Seneca Lake (West - Penn Yan)
2634 Route 14
Penn Yan, NY 14527
315-536-7524
prejeanwinery.com info@prejeanwinery.com
Hours: 10am-5:30pm Mon-Sat, 10-5:30 Sun
Reservations: not required
Prejean's tasting room is surrounded by vineyards just off the main road. This winery made my list because I'd heard the Late Harvest Vignoles and Riesling were worth checking out. The location of this winery between Heron Hill and some highly recommended wineries to the north made it an easy choice for a quick stop.
Our visit was on a late Sunday morning. We figured by this time most of the weekend wine drinkers would be long gone. Our host's weariness indicated they had in fact come and gone. The tasting room was fairly empty save for a small, but rowdy group of middle-aged folks who left in a small party bus. The room has lots of merchandise, heavy on the puns, dotted between the wine bins. The wines really deliver for this crowd. For us, the wines were (overall) not complex enough, thin or too similar to other wineries. I think having visited once, we can pass next time to try out a new winery.
The tasting menu covers five wines. Since there were two of us, we didn't duplicate selections to maximize our exposure to as many of Prejean's wines as possible. The tasting fee is refunded incrementally with purchases.
Selections from tasting menu (purchases in bold):
Dry Riesling 2007 - $11.99. The whites we sampled were all considered dry or medium dry, but there is a sweet/semi-sweet menu as well. My notes for this wine just read, "Don't like" without further elaboration. I was expecting a wine that more closely matched the description of a "crisp wine with aromas of lime and orange peel... flavors of tropical fruit." Pretty sure that is not what I found.
Pinot Gris 2007 - $14.99. This bottling leaned more toward the sweet side of the tasting menu. Pineapple flavors dominated.
Dry Gewurztraminer 2006 - $16.99. This pretty, yellow wine is actually crisp and lean although the description says it has a "floral, creamy nose... with a rich mouthfeel." Lots of pineapple aromas. I liked it better than the Pinot Gris, but felt it was thin/watery. Barrel-fermented.
Marechal Foch 2008 - $10.99. Our lone purchase. I felt this was a good example of the varietal. The wine was interesting, featured pleasant flavors and good tannins for the price. Marechal Foch is a cold-hardy varietal hailing from the Loire Valley (FR), so you can understand why it enjoys some degree of popularity in the Finger Lakes. The wine we sampled featured chocolate and cherry flavors and a dry, berry finish with a body reminiscent of Beaujolais.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - $15.99. Another one with minimal notes. Found this one to be sour, not in a good way.
Cabernet Franc 2007 - $15.99. Cherry, plum and toasty oak. Not a winner. Still thin, but better than the Cab Sauv.
Merlot 2006 - $17.99. This was one of the few wines I didn't think was watery, thin or flat. This one was just "meh" with some fruit. I'm enjoying revisiting my tasting notes even if the wines weren't a hit.
Pinot Noir 2006 - $14.99. No scribbles on this wine. I'm sure it fit in with the rest of the bunch.
Late Harvest Vignoles 2008 - $12.99. Ah, the long-awaited and heralded dessert wine. High hopes were checked by the previous wines, but still keeping an open mind. The notes just keep getting more amusing - "Woah, sweet but checked by acidity. Prefer thicker style. Refreshing." Drinking companion, who is not a white or dessert wine devotee, found "sweet and sour sauce... no wait, more like orange sauce." *sigh*
Other wines from the tasting menu:
Riesling 2007
Gewurztraminer 2006
Cayuga 2007
Semi-Sweet Riesling 2008
Bird of Paradise (Chardonnay Port)
Cabernet Port 2006
Reserve & non-Reserve Chardonnay 2007
Proprietor's Red
