Posts Tagged“2013”

Barry Family Cellars 2013 Tuller Vineyard Pinot Noir

Barry Family Wines 2013 Tuller Vineyard Pinot Noir came and went — only 50 cases were made and they sold quickly — but it’s a wine that I’ll remember. We always remember the good ones, don’t we? Barry Family cellars co-owner and winemaker Ian Barry started working with John Tuller and his fruit during Barry’s first vintage in the Finger Lakes, when he was working at Heron Hill. At the time, Heron Hill bought all of Tuller’s fruit, including pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling and cabernet franc. “I always thought his fruit was unique, but particularly his pinot noir, which I would often keep…

Heart & Hands Wine Company 2013 Patrician Verona Vineyard Riesling

When Tom and Susan Higgins set out to create Heart & Hands Wine Company, pinot noir was to be the focus — and it is. Tom is making some of the best pinot on the East Coast. At the same time, the riesling program has grown beyond what the couple expected (I tasted more than a half dozen bottlings on a recent visit) and offers outstanding quality as well. The fruit used to make Heart & Hands Wine Company 2013 Patrician Verona Vineyard Riesling ($28) was grown on the west side of Cayuga Lake on a site that consistently produces ripe, fruit-forward rieslings. That’s…

Hermann J. Wiemer 2013 Cabernet Franc

Even though I’ve been writing wine reviews for many years now, I never stop asking myself about their real value, whether or not I’m approaching them in the right way or how I can improve my process. Looking out at the rest of the industry — I’m talking more about printed publications, who tend to be a bit more transparent with how they taste and review wines — there don’t seem to be any set rules. Some critics taste wine “blind” but not really — because they know the region the wines are made, so any bias they may have for…

Mattebella Vineyards 2013 Steel Chardonnay

Lower- and no-oak chardonnay is getting a lot of attention in California these days — especially among the “New California” set — but this style of chardonnay has been popular for many years in Long Island wine country — and this is Mattebella Vineyards‘ first foray into the barrel-less chardonnay game. Mattebella Vineyards 2013 Steel Chardonnay ($20) smells like fresh pears and yellow apples with just a hint of sweet corn. Sometimes steel chardonnay can be a bit lean and tinny, but this one is fleshier than that with a gently creamy mid-palate. Fruit-forward and fairly direct, the palate is…

Leonard Oakes Estate Winery 2013 Reserve Series Sauvignon Blanc

Lightly saline on the nose, with notes of lemony citrus, fresh-cut hay and grapefruit, Leonard Oakes Estate Winery 2013 Reserve Series Sauvignon Blanc ($17) is a snappy, refreshing sauvignon. The palate lacks a bit of concentration, but is bright, citrusy and mouthwatering — with a savory minerality that peeks through on a medium-long finish. Producer: Leonard Oakes Estate Winery AVA: New York State ABV: 12.5% Price: $17 (sample) (3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)

Harbes Vineyard 2013 Steel Fermented Chardonnay

Stainless steel-born chardonnay is rarely a revelation, but Harbes Vineyard 2013 Steel Fermented Chardonnay ($19) is classic North Fork steel chardonnay in all of its easy-drinking, fruit-forward glory. The aromas, begin with straightforward pear and yellow apple notes, but there’s also a faint citrus blossom-herb quality that add just a bit of nuance. Fruity on the medium-bodied, slightly glycerin  palate, sweet apples and pears are are backed by some lemon and lime flavors. There is a bit of weight here, but also fresh acidity for balance. The finish isn’t long, but it’s not abrupt either. Producer: Harbes Vineyard AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV:…

Boundary Breaks Vineyard 2013 No. 239 Dry Riesling

It’s not always easy to know who made any individual wine at Boundary Breaks. They work with a few Finger Lakes winemakers and there isn’t any indication on the bottle or on their website which wines were made where, but Boundary Breaks Vineyard 2013 No. 239 Dry Riesling ($20) was made by Peter Bell at Fox Run Vineyards. Flinty and citrus blossom notes bring a bit of complexity to a nose that is driven by sweet lemons and just-ripe peaches. Citrusy and quite fruity and forward, the palate is juicy, with a bit of perceived sweetness even though it’s labeled…

Southampton Publick House 2013 Imperial Russian Stout

Comparing a vintage beer at different stages of its maturity isn’t something I get to do all the time, let alone a beer I have taken notes on. Recently, I’ve been cleaning up my wine and beer storage that I’ve wanted to check in on and, well, drinking them. I happen to pop this 2013 Imperial Russian Stout almost two years to the day that I last reviewed it here, on the New York Cork Report in 2013. Much about the beer has changed, yet much has stayed the same. The color and appearance of the stout hadn’t changed at…

Keuka Spring Vineyards 2013 “Humphrey’s Vineyard” Riesling

Keuka Spring Vineyards 2013 “Humphrey’s Vineyard” Riesling ($22) offers a nice balance between fruity and floral character. The nose opens with Mandarin oranges and Meyer lemons with notes of peach, honey and fennel frond. Juicy and dry, the palate welcomes Golden Delicious apple flavors to the party along with more-pronounced, zesty citrus notes. Finishing with notes of apple skin and citrus blossom, this is a pretty classic Finger Lakes dry riesling, minus the minerally slate notes you might find from other vineyard sources. Producer: Keuka Spring Vineyards AVA: Finger Lakes Designation: Humphrey’s Vineyard Variety: Riesling Alcohol: 12% Production: 360 cases Price: $22 (sample)…

Forge Cellars 2013 Pinot Noir “Classique”

Assumptions and generalizations. In recent weeks they have crept into more than a couple wine-related discussions I’ve had. As with regular, every-day life, they are silly, even dangerous, things that can make us appear ignorant or worse. In wine, they are crutches that even the most intrepid writer/critic/thinker will fall back on in a pinch. Of course many of them are based in fact — at least tangentially. Take the idea that red wines from the 2013 Finger Lakes vintage can’t or won’t be good. I haven’t heard anyone laud the season for any grape. The growing season was a wet…