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Finger Lake Wine Tastings 2019
Ithaca, NY
Tasted June 21, 2019 - June 23, 2019 by TashNYC with 222 views
Introduction
Wine tasting with Ken B. He was looking for wine for a September wedding.
Flight 1 - Red Newt wines at Cafe over lunch (6 notes)
Flights of 3 wines for $9.
Lunch with ham and gouda on sourdough. Ken had a turkey club.
The Tierce riesling 2010 and 2011 were the best wines.
White
2013 Kelby James Russell Dry Riesling Tango Oaks
89 points
Lime and honey. Described as Australian wine techniques in Ithaca. Dry wine.good with the ham and gouda sandwich at Red Newt cafe. $17.50 at winery
White
2013 Red Newt Cellars Riesling Tango Oaks
89 points
Abput the same as last year. Apple, minerals, orange, dry riesling. Served too warm today so hard to judge. $26.50 at winery.
White
2016 Red Newt Cellars Dry Riesling
90 points
Good acidity and fruit. Quite food friendly. $19.50 at the winery.
White
2010 Tierce Dry Riesling
93 points
Lovely nose, good acidity, great fruit. Notes of citrus and lime. This wine has aged gracefully. With Ken.
White
White
2012 Tierce Dry Riesling
88 points
Not that exciting compared to the 2010 and 2011 vintages - and for the same $30 cost. The weaker vintage shows. Fascinating to try side-by-side.
Flight 2 - Red Newt Tasting Room Wines (5 notes)
White
2014 Tierce Dry Riesling
90 points
Apples, lime, florals, lovely nose. Perhaps some more complexity with age. $30.50 at winery.
White
2008 Red Newt Cellars Gewürztraminer Curry Creek Vineyards
88 points
Lychee, apple, florals. Lovely nose but not as good on the taste. $35.50 at the winery
White
2011 Red Newt Cellars Gewürztraminer Curry Creek Vineyards
87 points
Less perfume and more spice and pepper. I liked it better last year - or maybe an off bottle. $24 at winery
Rosé
2016 Kelby James Russell Dry Rosé
87 points
Strawberry, herbs, just a touch sweet. $10-$15 / bottle.
Red
2017 Red Newt Cellars Cabernet Franc
89 points
Red fruit, cherry, some herbs, like a young Loire wine. $21.50 at winery.
Flight 3 - Damiani Winery Tasting Room (5 notes)
These were not bad - particularly the red wines (cabernet franc and Meritage). I was told the chardonnay was also excellent but I didn’t taste it.
Ken was looking to taste the sauvignon blanc for a wedding but the new 2018 vintage wasn’t available so we didn’t try it.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Damiani Wine Cellars Bollicine
89 points
Prosecco with an Ithaca twist. Fine bubbles. A fun wine. $15.50 / bottle.
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White
2017 Damiani Wine Cellars Dry Riesling Davis Vineyard
89 points
Lime, mandarin orange, peach, floral. Needs some time to pull itself together. Old vines 1991. $22 / bottle at winery.
White - Off-dry
2016 Damiani Wine Cellars Semi-Dry Riesling
90 points
Apple, pear, honeydew, a touch of sweetness and good acidity. $16 / bottle at winery
Red
2017 Damiani Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc
90 points
Cherry notes, some savory herbs, green pepper, quite tannic. Hung through End of October. Needs time. $22 / bottle at winery.
Red
2016 Damiani Wine Cellars Meritage
90 points
Some good fruit, cherry, berry, chocolate, herbs, olives and a little green pepper. Needs time (5-6 years says Ken, 10 years says the guy in the tasting room). Sort of like a California or Washington State Bordeaux blend. $33 / bottle at winery
Flight 4 - Ryan William Tasting Room (6 notes)
By far the best winery we visited today. I especially loved how they served wines that had a little bottle age and drank well. The Gruner Veltliner was the best I have tasted in Ithaca.
They have a charming cafe but we didn’t eat there.
I met the co-owner as well.
