Winemaker Notes
Glacier Ridge Vineyard consistently produces fruit with intense color and complex, smoky flavors. Rich plum and blackberry on the palate give way to a remarkable and complex finish of dark plum with hints of vanilla and oak.
Pair with bacon wrapped grilled pork tenderloin stuffed with chèvre and blueberries.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The product of an exceptionally warm vintage, the 2012 Merlot Glacier Ridge Vineyard is absolutely gorgeous and has stood the test of time with surprising grace. Aged entirely in American oak, it still possesses undeniable sensual roundness and enticingly sweet vanilla overtones. The fruit is plush, plummy and ripe. The 2012 is very fresh, persisting through the long finish. Sweet blackberry, cassis and pipe tobacco accent a still very primary core. This is without a doubt the best Merlot I've encountered in the Finger Lakes. Best of all, there are still many good years ahead for this wine.
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James Suckling
This is aging really well, with tobacco, cedar and dry-earth aromas. Medium-bodied with a creamy texture and focused length. Juicy and beautiful now.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
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.