Honeymoon in the Finger Lakes
FLX, New York, USA
Tasted Monday, October 17, 2016 - Thursday, October 20, 2016 by pkbowen with 1,576 views
Introduction
Emily and I have been best friends since 2008, co-authored tasting notes on CT together since 2014, and we finally celebrated our nuptials in the summer of 2016. A fall "color and winery tour" of the Finger Lakes is how we chose to spend our honeymoon. The area is gorgeous, especially as the tree and vine foliage turns various vivid yellows, oranges, reds, and purples. We casually picked wineries to visit based on online recommendations, wine trail literature, and searches on CT for the highest-quality producers. Folks in the area are very approachable, and very agreeable to midwesterners-come-Nutmeggers like Emily and me.
We have cataloged the "winery tour" portion of the honeymoon below to the best of our abilities. Enjoy!
Flight 1 - Day 1: Dr. Konstantin Frank/Chateau Frank (12 Notes)
Our very first stop on the trip set a high bar. The famous Dr. Frank's winery was a must-visit during our trip, and it was very enjoyable. The attendant and shop keep were both very knowledgeable, able to answer even the most obscure questions. They were also able to explain the nuances of strange Eastern European varieties that we had never encountered. The sparkling wines, especially their Extended Tirage Brut offering, were exceptional and could develop into truly stunning wines. Top-notch operation; very highly recommended.
Flight 2 - Day 1: Heron Hill Winery (10 Notes)
From the Keuka Lake trail literature, Heron Hill was a high flier in terms of the language used, and it gave us some hope that the wines would be inspired and exceptional in some way. Unfortunately their offerings were fairly run-of-the-mill and their wines were plagued by technical faults (true faults or poor winemaking; maybe both in some cases). Their facility, while beautiful, was plagued by fruit flies, and the senior staff seemed more occupied with the gift shop than the tasting room. In all likelihood, we would not revisit this producer.
Flight 3 - Day 1: Keuka Lake Vineyards (13 Notes)
Of the first three wineries we visited, Keuka Lake Vineyards is clearly the scrappy start-up. Having just opened their tasting room, it is little more than a wooden bar in the middle of a dimly lit room. However, a number of their offerings caught our attention, particularly the 2014 Falling Man Riesling, dry and "orange" Vignoles, and Cab Franc. Some of their core strength as a startup vineyard is in marketing, and it shows, as their wines are on the list of some iconic New York restaurants, with commensurate pricing. We would like to revisit in a future vintage to see how their offerings develop, or if they head in the direction of "all bark and no bite."
Flight 4 - Day 2: Shaw Vineyards (7 Notes)
We started Day 2 with another scrappy start-up winery. However, unlike Keuka Lake Vineyards where marketing was a core strength, at Shaw the wine clearly comes first. Fantastic things are happening here. From bottle-aged-but-still-fresh Sauv blanc; to truly delectable, complex, and ageworthy Bordeaux-esque reds; to unique orange wines with months of skin exposure, Steve Shaw seems to be nothing short of a Finger Lakes winemaking genius. The facility is reminiscent of stepping into an artist's studio, with for-sale art on easels around the periphery, wooden slat racks for wine storage, a case packing area clearly visible, and a bare-bones tasting bar attended by the effervescent Doddy. This was an experience second to none for us wine geeks, and we highly recommend visiting Shaw Vineyards.
Flight 5 - Day 2: Herman J. Wiemer (11 Notes)
A heavyweight in FLX Rieslings, Herman J Wiemer was a must-visit on our trip. It's a very polished operation with a tasting room in the actual winemaking area (in the "middle of the action," as it were), which is a nice touch. The quality of the wines was very good, and offerings ran the gamut from quaffable, "bargain cuvee"-style bottlings to ageworthy, single-vineyard Rieslings. Our experience was very agreeable, and we came away with one "prize": a magnum of the 2014 dry Riesling. Their tasting room was overrun by fruit flies, but that was not surprising given its location and unseasonable warmth. We will be returning to Herman J. Wiemer in the future.
Flight 6 - Day 2: McGregor Vineyard (11 Notes)
McGregor Vineyard was mentioned by a tasting attendant at another winery (I won't name names...) and so we thought it would be worth checking out. Interesting arrangement, with rustic tables that are set up more like a restaurant. The attendants are also more like waiters/waitresses than traditional tasting room staff. Unfortunately this means that they are flitting around a bit too much to provide much insight about the wine. And the wine...the wine was not superb. Oddly, the highlights were the bargain non-vintage bottlings. Many of the estate wines are simply subpar with egregious QPR. (This is actually borne out on the CellarTracker aggregate score, which is the same as Heron Hill at 86.5. By comparison, HJ Wiemer has an aggregate score of 89.1.) We would not recommend this operation to anyone serious about wine.
Flight 7 - Day 2: Domaine LeSeurre Winery (7 Notes)
Domaine LeSeurre is a relatively new operation making "négociant" bottlings, as this young winery has not yet started producing estate wines. However, the quality and attentiveness to winemaking is clearly present. Creative winemaking techniques and a tendency to Burgundian profile (even in Riesling!) make this a winery to watch. As the proprietors are currently limited by their lack of estate fruit, the wines will only improve. We will certainly revisit in a future vintage.
