Tasting Through Some Value-Driven New York Wines

We’re off to the Empire State today for a host of wines, most of which hail from the Finger Lakes region.

From Prosecco-inspired bubbles to Rieslings to Lemberger, these largely inexpensive wines offer a brief snapshot into the large, dynamic New York wine culture. These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

2016 Damiani Wine Cellars Bollicine - New York, Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake
SRP: $16
Pale lemon color. Smells like floral perfume, green melon, peaches and lemon pith. Fresh acidity, medium-bodied, a brisk, leaner style with flavors of sliced green apples, lemon and green melon. White flowers, hints of honey and salted almond. Simple but pleasant, a Prosecco-kinda wine, made from Cayuga grapes with 17% Chardonnay and 1% apiece of Pinot Noir & Meunier. (85 points)

2016 Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling Dry - New York, Finger Lakes
SRP: $15
Light yellow color. Smells o white peaches, guava, apricot, drizzled with lime, topped with chalky and honeysuckle notes. Crisp and clean on the palate with focused acidity and pleasantly creamy but dry texture on a medium-bodied frame. Apricot, summer peach, lime, doused with white tea, crushed sea shells, floral air freshener, dandelion. Long finish with quinine and mineral notes. Impressive stuff from a classic producer. (90 points)

2016 Lakewood Vineyards Riesling 3 Generations - New York, Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake
SRP: $20
Light yellow color. Super floral on the nose with orange blossoms, honeysuckle, peaches, pineapple, lime, along with chalk dust and waxy notes. Zippy and zingy on the palate with precise acid on a dry frame. Peaches, limes, green apples, generous fruit blends so well with flowers, chalk dust, mint, sea breeze. Delicious, elegant, precise, impressive. (90 points)

2016 Glenora Wine Cellars Riesling - New York, Finger Lakes
SRP: $12
Pale lemon color. Lemon/lime aromas along with apricot, orange blossom, sea shells and peach nectar. Plump peaches and apricots on the palate with evident sweetness but moderating acidity. Notes of sea salt, floral perfume, cucumber slices. Fun, tasty stuff. 11.5% alcohol and 3% residual sugar. (86 points)

2015 Fox Run Vineyards Lemberger - New York, Finger Lakes
SRP: $15
Medium ruby colored. Smells of spicy black cherries and summer plums, along with sweet roses, rhubarb, black pepper and anise. Medium-bodied, medium-light tannins, fresh acidity, nice balance, tangy and tart (with black cherries and dark plums), but not lean. Lots of complex herbal liqueur, ginger snap, cocoa, black pepper, spiced black tea. Fun stuff that might do interesting things over the next few years. (88 points)

2014 Whitecliff Vineyard Sky Island Red Wine - New York
SRP: $32
Medium ruby colored. Super spicy on the nose with red cherries and raspberries, along with leather, oregano, pepper and tobacco barn. Medium-bodied, fresh acidity, light tannins, a tangy appeal to this wine with cherries, raspberries and red currants. Lighter style but not weak on flavor, along with leather, pepper, tobacco, cedar and coffee. Ready to drink but surprisingly good. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. (88 points)

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.