth-filling but soft and supple tannins. Bit of acidity on the finish that lifts it. Rating: 86
Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Riesling ($19): Stone fruits — peach and apricot — on the nose with citrus zest and a subtle citrus blossom note. On the palate, the fruit is a bit more tropical. Candied peach is joined by mango. Mouth-filling, forward fruit is cut by lemon zest. Definitely off-dry but with good acidity. Well balanced but lacking a bit of focus. Long tropical fruit finish. Rating: 87
Osprey's Dominion Vineyard 2007 Reserve Merlot ($35): Room-filling nose of black cherry, plum and cassis. The oak is well integrated, showing only hints of smokiness and coffee. Medium-fuller bodied but well focused. Shows a dense, dark core of brooding fruit with a vein of graphite. Big tannins, but ripe and round at the edges. Hints of smoked meat and chicory coffee. Long finish that starts intense and ends elegantly. Rating: 91
Peconic Bay Winery 2009 Lot #1 ($20): 100% merlot. Fresh nose that offers bing cherry and just-crushed grape aromas with a little bay leaf and cinnamon spice. Fruit forward with cherry, cherry pit and plums — and more subtle spice. Starts soft but fresh acidity and light tannins freshen the palate. Juicy finish. Might take a light chill well. Rating: 83
Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2008 Barrel Reserve Cabernet Franc ($25): Plum and blackberry flavors are laced with dried mint and a dose of toasty oak. The fruit is a bit thin and a bit medicinal on the palate, with the herbs more pronounced and a bit bigger in the oak department. Medium finish that is dry and a bit overwhelmed by oak. Rating: 82
Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Franc ($16): Sweet, briary raspberry and black berry fruit on the nose with sweet herbs and understated toasty oak. Straightforward but juicy red fruits greet the palate with just a little underlying herbaceousness. Low tannins and acid. A little vanilla on the finish. Rating: 84