2019 Reviewed Wines
2019 Mo Chuisle Estate Reserve Pinot Noir
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
Concentrated and youthful, but cool and delicate, this has a wonderful textural complexity, thanks to the fine tannins. Needs some time to open up, but the balance of fruit, tannin, body and acidity at the finish is spot on!
Drinking Window: Drinkable now, but best after 2024.
Score: 93
2019 Higgins Vineyard Estate Reserve Pinot Noir
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
Ripe and fragrant pinot with some dried sage and candied orange, as well as plenty of sour cherry. Very good depth and balance for this rather cool vintage. Long, velvety finish with some real sophistication.
Drinking Window: Drink or hold.
Score: 92
2019 Hedrick Vineyard Estate Reserve Pinot Noir
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
Complex nose of red cherry, candied orange, clove and dried sage. Medium-bodied, but with a fascinating interplay of fine-grained, moderately dry tannins and restrained richness. Long, quite structured finish with a nice velvety texture. Very limited production.
Drinking Window: Drink or hold.
Score: 91
2019 Nutt Road Vineyard Estate Reserve Pinot Noir
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
Cranberries, lemons, dried flowers, cocoa powder and cedar on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with tightly knit tannins and bright acidity. Very precise and elegant.
Drinking window: Drink or Hold
Score: 91
2019 CHARDONNAY
2019 Winemaker’s Select Chardonnay
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
An exceptionally rich and textural chardonnay for this region, offering plenty of candied-orange and candied pineapple aromas with delicate toastiness. Quite some volume on the mid-palate, due to the positive tannins and creaminess, rather than alcohol. Then comes the powerful yet clean finish. From vineyards on the west side of Seneca Lake, then barrel-fermented in barrique oak casks. Very limited production.
Drinking window: Drink or hold.
Score: 94
2019 Chardonnay
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
A lighter style of barrel-fermented chardonnay with excellent integration of toasty oak, creaminess from lees contact, and citrus and dried-pear character on the medium-bodied palate. Lovely, polished texture with some chalky minerality at the long finish. From vineyards on the west side of Seneca Lake, then barrel-fermented in barrique oak casks.
Drinking window: Drink or hold.
Score: 93
2019 Verve Chardonnay
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
An elegant, lighter style of chardonnay with excellent textural complexity. Surprisingly long, silky finish. From vineyards on the west side of Seneca Lake, matured in a combination of 62% larger-format new oak and 38% stainless steel.
Drinking window: Drink or hold.
Score: 91
2019 SPARKLING
2019 Brut Rosé
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
A delicious sparkling rosé that’s brimming with juicy red-berry, nectarine and mandarin-orange aromas. Light-footed and finely nuanced with a moderately dry finish that makes this a crowd-pleaser.
Drinking window: Drink from release.
Score: 91
2019 Brut Rosé
The Wine Advocate – Mark Squires
The 2019 Brut Rosé is a Pinot Noir that comes in with a dosage of five grams of sugar and 12.4% alcohol. It was disgorged in December 2021 after approximately two years on the lees (the disgorgement date is in tiny print on the back label). Fresh and fruity both, this has average complexity with reasonable acidity. It’s not a powerful Brut, but it is a refined one that walks carefully down the middle of the road. It may well age nicely, but it drinks well now too.
Drinking Window: 2022 – 2030
Score: 89+
2019 RIESLING
2019 Estate Riesling
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
A subtle nose of lemons, green apples, flint, stones and smoked almonds, followed by a bright, juicy palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a flavorful finish.
Drinking window: Drink or hold.
Score: 91
2019 Riesling
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
White peach, verbena, honeysuckle, lemon and a touch of hay on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with tangy acidity. Juicy. Lightly off-dry
Drinking window: Drink or hold.
Score: 90
2019 Seneca East Riesling
James Suckling – Stuart Pigott
Lemons, limes, elderflowers, white peaches and stones on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with tangy acidity and a creamy, lemony palate. Off-dry, but fresh. Drink now.
Drinking window: Drink or hold.
Score: 90