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The Whites
Sauvignon
Blanc - One of the few Sauvignon Blanc wines
in the Finger Lakes, the 2006 Red Newt SB is crisp and lean with
aromas of honeysuckle and honeydew melon. Exquisitely fresh and
dynamic, it is a great to partner with seafood, grilled meats or to
have on its own.
Pinot
Gris - Dry and supple with hints of mango
and star fruit. This is a dry, complex wine that
complements a wide variety of
cuisines.
Salamander White - This dry
white wine is an elegant blend of Chardonnay, Seyval and Vidal. It
is crisp and lively with no oak. Reminiscent of a Pinot Grigio in
its brightness of fruit, Salamander White is a great wine to enjoy
on its own or with hard cheeses and fruit.
Riesling - delicately
structured with tangerine, apricot and citrus overtones. Crisp and
lean, this wine is a classically structured Finger Lakes Riesling.
Riesling production is straightforward and simple. Fermentation is
in stainless steel, mostly with Epernay II yeast at moderate
temperatures. Fermentation is stopped with some residual sweetness.
Wine is finished and fine tuned using the traditional method of
adding back unfermented Riesling to the wine after fermentation.
Gewurztraminer - off dry, rich
and aromatic. This is a style of Gewurztraminer that is remeniscent
of a rich, dry alsatian wine. Harvested very ripe and allowed 48
hours of skin contact, this wine displays intense aromas of
honeysuckle, jasmine and lychee. Palate is rich, warm and complex.
Red Newt White - a semi-dry, exquisitely fruity blend of
Vidal Blanc and Cayuga White. Perfectly balanced to accompany a
wide variety of foods and please most any palate. Cayuga White and
Vidal Blanc are both excellent wine varieties. Cayuga lends
brightness and crispness to the blend. Vidal lends fruit intensity,
body and structure. Both varieties are fermented in stainless tanks
with a variety of yeast strains. Various cellar management
techniques such as cool, gentle fermentation, sur lie aging, lees
stirring and juice reserve addition increase the complexity and
structure of the wine while retaining delicate characters.
The Reds
Cabernet Franc - an up and
coming variety for the Finger Lakes. Cranberry and raspberry with
overtones of smoke and spice make an elegant red that shows well
young and ages beautifully. Cabernet Franc is one of the most
promising red varieties ever introduced in the Finger Lakes.
Structure is typically complex, complete but delicate. Color is
moderate to dark and tannins soft. In many ways, my production of
Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc parallels a typical Burgundian
vinification model. Gentle crushing with some whole cluster and
stem inclusion, pre-fermentation cold soaking and intensive early
fermentation cap management by punching down manually are important
production practices. Wine is aged in 60 gallon oak cooperage that
is selected to be moderately neutral in order to allow the
development of wine complexities without overbearing oak
extraction. Rackings are kept to a minimum, with wine somewhat
reductive throughout aging. Small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet
Sauvignon are utilized to fine-tune the finished blend.
Cabernet Sauvignon - ample
fruit combined with elements of smoke and pepper make this a
Cabernet Sauvignon that displays the classic terroir of the Finger
Lakes. Best with a couple years of age in the bottle. Cabernet
Sauvignon in the Finger Lakes expressed itself with intense,
forward berry fruit with clean, slightly hollow middle and
well-defined supple finish. Fruit is fully crushed with some stem
and whole cluster inclusion. Fermentation is initiated without
extensive cold soaking and progresses very warm with aggressive cap
management. Usually wine is press at about dryness and aged in 60
gallon oak barrels. Barrels will show heavy to extra heavy toast
and will moderately new. Aromas and flavors of heavy toast barrels
enhance smoky, rich fruit elements. Small amounts of Merlot and
Cabernet Franc are typically blended to help bolster mid palate and
highlight fruit complexity.
Merlot - classic in style. Rich
and dark with plum and berry characters. Smoke and chocolate
nuances make the wine complex and elegant. Merlot typically shows
the most rich, ripe fruity characters of the three Bordeaux
varieties in the Finger Lakes. Fermentation is warm without
pre-fermentation cold soaking, and cap management is aggressive.
Limited whole clusters and moderate addition of stems combined with
some post fermentation maceration enhance rich complex fruit and
tannin. Oak selection favors newer barrels, but heavy, smoky
characters are more moderate than with the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Typically, a small amount of Cabernet Franc is used in blending in
order to soften structure and enhance complexity
Syrah - an extraordinary grape variety in the Finger
Lakes. Ideal growing conditions at Sawmill Creek Vineyards have
allowed wine-grower Jim Hazlitt to produce fruit that captures the
plum and berry intensity with hints of smoke and black pepper that
typify this variety. This limited bottling helps to define the
ootential of this grape variety in the Finger Lakes.
Pinot Noir - one of the most
difficult and rewarding of grape varieties. The Finger Lakes offers
an outstanding combination of soil and climate for the production
of this variety. Pinot Noir production at Red Newt Cellars is
straightforward and traditional. Fermentatioon in small open top
fermenters with manual punchdown of the cap yields a wine that
shows elegance and complexity. Aging in some new, but mostly older
French oak barrels allows the bright cherry and complex fruit
characters to show elegantly.
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