Chateau Lafayette Reneau

Seneca Lake (Central South - Hector)
5081 Route 414
Hector, NY 14841

800-469-9463
clrwine.com
info@clrwine.com

Hours: 10-6 M-Sat, 11-6 Sun
Fee: $5, Tours: No, Reservations: Not required

After hearing positive notes about their red wines before the trip, I had high hopes that this high-traffic winery would pull through with a winner or two. Overall, the reds lacked body or flavor. The whites were similarly styled and leaned more to the semi-dry level of sweetness.

The extensive tasting menu covered 17 wines. For the first winery of the day, it is quite an undertaking. Visited on a busy Saturday, so our host wasn't able to provide much information. Thankfully there was a tasting sheet with detailed notes.









Selections from tasting menu (purchases in bold):
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - $19.99. Tart, don't like.
Pinot Noir 2006 - $19.99. Very floral with a sweet fruit nose. Dry style without a lot of flavor. Did not like.
Cabernet Franc - $18.99. Tart, smoky and light. 2/5
Merlot 2003 - $14.99. Jammy nose. Savory, soup smell finish - strange. Better than the previous wine. 2.5/5
Cuvee Rouge - $9.49. Couldn't get past the strong body odor aroma. Sweet. 1.5/5
Roaring Red - $9.99. Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Baco & 10% Pinot Noir. Nice wine for summer. Pleasing flavors with good finish with lingering sweetness. Tannins and touch of sweet. 2.5/5
Chardonnay (Barrel Fermented) 2006 - $14.99. Pear aroma, juicy flavors. Silky texture. Not flavored strongly - watery.
Chardonnay (Proprietor's Reserve) 2008 - $19.99. Ripe flavor and aromas. Pear and apple dominate. Flat finish.
Dry Riesling 2008 - $14.99. Not dry. An okay wine but too pedestrian and flat. Peach, melon and some citrus.
Seyval-Chardonnay - $14.99. White flower and tree fruit aromas. Smooth but finish falls flat. Not complex. 3/5
Pinot Noir Blanc 2007 - $9.49. Not that bad! Watermelon and strawberry. Targeted at White Zinfandel drinkers.
Northern White - $9.99. Floral aroma, lush texture. Acidity balances out the sweetness and is not offensive.
Emperor's Blush - $9.99. Did not care for this wine. Blend of vinifera and hybrid grapes. Watermelon and strawberry.
Riesling Semi-dry 2008 - $14.99. A nice style Riesling, but sweeter than I prefer. Tree fruit aromas with similar flavors.
Meadow Mist - $7.49. Passed on this wine. The wines at the bottom of the list were sweeter than I prefer. This wine was a blend of Native American and French-American hybrids designed to create a fruity rose.
Niagara Mist $7.49. Passed on this wine. Niagara grape and all of its grape flavors are present.
Late Harvest Riesling 2008 - $14.99. Very perfumed nose. Not as rich or syrupy as the other late harvest or ice wines.

Other wines not on the tasting menu:
Cabernet Sauvignon Owner's Reserve 2005 - $59.99

Standing Stone

Seneca Lake (Central South - Hector)
9934 Route 414
Hector, NY 14841

607-582-6051
standingstonewines.com
ssvny@standingstonewines.com

The tasting room at Standing Stone is unassuming and relaxed. Our host was knowledgeable, friendly and made excellent recommendations on wines to sample. We were pleasantly surprised by the dry, European-styled whites and reds on the tasting menu. I heard the gewurztraminer was the wine to try, but it was the reds that impressed us. These reds were complex, medium-bodied, full of character and the finish was strong. A far cry from some of the day's previous reds. We did a side by side of the '05 and '06 Pinnacle, which is a great way to discover the nuances of each vintage and find your favorite.

After such a strong representation from the dry wines, I didn't need or expect the dessert wines to shine. However, their Vidal Ice and Chardonnay Ice wines were very good.









This winery is located next to the deepest part of Seneca Lake (about 650 ft). The deep waters help to cool the vineyards in the summer and radiate heat back in winter.

