Leonard Oakes - 2009 Chardonnay

Tasted on :Friday & Saturday September 16th & 17th, 2011
Purchased for: $15  

This won't be a typical structured review because, well, because I said so. I first tasted this wine at the South Wedge Farmer's Market and immediately loved it. It's a dry white chardonnay, but that doesn't inhibit it from having a wonderfully full flavor. I would definitely buy this wine again. 90/100.

Fulkerson - 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasted on :May 27, 2011
Purchased for: $13.99

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12%
• Residual Sugar: 0%

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• 2010 - Oakland Community College Great Lakes Wine Competition - Bronze
• 2010 - International Eastern Wine Competition - Bronze
• 2010 - Golden Nose Wine Competition - Bronze
  

Tasting:

Appearance: Dark, inky, plum colored. Very pretty.

Aroma: As my glass is airing, I can smell the wine from about a meter away. Wonderfully berry aroma.

Taste / Texture: You can definitely tell that this has been oak aged. Great flavor and smooth texture. The taste is cloy and doesn't slap you in the face. Subtle.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is nice. Medium finish.

Decision: Nice wine. A great balance of flavor and acid. The oak aging is the best part of the taste. 85/100

Imagine Moore - 2007 Wisdom (Cabernet Franc)

Tasted on :March 11, 2011
Purchased for: $15.99

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.5%
• Residual Sugar: unknown, dry
  

Tasting:
Appearance: Sitting in my living room lit with one lamp, my glass of wine looks black. There seems to be little light able to penetrate the liquid. Bringing the glass up to the light, it is still VERY dark, but a red hue is detectable and not much light makes it through.

Aroma: A nice bouquet. Typical cabernet franc notes.

Taste / Texture: Smooth. Again, very typical cabernet franc taste. Nice balance of acidity and alcohol. Mineral ending.

Aftertaste: Doesn't linger on the tongue. Nice aftertaste.

Decision: 80/100. A nice, typical cabernet franc.

Brotherhood - 2008 Merlot

I haven't tasted a new vintage of New York wine for a while, but I'm back!

Tasted on: February 26, 2011
Purchased for: $10.99




Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 13%
• Residual Sugar: <0.3%

Tasting:
Appearance: Dark, dark, barely transparent color. Decent set of legs.

Aroma: After letting my glass of red wine air for a half hour, the aroma still wafted over to my chair. A wonderful bouquet of berry and pepper.

Taste / Texture: My first impression is that the flavor is unassuming and pleasant. A tad acidic with the berry (currant?) flavor. Decent mouth feel.

Aftertaste: Relatively short finish with a nice aftertaste.

Decision: Decision 85/100 I haven't had too many merlot wines to compare this one, but I like it and would purchase it again.

Treleaven - 2008 Dry Riesling

Tasted on :November 20, 2010
Purchased for: $12.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 10.9%
• Residual Sugar: unknown, dry
  

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• 2009 Wine Spectator - 85 points
  

Tasting:
Appearance: Clear, pale straw. Bubbles are adhering to the sides of the wine glass.

Aroma: Nice, delicate bouquet. Hard to place exact notes aside from "fruity".

Taste / Texture: Excellent mouthfeel. Wonderful flavor. Crisp fruit notes.

Aftertaste: A lingering lemon on the sides of the tongue after swallowing. This note lasts longer than the taste on top of the tongue. Medium finish on the top of the tongue, medium-long on the sides.

Decision: Very respectable Riesling wine. Interesting flavor notes on different parts of the tongue. 85/100

Anthony Road - 2007 Chardonnay

Tasted on: September 25, 2010
Purchased for: $10.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.7%
• Residual Sugar: 0.5%

Tasting:
Appearance: Beautifully clear, transparent, straw colored

Aroma: Very subtle aroma. I'm finding it hard to pinpoint the notes here.

Taste / Texture: Smooth taste. Lemon? Interesting complexities that I can't seem to define. Nice balance of acidity, alcohol, and sugar.

