Winemaker Notes
Their Signature Wine is produced from some of the oldest vines on the North Fork (circa 1983). Fermented entirely in stainless steel tanks, this wine is vibrant and crisp with notes of lemongrass, rose petals, and sugared lemon peels. After a finish of star fruit and green apple, there is a touch of sea spray.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Lieb have somewhat of a reputation for Pinot Blanc, and this fizzy version doesn’t disappoint. Heady, yeasty notes of fresh pressed pear and apple juice aromas—like a cider house at harvest time—kick things off. There’s a touch of residual sugar but it’s balanced by the prickle of bubbles and acidity. Those orchard fruit characters linger on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Estate Pinot Blanc is very dry and comes in at 11.9% alcohol. This is certainly "blanc," showing nary a hint of color. It is certainly transparent in other senses too, showing off the crisp and unwooded fruit. It seems solid enough for its type in the mid-palate but also impressively structured. Both vintages aren't here together, but this looks like a perfect follow-up to the fine 2020, which on paper is from a better vintage. I loved the grip on the finish. It would be fair to note that this was seen only a couple of weeks after bottling, while the 2020 had more time in bottle, but so far, they seem like formidable competitors for one another. Under screw cap, this should hold well for several years, maybe even longer than anticipated, but it will be great this coming summer too.
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Wine Spectator
A very pure, unadorned style, with white peach and green melon rind notes laced with a subtle strip of jicama, which gives the finish a pleasantly steely edge.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
A far-reaching peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the city of New York, the Long Island appellation includes The Hamptons and North Fork AVAs. With a maritime climate and conditions not unlike that in Bordeaux, the region excels in the production of Bordeaux varieties, namely Merlot and Cabernet Franc.