Hours: 10-5:30 M-Sat, 11-5:30 Sun
Fee: $3, Tours: Yes, advance notice required, Reservations: Not required

Selections from tasting menu (purchases in bold):
Merlot 2007 - $20. The first vintage they produced in four years after the vines were hit by bad weather. Minty and herbal. This was a fun wine.
Cabernet Franc 2006 - $20. A good example of this varietal in the region. Balanced.
Pinnacle 2005 - $22. A plusher wine from a stronger vintage.
Pinnacle 2006 - $19. Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Merlot. Had more sharp acidity than '05.
Vidal Ice Wine - $24. Honeyed pineapple and tropical fruit with walnut finish. Liked wine but had trouble spending this much on a dessert wine.
Chardonnay Ice Wine - $24. Sauternes-like richness and honeyed fruit. Unexpected flavors wowwed. Nuttier flavors than the Vidal. Next time we'll pick up a bottle of this ice wine, simply for its uniqueness.









Other wines on the tasting menu:
Gewurztraminer 2007 - $16
Dry Riesling 2008 - $14 (tasted both whites but couldn't remember details without a tasting sheet)
Pinot Noir 2006 - $20
Smokehouse Blend - $20

Lamoreaux Landing

Seneca Lake (Central North - Lodi)
9224 Route 414
Lodi, NY 14860

607-582-6011
lamoreauxwine.com
Hours: 10-5 M-Sat, 12-5 Sun
Fee: $3, Tours: No, Reservations: Not required

Lamoreaux Landing produces dry, European-styled red and white wines. The wines are consistent and show the character of each vintage. This is a great winery for tasty whites and bolder reds. A fuller-bodied, balanced red wine requires some dutiful tasting to find, but you can skip the searching and head to Lamoreaux knowing you'll be okay.

They were in the middle of harvesting their reds during our visit. Forklifts were busy bringing full bins into the winery for destemming and crushing. Empty barrels were lined up waiting to receive the 2009 vintage.










Selections from tasting menu (purchases in bold):
Dry Riesling 2008 - $13. Very light color with a hint of yellow. Energetic flavors with lemon, ginger and steely finish. Polished and clean. Prefer this vintage.
Dry Riesling 2007 - $10. Smooth with sharp acidic finish - a good thing. A leaner style than the '08.
Red Oak Vineyard Riesling 2008 - $20. Leaner than '07. Good acidity. Creamy mid-palate with tropical fruit.
Gewurztraminer 2007 - $15. Very light gold color. Great nose! Roses, litchi and spice. Delicate flavors with ginger and steely finish. Enjoyed this style.
Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged 2007 - $20. Very clear dusty red color. Bright aromas; light and lean style. Body and flavors reminiscent of Va La's Silk. Can age 3-5 years.
T23 Cabernet Franc 2008 - $15. Light rose color. Tobacco nose. Vanilla scream through on finish. Very light for Cab Franc (fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks).
Cabernet Franc Barrel-Aged 2006 - $16. Denser, dusty red color. Bold, spicy with well-integrated tannins. Spice stays through until finish. Great oak structure. Really enjoyable. The first red we tried that wasn't wimpy.
76 West - $25. New release of their first meritage blend: 55% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot & 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Soft and spicy, great mouthfeel. Wow. Color is a more brilliant pink than Cab Franc. This wine was so delicate and perfectly balanced. Really wanted to buy, but we had so many wineries left to visit. Would have bought at a lower price point.
Estate Red Barrel-Aged - $11. Spicy tingle on finish, sweeter nose than meritage blend. Great value; an everyday wine. Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir & Merlot blend.












Other wines on the tasting menu:
Semi-Dry Riesling 2008 - $13
Chardonnay 2007 - $13
Reserve Chardonnay 2007 - $24
Semi-Dry Gewurztraminer 2008 - $15
42 North - $15
Merlot Barrel-Aged 2007 - $17
Reserve Riesling 2008 - $25
Riesling Ice 2007 - $36
Vidal Ice 2007 - $23