Winemaker Notes
Blend: 65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very attractive nose of tarte au citron and candied lemon. On the sleek and silky palate there’s juicy yet delicate citrusy and red-berry fruit. Very clean, long finish with citrus and mineral freshness. A blend of 65% chardonnay and 35% pinot noir.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cuvée Brut is the relatively typical 65/35 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, disgorged in January 2021 after 40 months on the lees. (Happily, the disgorgement date is hand-stamped on the label.) It comes in at 12% alcohol and with a dosage of just three grams of sugar. This is probably the best of the sparklers this report, but by a small margin–reasonable minds might differ. This shows off a little more tension on the finish than the Pinot Noir and feels a bit weightier in the mouth. It had the longest finish and the most complexity. It remained balanced, caressing in texture and refined, although the Pinot Noir was probably the slight winner on those fronts. This is a wine that will be easy to appreciate and admire. It should age well, perhaps longer than anticipated.
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.
As the most historic wine-producing region in New York state, winemaking in the Finger Lakes area dates back to the 1820s and today as a region, accounts for 90% of the state’s total wine production.
Its narrow and deep lakes created by the movement of Ice Age glaciers create an environment similar to the classic Riesling-loving regions of Europe, namely Germany and Austria. The Finger Lakes retain summer heat that incidentally warms up cold winter air, making it fall down from the lakes’ steep slopes. When spring comes, the lakes, already cooled by cold winter weather, stave off vine budding until the danger of frost has subsided. The main lakes of the zone, that is those big enough to moderate the climate in this way, are the focal points of prime vineyard areas. They include Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga.
While Riesling has fueled most of the region’s success, today Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc enjoy some attention.