Aftertaste: Medium finish. Pleasant aftertaste.

Decision: Very pleasant chardonnay! Great value. Would buy again. 80/100.

Glenora - 2007 Pinot Noir Rosé

Tasted on : September 18, 2010
Purchased for: $13.99


Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 11.5%

Tasting:
Appearance: A lovely clear, cherry color.

Aroma: The aroma of this wine isn't very strong. I can't chalk that up to chilling since it was only the fridge for about twenty minutes. I can detect the strawberry notes the description mentions.

Taste / Texture: The first taste is interesting because it's both sweet and dry. The strawberry note is at the forefront and dominates the taste. There's also a tinge of acidity that I find interesting. This wine doesn't have much body.

Aftertaste: A nice aftertaste. A weak finish, though.

Decision: A mediocre rosé wine that doesn't have any glaring defects, but overall doesn't add up to much. I've had better. I've had worse. 75/100

Flechas de los Andes - 2007 Gran Malbec

Tasted on :August 20, 2010
Purchased for: $14.99

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 14.5%
• Residual Sugar: dry

Wine Awards:

• 92 points - Wine Advocate
  

Tasting:

Appearance: Dark, dark burgundy. Seems thick because after swirling there were no rivulets that ran down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Wonderful cracked pepper and cherry notes.

Taste / Texture: That's a lot of wine character! Medium-full bodied, smooth with a blast of pepper. The fruit notes take a back seat. Nice feeling on my tongue.

Aftertaste: Pleasant and rather long finish compared to other wines I've tasted.

Decision: I like it! 85/100

Keuka Lake - 2007 Leon Millot

Tasted on : August 13, 2010
Purchased for: $14.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 11.5%
• Residual Sugar: unknown, dry
  

Tasting:
Appearance: Dark, dark red. Impenetrable by a normal table light.

Aroma: Lovely aroma. Can definitely pick out the currant / peppery note. It isn't particularly fragrant, like, you cannot smell it from several feet away; however, I don't find this is a huge drawback.

Taste / Texture: A quite different taste than I'm used to. The taste is a bit of an acquired, well, taste. Quite smooth in taste with a bit of an acidic tinge.

Aftertaste: Nice. Medium-long finish.

Decision: An interesting wine. 80/100

Leonard Oakes - 2008 White Oakes

Tasted on: August 07, 2010
Purchased for: $11.49
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 11%
• Residual Sugar: 0.6%

Tasting:

Appearance: One of the palest white wines I've encountered. The palest of yellows. Nearly colorless.

Aroma: Lovely bouquet. Not the most aromatic wine, but the notes that are there are pleasant. I cannot place the aromatic notes through smell. Perhaps the chill has dampened them (and my allergy-afflicted nose doesn't help!).

Taste / Texture: Very smooth texture. Interesting flavor. Fruit note... pear? No. The winery describes it as apple. Yes, I can agree with that. The winery also notes an allspice component, but I can't tease that apart from the flavor as a whole.

Aftertaste: Medium finish on the tongue. Aftertaste flavor is pleasant.

Decision: Very nice, mild wine. I might not buy it for myself again, but I would not turn down an offered glass or two. 80/100

Fox Run Chardonnay

Tasted on: 07/30/10
Purchased for: $11.99

Wine Data: 2007 Vintage

• Alcohol Content: 12%
• Residual Sugar: low
  

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• Awards

Tasting:
Appearance: Clear light straw coloring

Aroma: Subtle citrus and pear/apple scented

Taste / Texture: Medium body with explosive lemony/orangy punch that evaporates quickly leaving a slight overtone

Aftertaste: pleasant citrus tones that gently remind without being overbearing

Decision: 95/100

Hunt Country - 2007 Cabernet Franc

Tasted on: July 23, 2010
Purchased for: ~$15
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 13%
• Residual Sugar: 0.2%

Tasting:

My mother and I went to Keuka Lake to do some wine tastings at wineries around there. Hunt Country was a winery that I had to visit. I bought this bottle there because I loved its taste during the tasting.