Flight 8 - Day 3: Standing Stone Vineyards (12 Notes)
Standing Stone Vineyards is located on the east shore of Seneca in a very nice location. For the nice land, good sun exposure, and good quality of their neighbors' wines, they managed to butcher many of the region's mainstay varieties. Their strongest showings were their dry Vidal and Vidal ice wines. The tasting experience and offerings were clearly geared towards the less serious crowd. Nothing is wrong with that per se, but it would have been helpful to know ahead of time... The blue-haired (as in colored, not old) tasting attendant was painfully ignorant of the wines, generally loud, and insistent that the Standing Stone wine club was the best thing since sliced bread. We will not be returning.
Flight 9 - Day 3: Damiani Wine Cellars (15 Notes)
Damiani was not on our radar until scouring CellarTracker for wines with high ratings and high numbers of bottles in cellars. Folks seem to like this place, and so do we. From the road, it doesn't look attractive, with a dated roadside sign and fairly nondescript appearance. However, the tasting room is well-kept, and the wines speak for themselves. Surprisingly, the heavy reds (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, their Meritage, etc.) were the standouts from the lineup. A tasting guided by Mr. Michael Cimino was very enjoyable and helped us understand the winemaking philosophy and aging trajectory of many of the wines. This is a well-run operation, and we will be returning in the future.
Flight 10 - Day 4: Hazlitt's Red Cat Cellars (11 Notes)
We stopped at Hazlitt's Red Cat Cellars in Naples, NY on a whim during our last day in the Finger Lakes. The facility itself is sprawling and unusually hard to navigate. The tasting room appeared dated and reeked of popcorn (they serve popcorn while tasting). However, there were a few decent wines on the white side of things and one or two reds, as well. Nice folks, though only one of them knew much about the wine. We might swing by in the future, but it is not a must-visit operation.
Closing
109 tasting notes, 46 purchased bottles, a full cellar, and an empty wallet later we headed home from a wonderful honeymoon. We would certainly take a similar trip again, and visit some of the outstanding people and enterprises that we discovered this time. We are very much looking forward to future vintages at Dr. Frank's, seeing Steve Shaw eventually receive the attention he deserves, watching Domaine LeSeurre mature, and aging our myriad Damiani reds. Notes to come as we tackle our many souvenirs over the coming years.
Thanks for reading!
2015 Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 91 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Very floral, tangerine and other orange citrus fruits. Med+ acid gives this a little kick. Profile really starts to fill out with temperature. Excellent, but could improve further with time, 91+.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Dr. Konstantin Frank Grüner Veltliner 88 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Badly needs warmth to open, but when it does it yields nice clean citrus aromas plus peach. Very interesting expression of Gruner lacking the standard "green" tinge. High, biting acid. Austere. "Very good," 88/100.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Dr. Konstantin Frank Gewürztraminer 91 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Some warmth coaxes out aromas of lemon zest, petrol, and green apple. Plush on the palate with a medium+ acid spine. "Excellent," 91+/100, with upside potential with rest and serving conditions.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli 87 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Funky nose with a certain dairy quality in addition to sweet butterscotch and floral elements. High acid makes this perk up on the palate. Very unique, "very good," 87/100.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Dr. Konstantin Frank Muscat Ottonel 85 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Comes in at 4% RS. Very orange-driven profile with a green tinge. Floral, reminiscent of shampoo. However, much too sweet for the med(-) acid. Cloying. "Good-to-very good," 85/100.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi-Dry Riesling 90 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Made with Seneca grapes, not Keuka, coming in at 2.3% RS. A little reticent on the nose, but GREAT acidity. Not cloying in the least. Driven by peach and orange qualities throughout. "Very good-to-excellent," 90/100.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2013 Dr. Konstantin Frank Pinot Noir Old Vines 87 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. White pepper, blackberry, and blueberry dominate. Low tannin, good oak integration even after 10 mo in French oak. Solid PN. "Very good," 87/100.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2011 Chateau Frank Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs 86 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Definite presence of cereal/bread flavors. Tart fruit present, but good clarity of apple flavor. Serviceable FLX methode Champenoise sparkling, but not terribly interesting. "Very good," 86/100.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Chateau Frank Brut 90 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Balanced baked goods and red berry qualities with clear, tart raspberry on the palate. High acid means this is built for the long haul...great aging potential! "Very good-to-excellent," 90/100, with upside potential in 3-5 years.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Chateau Frank Brut Rosé 83 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. Note that this is the Chateau Frank Brut Rose (currently called "2010 Chateau Frank" on CT at the time of writing). To us, it was stinky, with aromas of cold strawberries and frozen barnyard. Not compelling. Just "good," 83/100, and not a buy at USD$35.
Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Chateau Frank Riesling Célèbre 85 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. This sparkling Riesling did not show well next to the Brut and Brut Extended Tirage offerings. However, it was interesting enough with petrol, apples, and salinity showing through. High acid. "Good-to-very good," 85/100.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Chateau Frank Brut Extended Tirage 92 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
(10/17/2016)
Tasted at the winery. Poured cold. It drew an excellent contrast to the "standard" (but already quite excellent) 2010 Chateau Frank Brut bottling. This was more caramelized insofar as the grain/bread/cereal qualities were concerned, and the red fruit (raspberry and cherry) were evened out and presented more as "preserve" than unripe berries or seeds. Finishes long. High acid is retained. Again, this Brut sparkling is built for the long haul.
"Excellent," 92+/100, right now but will evolve for 10+ years and would likely age well for up to 25 years without an issue. Treat as one would a classified growth Champagne!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue