2003 Standing Stone Vineyards Pinot Noir
Finger Lakes
$25.99
www.standingstonewines.com

When I spent the better part of a day last summer visiting Finger Lakes wineries I had done my research. Days prior to departing my New Hampshire home, I surfed on-line and made a “wish-list” of wineries I needed to see. Standing Stone Vineyards was one of about seven wineries visited that one day and, as it provided the backdrop to a pleasant afternoon, it quickly became the highlight of that summer weekend getaway. Meeting Marti Macinski, one of the winery’s owners, served only to make this stop all the more special. Being a convivial ambassador for the region’s wines, her spirit and enthusiasm were infectious (she shares the same hopeful vision I found at other vinifera producers in this region). Pearched high above the eastern shore of Lake Seneca, visitors here are immediately struck by expansive views of vines, fields and shimmering blue water below. At the far end of their friendly tasting room, set in a converted barn with vaulted ceilings, sits the deck that we found so inviting on that sunny August day. Where better to enjoy a good bottle of riesling, some Hudson Valley sheep milk cheese and leisurely admire the sweeping view?

Standing Stone’s 2003 Pinot Noir was a brickish, amber-red color in the glass. The wine looked like it could have seen nearly 10 years of bottle age! To the nose, this pinot showed dried fruits such as cranberry, cherry and orange peel that were candied in character. When tasted, I found its fruit to have a “sweet & sour” quality. Sour cherry and cranberry flavors were infused with balsamic vinegar sweetness. Sadly, this pinot noir was beset by volatile acidity. Although this pinot’s moderate alcohol level helped mitigate the effects of the VA (with higher alcohol content it would have been even more conspicuous), it was, unfortunately, very difficult to enjoy this wine. Obviously this wine was problematic in both appearance and flavor, and while this could have certainly been caused by an “off” bottle, I do remember this wine showing similar oxidized color and flavor when tasted at the winery last summer.

First impressions, be they correct or not, are nearly always lasting. I had a great time at Standing Stone Vineyards when I visited last summer, finding most of their wines consistently high in quality and among the better ones I enjoyed that August weekend. Their dry riesling was as excellent as their hospitality was generous. The next time I’m bound for Hector, New York I’ll stop back for sure. Regrettably, their 2003 pinot noir didn’t show very well. Perhaps I should just chalk-it-up to having the odd “off” bottle, and I do hope that’s the case, but I sense that something went awry in the production and/or packaging of this wine. Roll the dice if you like with this vintage, but I think you’d be better served by their crisp and quenching riesling. It goes great with Old Chatham Sheepherding cheeses!

2003 Atwater Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir
Finger Lakes
$16.00
www.atwatervineyards.com

What is it about good red wine that really puts a region on a map? Chances are, if Napa Valley wasn’t so successful with cabernet sauvignon her sauvignon blanc would fail to fill Yountville’s bistros and Calistoga’s mud-baths with throngs of America’s well-heeled. This isn’t to imply that Napa sauvignon blanc isn’t delicious but simply to state: white wine just doesn’t have the same appeal. Ah but Alsace, you say? How many of those in love with Alsace arrive at her doorstep tongue-tied from tannic Bordeaux and penniless from trysts with Burgundy? Most people, it seems, discover Alsace only after many years spent in frustration with other (and typically redder) appellations. Yes, from Willamette’s pinot noir to Walla Walla’s syrah, a region really causes a stir with a good bottle of red.

It’s widely known in the East that New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes have made great strides with riesling. In its June 15th issue, even that most revered (and often lambasted) Californian fount of wine authority, The Wine Spectator, shined a little bit of sunshine on this region highlighting a few of the area’s better producers. With that, most would agree that the Finger Lakes’ final frontier lie in quality red wine. Atwater Estate Vineyards, located on Seneca Lake’s scenic eastern shore, is part of the new vanguard attempting to raise the bar of quality for this region on the verge.

Atwater Estate Pinot Noir showed a pale raspberry-red in the glass being lightly extracted and brilliantly clear. To the nose light red fruits such as raspberry, cranberry and cherry were evident as was a light leafiness. On the palate this New York State pinot noir was lean and high in acidity offering little fruit extract. Although this pinot lacked depth and offered little texture to the mouth, it was a bright, pure and simple expression of the grape. While Atwater Estate was aromatically interesting and impressive for its purity, it was too thin and hard-edged, lacking in fruit tannin and suppleness. In short, it could strum a decent guitar but couldn’t carry a tune.

It would be foolish to dismiss this wine completely because it did show certain qualities well. Additionally, the wine-making seems quality focused, showcasing a lean, food-friendly style of pinot. Yet, one can’t help but hope for subsequent vintages yielding better, more convincing wine. Perhaps increased plantings of more diverse pinot clones will continue to improve Finger Lakes’ pinot noir. Better red wine will certainly benefit the region enormously. In the end, this wine is but a work in progress and recommended drinking only for those curious students and academic drinkers-of-the-vine. Hedonists will be sorely disappointed!