There’s something to be said for the Finger Lakes continued efforts to produce amazing wines in the face of less than optimal growing conditions. Those efforts can be traced back to the efforts of two men, Charles Fournier and Dr. Konstantin Frank. In the 1960’s, when it was thought to be impossible to grow the traditional grapes of Europe in New York’s harsh winters, these two men found a way to persevere. More specifically, the Doctor who was familiar with Ukraine being able to grow Europe varietals, used his knowledge to help make better grapes, while Mr. Fournier made good wine out of it. The two made a smashing success.
Today, many of the wines of Dr. Konstantin Frank are considered to be some of the best examples of New York States thriving wine industry in the Finger Lakes. With neighbors like Walter Taylor of Bully Hill, their must be something in the water of the Finger Lakes to inspire a blend of nearly half and half Chardonnay and Riesling. In the traditional sense of both these varietals, this wine would seem unusual, and perhaps, even unpleasant, but New York produces wines that are just a bit different. Does the individuality persevere, or is 2010 Salmon Run Chardonnay Riesling trying to hard?
Sight: There’s a touch of green to the golden shimmer of this wine.
Smell: There’s something rather melon and mineral about the combination. It’s rather close to a honeydew, green apple, green grapes, and a bit of wet rock. There’s a small amount of lemon or lime, and pear.
Sip: There’s a lot of honeydew flavor that laces with lemon and a certain minerality. The wine is dry, but not aggressively so, and has a moderate to full feeling on the tongue. The wine is bright, and has some other hidden notes like nuts and papaya. [A.B.V. 12%]
Savor: It’s rather curious ending, because while it does display plenty of citrus and melon, it has a mildly nutty yeast note going on it.
Overall, 2010 Salmon Run Chardonnay Riesling isn’t the clearest wine, but what it does do is create a unique experience. The benefit to blending New York’s leaner, sleeker Chardonnay with it’s lucid and bright Riesling is a wine that can hum like Sauvignon Blanc without being taken over by the tropical, and feel like a Viognier, without losing it’s crispness. The extremely mild touch of sugar keeps the wine balanced, and the middling alcohol keeps the wine balanced. It’s not a wine for everyone, but with the right poultry dishes, or even heavy fishes like swordfish, this wine is bound to be a smash.
Verdict: Hook Line Sinker
Price: $6.99
Finger Lakes, Keuka Lake, New York
http://www.drfrankwines.com/