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Posts Tagged“reserve”

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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Heron Hill Winery 2012 Reserve Riesling

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    You don’t see “reserve” on Finger Lakes wine labels as much as you used to (a topic that Evan will explore in an upcoming feature story). Heron Hill Winery, located high above the western shores of Keuka Lake, still uses the term on an entire line of wines. These wines, as I guess you should expect given the label, are often among their best, though I’m partial some of the Ingle Vineyard wines too. Heron Hill Winery 2012 Reserve Riesling ($25) starts off with aromas of green apple, peach, lime and citrus blossom — pretty classic Finger Lakes —…

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Dr. Konstantin Frank 2012 Reserve Riesling

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Dr. Konstantin Frank 2012 Reserve Riesling ($25) aligns nicely with the recent trend of richer, decidedly off-dry rieslings in the Finger Lakes. The nose is a stunner, showing aromas of Golden Delicious apple, Bartlett pear, peach, honey, fennel frond, green melon and delicate floral notes. Round and weighty, the palate shows intensely ripe fruit and similar flavors — peach, pomme fruit and melon — with a slight bruised-apple note. Though sweet, it’s balanced by delicate acidity that keeps it from being cloying. The light herbal and floral notes are a bit hidden, but emerge as the wine warms a bit. Don’t…

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Bedell Cellars 2006 Reserve Merlot

2006 was a relatively cool year on the North Fork, but the vineyard management and winemaking teams at Bedell Cellars were able to coax impressive amounts of ripeness out of the grapes that went into Bedell Cellars 2006 Reserve Merlot ($48). The nose offers intense red cherry and plum aromas with quite a bit of toasty oak and vanilla. After a few hours of air time, light hints of spring herbs emerge, but are still dominated by red fruit and oak. Medium bodied and mouth filling in the flavor department, the palate shows red raspberry and red cherry candy flavors,…

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WTN: Raphael 2006 Grand Cru Chardonnay Reserve (North Fork)

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When it comes to his white wines, Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Raphael, typically eschews oak to preserve the natural flavors of the grapes. Both his stainless steel chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are perennial favorites and are terrific spring and summer sippers. But, after a 2006 growing season that was cooler than 2005 and was marked by a lot of overcast days and higher-than-average levels of rain, Rich decided to make his first barrel-fermented chardonnay at Raphael. He didn’t make much though, only four new French barrels worth. All told, the wine spent five months in those barrels. He stirred the…

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