Standing Stone Pinot Noir

This 2007 vintage estate produced and bottled Pinot Noir is quite enjoyable, balanced and contains hints of chocolate on the nose along with notes of leather accompanied by assertive ripe cherries throughout. The winemaker says hints of truffles, tobacco and leather. This wine went very well with fresh wild cod encrusted with coriander, cinammon and a hint of paprika along with garlic infused EV olive oil. The flavors brought out the best in each. GOOD

Finger Lakes Wine Reviews

Back in the saddle again. After a long hiatus, it is time to start posting again. Frankly, I had not been inspired to review any wine I had been consuming. I found some personal favorites that I enjoyed for a while, and did not find much to write about that I already hadn't reviewed. There is never one culprit, but let's just say I got stuck in a rut...Hope you continue to enjoy.

Shalestone Vineyards Synergy

This 2005 vintage blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot and Syrah is full of ripe fruit, black pepper, a subtle hint of molasses, and pleasantly velvet like on the palate. This is very much like a high quality Zin - very well balanced, but not a usually occurring example of what most Finger Lakes red wines have to offer. This wine could very well stand up to some California kings - Turley of old, Shafer, and such. Pasture raised pork, Alder wood smoked pork, or even a fire roasted pizza with goat cheese would pair well with this behemoth of a wine. VERY VERY GOOD

Sheldrake Point Fleur de Pinot

This 2006 Finger Lakes Pinot Noir from various clones starts out as an easy quaffer, but develops into something intriguing. The first few tastes were light and fruity, mostly cherry, balanced by tannins from old French Oak. However, after about twenty or thirty minutes sitting in the glass, it takes on a much more complex character. It hints of sweet earth and lilac on the nose right through the finish. This is easily something to slightly chill for an afternoon BBQ, and versatile enough to combine it with just about any grilled meat or vegetable. GOOD

Ravines Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Ravines, located on the East side of Keuka Lake (the one shaped like a Y), is nestled on a hill, and upon reviewing this Sauvignon Blanc, I discovered that this 100% Finger Lakes wine may be another perfect varietal for the Finger Lakes region's wine makers to have a go with producing. Generally, Sauv Blanc is under appreciated in both taste and consumption, but it will do very well in the cooler climates of the region. California wine makers tried to make it into a hearty Chardonnay, but that didn't bode well for increasing its popularity.

Ravines Sauvignon Blanc 2006 contains the classic crisp and refreshing characteristics. It is also with fruits of lime, and passion fruit, but with little, if any, residual sugar. It boasts of minerals, slate and lime on both the nose and the palate, much the way a superstar Gewurztraminer will. Try it with a young Gruyere before dinner or with Sunday Brunch on Mother's Day. VERY GOOD

Glenora Blanc de Blancs New York Sparkling Wine

This NV champagne style wine has a touch of sweetness with a hint of ripe McIntosh apple and also a hint of passion fruit. My first impression was that this would be a great sparkling wine to take the place of a prosecco for bellinis. I thoroughly enjoyed it until the finish, which is a bit heavy and sits around a little too long on the palate. It is very well balanced until the finish, with a proper amount of carbonation and acidity, which would make it work well with a spiedie and a hot summer day. MARGINAL

Wagner Winery Horizontal Tasting

Okay. I must admit that I have become a bit cynical about the quality of Finger Lakes red wines. I believe better wine can be produced, but the winemakers are failing to produce it on a consistent basis. Now to carry on my thesis, I took 2 Wagner Vineyards wines, both Cabernet Franc and both vintage 2005. One of them was a special release with fruit forwardness, bits of oak and vanilla. Very nice and very well balanced; priced at $20. The other, the standard release Cab Franc was lighter on the fruit, overpowered by oak, and just completely out of balance; priced at $15. Even after being open for 2 days it didn't really even begin to work itself out. I wonder if the efforts to make those 2 releases were combined into a single concerted effort to produce 1 high quality release would have resulted in Wagner red wine utopia? One will never know. I have a feeling it is a number of factors at play that are singing me the red wine blues - weather, customer demand, perceptions in customer tastes, and business cost factors. Off to my day job, see you in March.

Hunt Country Vineyards Meritage

This 2004 vintage Finger Lakes Wine was a solid player with the grass fed beef. It was a bit riper than most other Finger Lakes Meritage wines, and that brought out some more of the strength of this popular Bordeaux style wine. Fruit of cherries and small oak, with a hint of sugar. GOOD