New York State (13) Lamoreaux Landing, Finger Lakes

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New York State (13) Lamoreaux Landing, Finger Lakes

There have been vineyards on the site of what is now Lamoreaux Landing since 1947. It’s an estate of 750 acres on the eastern side of Seneca Lake, with 120 acres under vine in some 20 different blocks. We visited with owner Mark Wagner, who manages the vineyard, and Josh Wig, who is co-owner and looks after the winery and sales.

They represent the third generation of their family on the property. Mark planted vinifera in the 1970s for the first time, and started the winery in 1992, with first vintage released under the winery name the 1990. They still grow a few hybrids but the Labruscas have all gone. All vineyards are managed with four-cane Scott-Henry trellising, and Riesling accounts for half the acreage.

The Rieslings and Cabernet Francs here are pretty impressive.

Lamoreaux Landing Brut 2009 Finger Lakes, New York
Everything done by hand. This has been off the lees for 12 months. 3-4 g/litre rs. Very tight and linear with crisp, taut lemony fruit. Brisk acidity. Quite dry and intense with lovely precision. Very tight and precise. 90/100

Lamoreaux Landing Dry Rosé 2017 Finger Lakes, New York
Cabernet Franc. Light, clean, crisp and delicately fruity with nice citrus, pear and strawberry notes. Pretty and expressive with lovely harmony and balance. Dry style. 89/100 ($17)

Lamoreaux Landing Yellow Dog Vineyard Riesling 2017 Finger Lakes, New York
Clone 98, furthest from the lake, at 1800 feet. Fresh, linear and bright with pure citrus fruit. Lively and expressive with clean, pure fruit. Nice mineral tension here. A very pure wine that’s still quite primary. There’s a lot of acidity here. 90/100 ($24)

Lamoreaux Landing Yellow Dog Riesling 2009 Finger Lakes, New York
Complex and savoury with some subtle toast, wax and hazelnut alongside vivid lemon and lime fruit, with some marmalade and grapefruit pith notes. Really high acidity makes it taste quite dry, but there’s a lot of sweet fruitiness here, too. Such lovely complexity and focus – this has developed beautifully. 93/100 ($45)

Lamoreaux Landing Round Rock Vineyard Riesling 2016 Finger Lakes, New York
This has some density and also nice harmony, with citrus, apple and pear fruit. Lovely juiciness with a bit of grip, showing good acidity. Linear and primary, with lots of fruit and a hint of sweetness on the finish. 90/100 ($24)

Lamoreaux Landing Red Oak Vineyard Riesling 2016 Finger Lakes, New York
Open, juicy and lemony with some floral notes over the top of the taut, focused fruity palate. Pithy and bright with lovely compact, clean fruit. Nice density here: should age really nicely. 91/100 ($24)

Lamoreaux Landing Gruner Veltliner 2015 Finger Lakes, New York
Fresh, focused and a bit pithy. Bright and simple with a slight cabbage edge to the juicy citrus and pear fruit. Subtle bitterness on the finish. 86/100 ($20)

Lamoreaux Landing T23 Unoaked Cabernet Franc 2017 Finger Lakes, New York
Stainless steel, pressed off two-thirds way through fermentation. Juicy, focused and bright with vivid raspberry fruit. Lovely intensity and focus here with pure raspberry and cherry fruit. Lovely depth of fruit here: so bright and joyful with a bit of grip adding interest. Nice sappy hints. 91/100

Lamoreaux Landing Cabernet Franc 2016 Finger Lakes, New York
Grippy and savoury with some cedary, spicy oak characters as well as structured, dense blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. There’s a bit of raspberry and some tar, too. Grippy, tannic, slightly drying finish. 89/100 ($23)

Lamoreaux Landing Cabernet Franc 2010 Finger Lakes, New York
Showing some nice maturity, this is savoury, gravelly and spicy with some blackcurrant fruit. Grippy and savoury with nice spiciness to the dark fruits and tarry notes, with a supple personality. Attractive stuff. 91/100 ($45)

Lamoreaux Landing 76 West 2014 Finger Lakes, New York
55% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot. Supple, expressive and quite elegant with juicy red berry fruits and a hint of leafy blackcurrant. Very expressive with a bit of grip under the pure, open fruit. Very stylish with nice brightness of fruit. 90/100 ($30)

Lamoreaux Landing Riesling Ice 2014 Finger Lakes, New York
Frozen artificially. Very rich and sweet with a spicy edge to the viscous citrus and apricot fruit. There are some cedary notes, too, although it’s not oaked. Juicy acidity provides balance. 90/100 ($38)

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