Appearance: A dark, dark red - almost black.

Aroma: I can detect cherries and the oak aging of the wine. Unfortunately my nose isn't working for me tonight. Needless to say, it smells quite nice.

Taste / Texture: Delightfully dry and full of flavor. Full body and great balance between flavor, alcohol, and sugar.

Aftertaste: Pleasant aftertaste. Medium finishing time.

Decision: There was a reason why I bought this wine after the tasting. Excellent taste. Like the winery, I would recommend this wine for any beef dish or to pair with cheeses. 90/100

Swedish Hill - 2008 Dry Riesling

Tasted on: June 18, 2010
Purchased for: $11.99

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12%
• Residual Sugar: 0.5%

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• Gold Medal NY Wine & Food Classic, NY 8/09

Tasting:
Appearance: Light green and clear. No particulates

Aroma: Nice, strong riesling bouquet. Strong fruit notes, particularly pear; however, the description indicates that they are floral notes. I can see how I confused the two. Definitely clean and uncomplicated.

Taste / Texture: Great initial taste. Smooth texture with a punch of dryness, especially after eating something salty. The exact notes of flavor are difficult for me to separate out this evening, especially after my nose led me astray earlier. I'll just say that whatever the flavors, they're very nice.

Aftertaste: Medium-short finish. Nice lingering taste.

Decision: Very agreeable dry riesling. The notes are pleasant and the dryness doesn't over- or underwhelm the wine. I'd definitely buy this one again. 85/100.

Dr. Konstantin Frank - 2007 Rkatsiteli

Tasted on: May 28, 2010
Purchased for: $15.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12%
• Residual Sugar: 0.75
• pH: 3.43
  

Wine Awards and Ratings:

• 2007 - Best of Appellation: Double Gold
• 2007 - Amenti del Vino Competition: Double Gold

Tasting:
Appearance: Nice and clear. Tinged with a straw color.

Aroma: Very full bouquet. A mysterious fruity note. After reading the description, I can identify the mango and pineapple aromas.

Taste / Texture: Surprisingly sweet for the residual sugar amount. Unassuming flavor, but complex with a medium body. Each taste is interesting.

Aftertaste: Medium finish time. The aftertaste is pleasant and does not overly coat the tongue. Finishes a tad drier than it starts, but not by much.

Decision:
I tried this wine since rkatsiteli is one of the oldest vinifera grape varieties. The wine, as made by Dr. Frank, is pleasant and interesting to drink, though it doesn't wow. Regardless of sugar content, it's a little too sweet and falls somewhere between dry and off-dry. I wouldn't turn down a glass of it, but I probably won't buy another bottle for myself. 75/100

Anthony Road - 2008 Dry Riesling

Tasted on: April 30, 2010
Purchased for: $13.99
Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.4%
• Residual Sugar: 0.7%

Tasting:

Appearance: Clear faint yellow color with the slightest tinge of green.

Aroma: Very nice floral aroma. Not very strong, but alluring nonetheless.

Taste / Texture: Bursting with flavor. Medium body with excellent mouth-feel. The balance of acidity, sugar, and alcohol seems perfect.

Aftertaste: Very nice. There is a relatively long finish with a slight coating of the tongue. The aftertaste itself is quite pleasant.

Decision: I really like the taste and balance of this wine. A very solid showing for a riesling with a cloying sweetness that doesn't affect its dryness. I would pair this wine with a light summer dish, perhaps even something with shrimp. 90/100

Fox Run - 2007 Cabernet Franc Lemberger

Tasted on: April 27, 2009
Purchased for: $11.99


Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12%
  
• Residual Sugar: 0%
  

Tasting:

Appearance: Lovely dark red, so dark and rich that little light shows through when held up to a lamp.

Aroma: As I let the wine air on the table next to my recliner, I occasionally caught a whaff of its bouquet. When held to the nose, I detected notes of fruit/berry.

