Cover photo courtesy of Boundary Breaks website
First, I want to dispel any rumors that may be out there about Finger Lakes red wines. The Finger Lakes region CAN produce excellent red wines; but you need to first understand the types of reds that do well here in the Finger Lakes. Don’t expect a big bodied California style red to exist here in the Finger Lakes- it doesn’t. No matter how warm of a summer, the reds here will never have the same characteristics as those of a warmer climate. BUT, the Finger Lakes does cooler climate reds exceptionally. Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Lemberger and others do very well here in the Finger Lakes. Some other red varietals you will see in the Finger Lakes include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; however, these are typically used for blending, and are not usually seen in a standalone varietal offering.
Boundary Breaks Vineyard 2016 Harmonic Red is an excellent example of a red blend. I heard about this winery through the grapevine (no pun intended!) and was excited to try their wines. The bottle has an old school look to it, with a fun topographic map as part of the label.
The blend is 44% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon which is reminiscent of a Bordeaux blend. I had high hopes for this wine as 2016 was a very hot summer in the Finger Lakes. Therefore, I was confident that the Cabernet and Merlot had a chance to ripen to their full potential. The first swirl of my glass brought strong scents of milk chocolate, clove and blackberry. When I sipped the wine, the taste did not disappoint! The wine had a mouthfeel like a Pinot Noir, but the spiciness of the Cabernet Franc lingered. I paired this wine with our dinner of sweet potato turkey chili and it was delicious! My husband offered that he thought the wine would go well with a lighter braised meat (perhaps duck; although you will never catch me trying duck!).
This wine has made it clear to me that I need to make a road trip out to this vineyard! Their website states their focus is on Riesling, but even by tasting their Red, I can tell this is the type of winery that produces excellent wines no matter what the varietal. I will report back after I make a visit to Boundary Breaks on Seneca Lake!
Have you visited Boundary Breaks? What is your favorite wine of theirs?
Welcome to Finger Lakes Friday where I share my tasting notes on a Finger Lakes produced wine. Do you have a wine I should review? Drop me a line at stephanie.marks@flxfinest.blog!
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