By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor
These are tasting notes for some wines that have been tasted at the NYCR tasting table but won't be reviewed in standalone posts. Starting next week, we'll be back with daily standalone reviews.
Eleven Lakes Winery 2008 Boat Landing Cayuga ($14): Browning/bruised apple aromas with some peach and a chlorine-y chemical note. Not overly interesting on the palate. Pear and white grape that are less oxidized than the nose. Residual sugar is very well balanced, just not much in the way of flavor.
Eleven Lakes Winery 2008 Chosen Spot Dry Riesling ($18): Extremely citrusy on the nose with lemon-lime and just a little flinty quality. Borders on citrus-water style of Finger Lakes dry riesling. Mainly lemon-lime with a little boney, flinty character. Good acidity. Simple, but clean and fresh. Lacks character though.
Eleven Lakes Winery 2008 Stoney Place Semi-Dry Riesling ($17): Classic regional combination of peach, lime and river rock on the nose. Good acidity and balance on the palate with flavors that match the nose precisely. Shows nicely focus and length, but has a weird medicinal note on the finish. Otherwise, very classic and well done.
Inspire Moore 2009 "Lust" Pinot Noir ($28): Sweet strawberries and raspberries on the nose with subtle earthiness. Medium-light body with restrained red fruit backed by supporting earthiness in the form of muchrooms and stemmy qualities. Soft, but not flabby with just enough acidity and silky, low-grip tannins. Long finish. Nice effort from a not-great year for pinot.
Inspire Moore 2010 "Love" Semi-Dry Riesling ($17): 2.5% RS. Peachy nose with grapefruit and hints of honey and lychee. Mouth-filling with some noticeable sweetness but just enough acidity for balance. Ripe vintage shows with fruit intensity — peach and grapefruit. Finish is abrupt. Pleasant and very Finger Lakes in style.
Lamoreaux Landing 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling ($13): Apple-driven nose with a juicy squirt of lime. On the friendly, forward palate, a bit of grapefruit joints the apple-lime party. Shows its residual sugar, but not in a sloppy way. Medium-short finish. Simple, but fresh and well-balanced.
Lieb Family Cellars 2010 9/11 Memorial Chardonnay ($19.11): Very light nose with subtle apple, papaya, orange peel and pineapple aromas. Great acidity, but not huge on flavor. Tropical with pineapple and papaya with a bit of nutty vanilla.
Macari Vineyards 2010 Rose ($15): Blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauviginon and malbec. Juicy watermelon, strawberry and big cherry aromas with light sweet herb notes. On the fuller-bodied side with gobs of ripe, drip-down-your-arm watermelon and a burst of crunch red berry flavor, including slightly candied cherries. Shows vintage ripeness with maybe a bit of heat, but has great acidity. Bold but balanced and well suited to your season's last barbeque. One of my favorite 2010 Long Island roses.
Raphael 2010 Chardeaux ($22): 66% chardonnay, 34% sauvignon blanc. Fruity, almost fruit-cocktail nose shows ripe pear, ruby grapefruit, melon with subtle tropical fruit too. Medium-light body, with lots of melon and pear flavor and a bit of citrus zest. Could use a bit more acidity but has a saline edge that I like.
Ventosa Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay ($18): Toasty oak (rather than raw) dominates, hiding much of the tropical fruit aroma. Lots of sweet, toasty oak on the palate as well, but also good acidity. Fruit is somewhat candied, with bubblegum vanilla sweetness on the finish as well. Not enough fruit to stand up to the wood.
Zugibe Vineyards 2008 Pinot Noir ($18): Red cherry aromas are accented by hints of star anise and toasty oak. Fresh on the palate with red cherry and raspberry fruit and light caramel/vanilla flavors. Not complex or exceptionally long, but clean and fresh and well-priced.
