Hermann J. Wiemer Cuvee Brut 2011
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Wine Spectator
A serious and seriously good wine, the 2011 Cuvée Brut from Hermann J. Wiemer is bracing and dry, with a smoky nose of white grapefruit, roasted lemons, and raw cashews. Though quite vertical in the mouth, there is an attractive coating to the palate that extends into the finish. The mousse is fine and very active, and the finish is chalky with a hint of flint. This particular bottle is from the batch that was disgorged on November 2015, as marked on the back label. That said, Wiemer disgorges their sparkling wines on a rolling basis, so readers should consult the back label before comparing the wine to this note.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Cuvée Brut is a 65/35 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, bottled in June 2012 and disgorged in November 2022 after 126 months on the lees. This new disgorgement is a special 10-year disgorgement, which is not obvious from the label other than the label now being dark rather than white. (The disgorgement date is on the label.) Round and mature, this is an earthier version of the Cuvée Brut (two younger vintages are also here this time, the 2018 and 2017) with yeast and toast as nuances. It has a refined feel, but there is also freshness and a little bite on the finish.
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Hermann Wiemer was born in Bernkastel, Germany into a family with 300 years experience in making the distinguished vinifera wines of the Mosel Valley. He arrived in the United States in 1968 already well versed in the European tradition of fine winemaking. To this heritage he added the skill of grafting fragile vinifera vines onto sturdy American rootstock.
In 1973 he bought 140 acres on the west side of Seneca Lake, which he planted with a variety of European vinifera grapevines. Visitors who wish to see these vines, along with ponds and the six acre nursery, can take the popular Vineyard Walk through the property.
The Winery, which produces 12,000 cases each year, was designed in 1982 by an award winning team of Cornell architects. Enclosed within the shell of a seventy-year-old scissor-trussed barn, it accommodates a laboratory, tasting and retail sales, a wine production area and a private tasting room. Its unique white cathedral-like interior counterpoints the bare wooden walls and sleek Italian stainless steel tanks.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Increasingly garnering widespread and well-deserved attention, New York ranks third in wine production in the United States (after California and Washington). Divided into six AVAs—the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie, Hudson River, Long Island, Champlain Valley of New York and the Niagara Escarpment, which crosses over into Michigan as well as Ontario, Canada—the state experiences varied climates, but in general summers are warm and humid while winters are very cold and can carry the risk of frost well into the growing season.
The Finger Lakes region has long been responsible for some of the country’s finest Riesling, and is gaining traction with elegant, light-bodied Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. Experimentation with cold-hardy European varieties is common, and recent years have seen the successful planting of grapes like Grüner Veltliner and Saperavi (from the Eastern European country of Georgia). Long Island, on the other hand, has a more maritime climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and shares some viticultural characteristics with Bordeaux. Accordingly, the best wines here are made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Niagara Escarpment is responsible for excellent ice wines, usually made from the hybrid variety, Vidal.