White
2015 Ryan William Vineyard Grüner Veltliner Ryan William Vineyard
91 points
Great wine. Apples, lemons, white pepper, good minerality. One of the best Gruners in Ithaca. $25 at winery. With Ken
White
2016 Ryan William Vineyard Gewürztraminer Ryan William Vineyard
89 points
Orange, lychee, spice. It is what it should be. Perhaps better with time. $25 at the winery
White
2015 Ryan William Vineyard Chardonnay Ryan William Vineyard
90 points
Lovely fruit, orange, honeydew, maybe a touch of vanilla. $20 at winery. With Ken (who even liked it). On 6-22 a little more vanilla
White
2015 Ryan William Vineyard Riesling Ryan William Vineyard
90 points
Apple, orange, peach, honey. Good acidity. 9.8% alcohol and RS 2.8. Needs some spicy, ethnic food (or barbecue). $18 at winery.
Red
2013 Ryan William Vineyard Merlot Ryan William Vineyard
89 points
Cherry, currant, plum, a touch of chocolate. Drink soon. Grown near the lake and Aged in French oak. Drink soon. $22 at winery.
Red
2015 Ryan William Vineyard Cabernet Franc Ryan William Vineyard
89 points
Cherry, plum, cocoa, herbs, green pepper, some tannins. $22 /bottle at winery.
Flight 5 - Hector Wine Company (1 note)
We visited this winery to taste sauvignon blanc for Ken’s wedding and he wanted some chocolates. He didn’t care for the sauvignon blanc so that will probably not make the cut.
White
2018 Hector Wine Company Sauvignon Blanc
86 points
Good nose but not as tasty on the palette. Notes of citrus ans lime fruit and perhaps a touch of grass, but a little thin on tasteand too round on the palette for me.
This had just been bottled so maybe better with a few weeks or a month in the bottle?
$18 at the winery
This had just been bottled so maybe better with a few weeks or a month in the bottle?
$18 at the winery
Flight 6 - Lamoreaux Landing (21 notes)
Rosé
2018 Lamoreaux Landing Dry Rosé
90 points
Great flavors of watermelon, berries, pomegranate. $14/ bottle
White
White
2016 Lamoreaux Landing Chardonnay
89 points
Apple, lemon, butter, almond. Good value for $12 / bottle.
White
2017 Lamoreaux Landing Chardonnay Reserve
89 points
Apple fruit, citrus, vanilla and oak. Maybe better with food. Not as good to me as the 2016 version. $16 / bottle. 9 months in oak
White
2017 Lamoreaux Landing Riesling Yellow Dog
87 points
Citrus, grapefruit, mineral. Good acidity. Needs time to pull itself together. $20 /bottle at winery
White
2017 Lamoreaux Landing Riesling Round Rock
88 points
Apple, lime, peach, grapefruit. Better than the yellow dog but not by much.
White
2017 Lamoreaux Landing Riesling Red Oak Vineyard
90 points
Orange blossom, lemon, apple, honey. Old world style. Needs time. $20 at winery
White - Off-dry
2017 Lamoreaux Landing Semi-Dry Riesling
89 points
Apple, petrol, honey, apricot. Would be good with spicy food.
White
2011 Lamoreaux Landing Riesling Yellow Dog
88 points
Lots of hazelnut and minerals but the fruit is all gone. This bottle seems too old. $35 at winery
White - Sweet/Dessert
2018 Lamoreaux Landing Riesling Ice Wine
87 points
Apricot, raisin, honey. Not drinking as well as the 2014 ice wine from last year. Needs time. $38 at winery
White - Sweet/Dessert
2017 Lamoreaux Landing Gewürztraminer Ice Wine
91 points
Honey, lychee, cloves, peaches. Drinking quite well wih a little bottle age. $32 at winery.
I was told it is the first year they made an Ice Gewurztraminer.
I was told it is the first year they made an Ice Gewurztraminer.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2017 Lamoreaux Landing Vidal Ice Wine
90 points
A good, fruity nose, taste of pineapple, apricot and apples and a finish that was simultaneously tart yet sweet. This drank young to me but I thought it would integrate better with a year of bottle age. Great value at $20 per 375 ml but my spouse preferred the Ice Gewurtztraminer 2017 for $10 more.
I am reading the trade materials now and it seems to have won a couple of awards, too.
I am reading the trade materials now and it seems to have won a couple of awards, too.
