Posts Written OnJuly 25, 2012

Benmarl Winery 2010 Slate Hill Red

Benmarl Winery 2010 Slate Hill Red ($19), a blend of merlot, cabernet franc, petite verdot and malbec source primarily from Long Island, shows aromas of plums, cherries, dried herbs and raw oak on a slightly underripe nose. Soft and approachable, the palate is low on tannins but has just enough acidity to provide some structure. It’s plummy with dried herbs and leaves on the finish.  Simple and solid, but unremarkable. Producer: Benmarl Winery AVA: New York ABV: 13% Price: $19*   (2 out of 5, Average)

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Bloomer Creek: The Cult Winery of the Finger Lakes Continues to Take Chances

You can only be a cult winery for so long. Eventually, the secret-handshake nature of your clients’ fandom becomes widespread, and then you’re just a regional mainstay. That was true at Heart & Hands, it was true at Damiani, and eventually it will be true at Bloomer Creek Vineyard. Not yet. There is still a sense of excitement among those who have visited Bloomer Creek in the past two years. There is a kind of illicit knowledge, an ahead-of-the-curve edge. The critical drumbeat is growing, but owners Kim Engle and Debra Birmingham have not seen an explosion in the tasting…

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