Posts Written OnNovember 03, 2014

Fox Run Vineyards 2013 “Doyle Family Vineyard” Chardonnay

I don’t like a lot of domestic chardonnay, but I like this one a lot — and, at $12 a bottle, Fox Run Vineyards 2013 “Doyle Family Vineyard” Chardonnay ($12) could be the state’s best bang-for-the-buck rendition. I’d certainly reach for it over many bottles that cost up to twice as much from other parts of the state. It really over-delivers and is made in a style that suits the Finger Lakes well. Pink grapefruit, tangerine and sweet floral notes dominate a nose that is fruity, but still somewhat lean and minerally. Medium-light bodied, the palate shows similar flavors, with the…

North Country Report: Patience Needed to Tame Acidity

2014 was what most vacationers would describe as a pretty ideal summer and subsequent transition into autumn. Crop load in the north country has been good on those plants that had healthy wood after the bone-chilling winter. The season was marked by beautiful clear days and sporadic rains when we needed them.  It was good sleeping weather at night and it never really got too hot which was great for camping but a bit of a challenge for the grapes.  Sugar levels were behind and  worked their way up, but slow grape maturity had been holding pH readings low and Titratable Acidity (TA) high,…