Palate
Our newest blend is an immediate hit with us and we hope
you will agree. Pinot Noir, Lemberger and Saperavi come
together to form this graceful yet bold addition to our red
ranks. Aromas of beef roast and black and red cherries tempt
the nose. Meanwhile the palate is suffused with black
currant, strawberry and the shyest hint of cedar. You are
greeted first with the gentle silkiness of the Pinot, however
the finish lasts and lasts with the Saperavi clinging to the
back and sides of your tongue. All is braced with taut, grippy
tannins that beg for an array of fine cheeses.
Growing Conditions
Simply put, 2018 was a challenge. The year started out just
fine. Winter was relatively mild by Finger Lakes
standards. Though we didn’t get much of a spring, what
little we experienced was relatively average. By July,
however, it was beginning to look like we might have a
repeat of 2016-- we hadn’t seen any rain since mid-spring.
We needn’t have worried—by the end of July it started
raining and never stopped. It felt like we didn’t see the sun
again for the rest of the year! So yes, the year was
challenging. Faced with such intense humidity and not a
lot of intense sunlight during harvest we were again
reminded why our philosophy of hand harvesting all of our
fruit is so important. This year hand harvesting allowed us
to cull and drop any questionable fruit right there on the
ground leaving us confident that we were starting with
only the healthiest and most robust grapes we grew and
that we were creating the best wines possible – just a little
less of it
Bottling
Bottling Date: 8/21/19
Aging
Aged
for 9 months in a combination of older
French oak & neutral oak barrels.