Taste / Texture: A very, very dry wine. There are notes of berry. The body is slightly thin. I can also detect the pepper note.

Aftertaste: A rather fast finish compared to other wines that I've had. The aftertaste is pleasant.

Decision: 80/100. Pleasant red wine. The dry factor overwhelms the taste. I feel that even a 0.3% RS would make a huge difference in the palatability of this wine. I certainly wouldn't turn down a glass of it, but it's not among the best reds that I've had.

Brotherhood - 2006 Pinot Noir

Tasted on: March 12, 2010
Purchased for: $15.49


Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 13%


• Residual Sugar: less than 0.3%

Tasting:

Appearance: Dark red with great clarity. Very pretty gem hue.

Aroma: A cherry, berry bouquet. Very pleasant and pleasing aroma. Not overwhelming.

Taste / Texture: Wonderful mouth-feel. Great balance of sugar, acidity, and alcohol. Berry and oak notes.

Aftertaste: Ends a bit woody. Medium finish. The tongue feels coated, but not with a parka, but a spring jacket.

Decision: A pleasant red wine with no overt flaws; however, I've tasted better wine for less wallet. I'm neither dismayed nor exhilarated by this wine. I wouldn't mind having it again, but I probably won't seek it out. 75/100.

Heron Hill - 2005 Eclipse Red

Tasted on: February 12, 2009
Purchased for: $11


Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.5%


• Residual Sugar: 0.02%

Tasting:

Appearance: Dark, dark red-purple. Opaque. Would love to have a dress in this color!

Aroma: Very, very pleasant bouquet. I'd dab it behind my ears if I weren't drinking it! Sort of smells peppery - is that the currants? Has a cherry note rounded out by the oak aging. My naive nose doesn't detect a complex aroma.

Taste / Texture: Full-bodied and very nice mouth-feel. Doesn't taste as sweet as it smells. The forefront taste is a subdued cherry. The acidity feels a little strong, but I'm new at evaluating this aspect of wines.

Aftertaste: Long finish. The wine coats the tongue and leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

Decision: Very pleasant dry red wine. I would pair it with a nice dark chocolate or a light seafood dish or salad. It's more of an everyday wine than a special occasion wine. I would purchase again if I had a food pairing in mind. 80/100

Hunt country - Alchemy

Tasted on: January 2, 2010
Purchased for: ~$14

Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content:12.5%
• Residual Sugar:0.4%
• pH: 3.6
  

Tasting:

Appearance: Brilliant dark reddish-mulberry. Nearly opaque in its intense color.

Aroma: Lovely bouquet dominated by the oak-aged grapes. The cherry and pepper notes take a back seat to the lovely oak aroma.

Taste / Texture: I can definitely identify the black cheery, oak, and pepper notes of this wine. Medium-body with an excellent mouthfeel.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is rather long and pleasant. The wine ends on a harmonious note.

Decision: Excellent, excellent red wine. I love the combination of grapes which seem to work in a seamless fashion in presenting their flavors. This wine would best be paired with a stronger meal or cheese. I am most impressed. 95/100.

Red Tail Ridge - Dry Riesling

Tasted on: December 23, 2009
Purchased for: Unknown


Wine Data:

• Alcohol Content: 12.5%
  


• Residual Sugar: 0.7%
  

Tasting:

Appearance: Clear, medium-intense straw color

Aroma: Wonderful bouquet. I'm a little stuffed up, so I can't really distinguish the aroma notes. I'm going to rely on the tasting notes for this - lemon and lime aromas are concentrated in this wine.

Taste / Texture: I can taste a minerality and lemon/lime notes. Thin-bodied, but the flavors seem to work with it.

Aftertaste: Nice finish that is neither short nor overstaying. It leaves a pleasant taste and the dryness is cloying against the palette.

Decision: Not the best riesling wine that I've had, but definitely okay. It gets better as I drink more. 85/100