Suckling 96:
Here’s one of the finest red wines of the excellent Finger Lakes 2020 vintage and a milestone for the region’s pinot noirs. I love the bouquet of violets and spice with restrained red fruit character in the background. Stacks of really fine tannins on the palate make the wine build to a serious crescendo at the super-long finish. And yet this is a very elegant and wonderfully harmonious wine. From Dijon clones, wild fermented then bottled unfiltered and unfined. Drink or hold.
As he goes on to explain:
The best red of the Fingers Lakes tasting was also a 2020 – the Red Tail Ridge Pinot Noir Seneca Lake RTR Estate Vineyard 2020. It has complex aromas of violets and spice, plus stacks of fine tannins that make the palate build to a serious crescendo at the super-long finish.
Although we have tasted Red Tail Ridge wines for a number of years, this was the first time Red Tail wanted them rated – “a wise decision,” Stuart opined.
A Pinot Noir that really puts New York’s Finger lakes on the red wine map.
By the way, this extraordinary Pinot Noir is only 12% alcohol!
