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Posts Tagged“blaufrankisch”

Heron Hill Winery 2011 Reserve Blaufrankisch

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Bright berry notes — crushed raspberry and sour cherry — dominate the nose on Heron Hill Winery 2011 Reserve Blaufrankisch ($40) with a sprinkling of pepper and baking spice and vanilla sugar. That peppery spicy edge is present on the medium-light bodied palate, but there is much more oak — raw and bitter — as well. The bramble/raspberry and sour cherry fruit is juicy and fresh, just hidden beneath wood tannins. \ Producer: Heron Hill Winery AVA: Finger Lakes ABV: 12.5% Production: 350 cases Price: $40 (sample) (2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very Good)

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Channing Daughters Winery 2012 “Sylvanus Vineyard” Blaufrankisch

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I’ve since become quite fond of the grape, but I have Channing Daughters Winery and winemaker Christopher Tracy to thank for introducing me to blaufrankisch (also known as lemberger) with the winery’s 2003 bottling. That 2003 was 100% Blaufrankisch, but over the years, Tracy has blended it with merlot some years and with this Channing Daughters Winery 2012 “Sylvanus Vineyard” Blaufrankisch($28) he blended in 25% Dornfelder. Meaty and fruity, the nose shows layers of black-and-blue berry fruit, briar, violets and spice. Medium-bodied and ripe, the palate shows concentrated dark fruit flavors framed by both fresh acidity and grippy tannins. Spicy note linger…

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Red Tail Ridge Winery 2011 Blaufrankisch

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It’s extremely rare to find wines that taste exactly the same year-to-year in New York State. And that’s okay. Vintage variation is just part of the package. Not tasting the same isn’t the same as wines not being delicious every year. Winemakers on the East Coast understand what they need to do in cooler years versus the warmer ones. Harvest decisions change. Winery decisions change too. Red Tail Ridge makes some of the best blaufrankisch in New York — and not just in warmer years like 2010 (that was a great wine, though). Though in different ways, I liked the…

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Damiani Wine Cellars 2012 “Sunrise Hill Vineyard” Lemberger

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If Finger Lakes producers could come together and agree to call these wines either lemberger or blaufrankisch (I vote for the latter), this could become an important category in the region. Either as a blender or bottled alone, these are some of the most consistently good and food-friendly red wines grown and made in the region. Damiani Wine Cellars’ 2012 “Sunrise Hill Vineyard” Lemberger ($22) is one of the more earthy renditions I’ve tasted. The nose leads with damp soil and wet leaves, with Chinese five spice, white pepper and bright, fresh red berries — cherry and raspberry — playing…

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Red Tail Ridge Winery 2010 Blaufrankisch

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Red Tail Ridge Winery 2010 Blaufrankisch ($23) is another wine that supports the case for Blaufrankisch in the Finger Lakes, even if it’s completely different from the one I reviewed yesterday. Made from fruit grown just up the road in the Martini Family Vineyard (the Martini family owns Anthony Road Wine Company), this wine is a standout because of it’s purity and and freshness. The nose shows floral high notes backed by intense, distinct aromas of red cherries and just-crushed red raspberries. Medium-light bodied and crunchy at the edges, the palate shows more of that clean red, brambly fruit and…

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Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 Moffett Block Blaufrankisch

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Some think that pinot noir is the future red wine star of the Finger Lakes — and that may be true. But for right now, I’ve been most impressed by the latest crop of Blaufrankisch-based wines I’ve tasted from the region, this Atwater Estate Vineyards 2010 “Moffett Block Blaufrankisch ($38) included. The Moffett Block is ten rows (.7 acre) of blaufrankisch that was planted in 2006, and honors Bill Moffett who first planted wine grapes on the farm in the 1970s. The nose oozes with black and blue fruit — plums, blackberries, black cherries and blueberries — along with subtle…

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Heron Hill Winery 2010 Reserve Blaufrankisch

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With aromas of red cherries, cherry cough medicine and toasty, somewhat raw oak, the nose on the Heron Hill Winery 2010 Reserve Blaufrankisch ($40) only shows subtle hints of the peppery spice one typically expects with this variety. Medium bodied with drying wood tannins and a bit too much oak character (which covers up some of the fruit and complexity) the palate does show more of that varietal black pepper spice. The finish is medium-length with red cherry, raspberries and vanilla oak. On day two, it showed a bit more fruit on the palate, but not enough to balance overall. One of the…

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The Finger Lakes 2011 Red Wines of the Year Finalists: Explaining the Diverse Selections

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By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photos from our WoTY 2009 Tasting by Morgan Dawson I’m happy to see that the NYCR selections for Finger Lakes red wines of the year have generated a fair amount of feedback and debate. There have been many questions: Why no cabernet franc? How come every wine is made from a different grape? Keep in mind that for a wine to be eligible, it has to have been released in 2011. Many of the red wines released in 2011 came from the uneven 2009 vintage. The glorious 2009 September produced strong conditions for Finger…

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Inspire Moore Winery 2010 “Change” Blaufrankisch

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Here is yet another delicious Blaufrankisch from the Finger Lakes, with ripe, juicy aromas of blackberry and black raspberry with hints of cassis and a black pepper edge. Showing off the warmth of the 2010 growing season, the medium-to-full bodied palate displays intense red and fruit flavors that remain bright and crunchy because of the fresh acidity. Add a sprinkling of black pepper and you have a wine well suited to the dinner table or your picnic table next to burgers and barbeque. The finish is long shows a certain floral-herbal quality that brings complexity.…

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Heron Hill Winery 2008 Blaufrankisch

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor Though on the oakier — and pricier — end of the Finger Lakes Blaufrankisch spectrum, the Heron Hill Winery 2008 Blaufrankisch ($35) is worthy of a taste when you visit their tasting room with stunning views of Keuka Lake. Not content making a juicy, fruity, peppery wine, the folks at Heron Hill always push the envelope with this grape. At first, the nose seems like it will be dominated by chocolate and smoky oak, but those aromas don't completely obscure those of red cherry, cranberry, black pepper, clove, tarragon and mint. Hefty on the palate,…

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