2016 Reviewed Wines
2016 Nutt Road Riesling
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
…this is perceptibly dryish, easily used as a table wine. Its acidity easily controls this wine. In the group, this might win for pure power, which becomes more evident as it airs and warms up, yet it seems elegant and fresh up front. It has fine intensity of fruit, and even better tension on the finish. It simply seems alive and pure. The tightly wound feel remains impressive, with that gripping finish. Drinking Window: 2018 – 2029
Score: 91
Wine Spectator – James Molesworth
A flash of talc gives way quickly to white ginger, yellow apple, jasmine and peach flavors. A subtle mineral hint adds zing on the finish.
Score: 90
2016 Seneca East Riesling
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
This is beautifully balanced, alive and lively, with a fresh feel, reasonable concentration and a nice finish. The finish initially shows off fruit and just a touch of sugar, but that is entirely deceptive. As this airs out, it perceptibly becomes drier than statistics would suggest, even a little tart at times, with a touch of grapefruit. Drinking Window: 2018 – 2027
Score: 90
2016 Dry Riesling
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
This is a Dry Riesling with some stuffing and good balance. As high as you expect the perceptible acidity to be, it’s hardly searing; there is fruit on the finish. Yet, as it airs out, you also get fine tension and power. Then, the sugar blows off and the acidity becomes a little more assertive. There’s also a modest reductive hint, but overall this shows well, focused, bright, tasty and tightly wound. It always retains good balance, though. It’s a nice performance. It should age well.
Drinking Window: 2018 – 2026.
Score: 90
Wine Spectator – James Molesworth
Pretty jasmine, white peach, pear and green almond notes glide through, with a quinine-edged spine for balance. This has some weight.
Score: 90
2016 Riesling
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
….it is gorgeously balanced, if rather lush and sexier than its siblings. The acidity is a little muted here by the fruit, concentration and sugar, but it is still doing its job, or this would seem far sweeter. As it stands, you could even get away with using this as a table wine with the right food pairing. Further, as this aired out, the balance became far more interesting (and the score rose accordingly). The fruit and sugar were suddenly easily countered by the acidity. This is certainly the richest of the group, but that is only relative, as the structure is superb too. Drinking Window: 2018 – 2028.
Score: 90
2016 PINOT NOIR
2016 Elaine’s Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir – Clone 115
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
Burly and showing a fair bit of power, this intense Pinot isn’t at all accessible (yet), but before it closes down hard it shows some great fruit. The support for the fruit is equally terrific and the finish is long. The ripe fruit is delicious, yet the lift to the fruit is superb too, as this shows freshness underneath. Drinking window: 2021 – 2032
Score: 91+
Burghound – Allan Meadows
A slightly more deeply pitched and even spicier nose features notes of cherry, raspberry, violet and a whiff of plum. There is good richness and vibrancy to the slightly bigger medium-bodied flavors that possess a highly seductive texture, all wrapped in a moderately firm, dusty and lengthy finish. Drinking window: 2023+
Score: 90
2016 Elaine’s Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir – Clone 667
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
…shows plenty of power. Here, the balance leans a little more to acidity and freshness in the end. This just seems a bit lighter, tighter and brighter [than the Clone 115]. It dances across the palate, restrained in flavor just now but intense everywhere else. As with its 115 sibling, this needs at least two years in the cellar, maybe more. Drinking window: 2020 – 2032
Score: 91
Wine Spectator – James Molesworth
Alluring dark tea, singed cinnamon, incense and sous-bois notes lead the way for a piercing core of blood orange and dried raspberry fruit. Sneaky length. Well done.
Score: 90
Burghound – Allan Meadows
This is also quite spicy and background notes of cinnamon, clove and sandalwood adding breadth to the rose petal, violet and poached plum scents. Here too the middle weight flavors possess a notably seductive and caressing mouth feel while the slightly firmer and ever-so-mildly edgy finish will need a couple of years to better harmonize. Drinking Window: 2024+
Score: 89
2016 Nutt Road Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
[Has]…that admirable purity of fruit that you associate with a nice Burgundy. It’s laced with black cherry and raspberry, plus a hint of plum. The fruit is just better defined and more lifted here. I wouldn’t quite call it ethereal, but it has that crisp demeanor and elegance that many will appreciate in Pinot Noir. Then, it adds pop and notable power. Drinking window: 2020 – 2031
Score: 91
2016 Pinot Noir
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
A blend of three vineyards on Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, this is a little like the 2015, showing good concentration and fruit flavor, but it seems more elegant and better balanced too, with a fresher feel. Of course, it’s a year younger. That may account for more intensity on the finish, at the least.
Drinking window: 2019 – 2028
Score: 89+
Burghound – Allan Meadows
Classic ruby. This is also very pretty and relatively high-toned with notes of lavender, rose petal, red cherry and a whiff of spice. There is good richness and better volume to the rounded and quite forward medium weight flavors that offer better depth and persistence on the finish that also flashes a subtle trace of warmth. This is really very attractive and like its 2017 counterpart, could easily be enjoyed now.
Drinking window: 2021+
Score: 88