Petra and I were up in the Finger Lakes the other weekend, and boy-o-boy did we find some treats!
IMHO Lake Seneca is home to the best wine makers in the country, and all of the following wines are from the along the western side of the lake.
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Starting at Fox Run, where you can take a tour for free, and was rated Best Winery of 2008, we have the ’08 Chardonnay and ’07 Dry Riesling. The Chardonnay isn’t as round as others, but the fruity flavors are all there especially the Pear, complements well with cheese or salad. There is also a ’06 Reserve Chardonnay which while tasty; has an after taste that I did not care for. As for the ’08 Dry Riesling, I enjoyed this one in particular for it acidic quality. It’s very drinkable, but the sharpness is unlike most other Rieslings.
Moving just a few yards down the road is a newish Winery called Red Tail Ridge. Here we found the 2007 Sans-Oak Chardonnay, that was simply spectacular, and even more so because it’s only $10 a bottle. It has a creamy body that doesn’t taste too buttery or oily. We liked this so much we actually bought a few bottles. Red Tail also has a Semi-Sweet Riesling that people rave about, personally I found to be a bit overwhelming with the residual sugars, I could sense the hang-over I would get from drinking more than a glass. But for those of you that like a Sweeter wine, this is a very good choice as the kiwi and melon flavors play off each other nicely.
And lastly, we stopped at my favorite Winery in the region, Anthony Road. Every time we go here we find something new to love about the place. Last time it was their Vignoles, which is normally a very sweet wine, but from AR it was actually quite crisp and refreshing, not unlike a hard cider. Pairing it with spicy food like Curry, it was out of this world. But that was two years ago, and the ’08 Vignoles is much like other Vignoles, and hence we didn’t like it as much as we did the previous years. Similarly, AR had a ’08 Semi-Dry Riesling, which won Wine of the Year this year, and while being very good, it didn’t completely ‘knock-our-socks-off’. To me it was complex, it was bold, it was great even, but not that great. Perhaps it was the hyped-expectations, but it just didn’t deliver. (Subjective, yes)
But what one hand takes the other gives. This year we can’t stop raving about the ’06 Pinto Gris. It has such a wonderful smell, its practically a perfume. Sweet on the lips, but dry in the finish we actually took home a whole case because it pairs well with most any type of food or it can stand on its own; really, a great wine to have around the house for any occasion or none at all.
However, there is one wine that dominated all the others: Tierce. It’s a blended Dry Riesling from Fox Run, Anthony Road, and Red Newt. It is without a doubt, the singularly best white wine that either I or my wife has ever tasted. (Apparently, it won double Gold in Competition) It’s everything a Riesling should be: citrus flavors, light in body, very few residuals, and a finish that leaves your taste buds craving more. It’s expensive, as it ought to be, but if you can get your hands on a bottle I make a personal guarantee that you will love it!
Lastly, Miles Winery is a great place for those who like Sweeter Wines. In particular, the Alice White makes for an excellent after dinner wine, and even comes with a desert recipe, that I actually think is better then the wine by itself. Even if you don’t like that type of thing its worth a visit, if only to see the old Mile House, where the tasting room is, and its the closest you can get to the Seneca Lake without crossing private property. Well worth the stop.
Happy tasting and Cheers!
