I consider this wine a rose, though winemaker Anthony Nappa often refuses to call it one when we talk, preferring to call it a white pinot noir. Some years it’s whiter than others, but I consider it a rose regardless of color because of how it drinks — like a rose.

Anthony Nappa Wines 2014 Anomaly ($20) is made with pinot noir grown both in the Finger Lakes and on Long Island because Nappa thinks that “a combination of New York’s two most prominent winegrowing regions complements each other and brings nice balance to this wine.”

Unlike so many marketing messages in the wine world, I think I agree with Nappa here.

This vintage, the nose is driven by strawberry aromas with a bit of cherry fruit and an earthy, dried autumn leaves vein. Red fruit bursts on a mouth-filling palate that shows surprising fruit concentration that almost makes it feel sweet in the mouth, but brisk acidity dries out the finish, which lingers with a delicate sage note.

Producer: Anthony Nappa Wines
AVA: New York
Blend: 100% pinot noir
ABV: 12.8%
RS: <.1%
TA: 7.5
pH: 3.64
Production: 450 cases
Price: $20 (sample)

2014, anomaly, anthony nappa wines, pinot noir, rose, white pinot noir