Red
Red
2016 Lamoreaux Landing Cabernet Franc
90 points
Well done for the grape and place. Berry, cherry, oregano, coffee, plum. Ok for under $20
Red
2010 Lamoreaux Landing Merlot Block 137
86 points
I believe I had this wine (although it is possible it was a different merlot, as I never saw the bottle and the materials don’t say). Notes of berry, plum, cedar and smoke. Soft on the finish with no tannins left. I was surprised this wasn’t better given how good the 2010 vintage was. To me it says these red wines don’t age that well. The plum notes said it was near the end of its drinking window (although it could have simply had too much oxygen. They appeared to be using a Coravin but leaving it in the cork between pours). $45 at the winery seemed quite expensive.
Drink now /soon.
Drink now /soon.
Red
2014 Lamoreaux Landing 76 West
87 points
My tasting notes for this wine never got recorded (as I vacated the tasting area to make room for others) but I liked this less than the 2010 version. $25 at the winery (with case discount), $30 rack rate.
Red
2010 Lamoreaux Landing 76 West
89 points
Better than the merlot, this had some fruit, herbs and earth. $45 seemed expensive for this as well. Drink now.
Flight 7 - Ryan William 2nd visit (5 notes)
We had lunch in the cafe, met the winemaker Ryan William and tasted some more wines.
The pinot noir rose paired beautifully with the smoked turkey sandwich with gouda (as recommended by Ryan).
The 2015 Gruner Vetliner wine was sold out and the 2016 vintage needs a little more time to show better.
Red
2013 Ryan William Vineyard Pinot Noir Ryan William Vineyard
89 points
Better than I expected - maybe even 90 points. Some good fruit and herbs. $29 at the winery
Rosé
2018 Ryan William Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé Seneca Lake
90 points
Lovely fruit, great with the smoked turkey sandwich.
Rosé
2017 Ryan William Vineyard Blanc de Noir
89 points
Citrus fruit and creamy. Made with merlot. Ryan recommended with smoked turkey sandwich. $22 at winery
Rosé
N.V. Ryan William Vineyard R. William Barn
89 points
A rose wine made from 100% merlot with 24 hours of skin contact. Orange, berries and herbs. A fun wine. $12.50 each. Only sold at the winery.
Red
N.V. Ryan William Vineyard
88 points
The William Barn Red (only sold at winery), raspberries and dark chocolate. Note bad wine for $15 / bottle. Only sold at winery.
Flight 8 - Forge Winery (6 notes)
Ken, Anne, Jen and I tasted at Forge Winery by appointment with Rick Rainey, General Manager
It was an exciting time. They were finishing bottling the Riesling wines and had moved onto the rose wines.
White
2017 Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Leidenfrost
91 points
Tasty wine. Notes of lime, mint, apple, pear, stone and some mineral. Good nose of lime, mint, pear. (I didn’t get the orange in the notes). Served a little warm (60 degrees). $28. Tasted at winery.
White
2017 Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique
92 points
Lemon, pear, mineral. lovely nose and fruit. $19 at winery.
White
2013 Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique
93 points
Winery re-release from 3rd vintage. Lovely wine. Notes of hazelnut, crushed stone, petrol, lime, lemon and a touch of grapefruit. Great nose and lots of complexity.
White
2018 Forge Cellars Dry Riesling Classique
90 points
Barrel sample at winery. A little primary and closed but will be good. better with air. Notes of lime, apple, pear and mint. Needs time but will be very good.12% alcohol.
Rosé
2018 Forge Cellars Pinot Noir Rosé
91 points
A barrel sample but ready to go. Lovely rose. Notes of cherry, raspberry, red fruits but lots of herbs, body and complexity. Dark color. Jen’s favorite of the wines today. Tasted at winery. $17 or $18 / bottle.
Red
2017 Forge Cellars Pinot Noir Classique
89 points
Cherry, strawberry, crunchy red fruit (typical of cooler climate pinot noirs), some mineral and very good acidity. No doubt better with food. These cool-climate pinot noirs aren’t my thing but this is a pretty good example.
Notes say hand-harvested and hand-sorted followed by 30% whole cluster pressing. Spontaneous fermentations with native yeasts were followed by 10 months of barrel aging.
$28 at winery.
Notes say hand-harvested and hand-sorted followed by 30% whole cluster pressing. Spontaneous fermentations with native yeasts were followed by 10 months of barrel aging.
$28 at winery.
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