Eminence Road in Early Summer

New Arrivals from Eminence Road Farm Winery!

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Andrew in the cellar

While having the opportunity to taste amazing wines from all over the world is certainly one of the allures of working in the wine business, perhaps the most fun and personally enriching part is meeting and forming relationships with the people making those wines - especially when they're working right under our noses in New York just a few hours northwest of the city at the edge of the Catskills! Andrew Scott is one such winemaker who is always a joy to talk to and happens to make some delightful wines, which he delivers himself in his Subaru straight from the winery.

Jen sorting and crushing grapes

Eminence Road Farm Winery began as a passion project, fueled by Andrew's love of wines from the Loire Valley. Soon his winemaking hobby grew into a legitimate business and by 2008 he was bottling wines as Eminence Road, using fruit from several vineyards in the Finger Lakes and making, as he puts it, "rustic, textured country wines that shine bright on the dinner table." The wines are left to ferment at their own pace, slowly and with minimal intervention in the cellar. No fining or filtration happens at any point and sulfur is used sparingly. The wines are made with care and, as the label indicates, "Bottled Alive!"

The barn at Eminence Road built into the hillside, keeping the cellar cool

We've just received a fresh delivery straight from the back of Andrew's Subaru, including some new releases from the 2021 vintage. The year started off quite favorably upstate, with little winter damage to the vines and ample warmth, allowing grapes to ripen. Rains during harvest complicated things with mildew pressure and reduced sugar content, with the average alcohol potential maxing out around 10.7% abv. On the plus side yields were up so there was some extra juice, a portion of which went into the delicious and thirst-quenching skin contact blend "Basket" which is new for this year. The rest of the 2021s are vibrant and charming, light and easygoing while still retaining acidity and freshness. Making around 1,000 cases per year in total, it's still a fairly small production and the wines are seldom available outside of New York, so here's a chance to grab some locally made wines that are perfect for the summer but delicious year round! -Jeff DiLorenzo

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Eminence Road Farm Winery 2021 Finger Lakes Basket

A blend of 52% Pinot Gris, 39% Chardonnay and 9% Gewurztraminer coming from various loam, shale and slate soils around Cayuga and Seneca lakes, Basket is a new wine for 2021 that sees around five days skin maceration and is aged in a combination of stainless steel and old French oak. The name is in reference to the tiny Basket Creek that winds past the farm and into the Delaware River a few miles away. There's a nice mix of some orange blossom, lemon and apricot fruit with subtle floral aromatics and a savory streak that keeps it interesting. As with all of the 2021s from Eminence Road it's low in alcohol - 10.5% - but try not to drink it too fast as it really opens up and develops some layered complexity after about an hour if you can keep your hands off for that long. It's a delicious and easygoing orange wine that's sure to be a crowd pleaser this summer, with enough substance to keep the wine crowd happy as well. Pure sunshine in a basket!

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $23.99

Eminence Road 2021 Seneca Lake Cabernet Franc Rose Arlo's Block Vineyard

This is a welcome addition with summer fast approaching - a juicy and quaffable Cab Franc that falls somewhere in-between light red and rose, with watermelon and raspberry fruit and a savory herbal side that lends itself well to food. It's best chilled but not too cold, and at 10.5% abv it makes for a perfect wine to sit outside and sip any time of day.

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  • rosé
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  • $23.99

Eminence Road 2021 Seneca Lake Lamb's Quarters Cabernet Franc

This is Cabernet Franc from the Lamb's Quarter vineyard in Seneca Lake, made with 25% stem inclusion this year as opposed to 100% in past vintages. The 2021 has some nice ripe cherry and strawberry fruit with a touch of earth and some subtle vegetal characteristics that all seem to perfectly integrate with air. It's juicy and bright without being too sharp and is great with a slight chill. It has the acid structure and fine tannins to age for several years and could become even more harmonious with time.

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  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $23.99

Eminence Road 2021 Finger Lakes 'Acidalia'

This is a blend of roughly equal parts Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon  and Merlot sourced from three vineyards on the east side of Seneca Lake. The grapes were crushed with 25% stem inclusion and left to ferment with once-daily punchdowns. It spent about 11 months in French oak barrels before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It’s a light and juicy style with some darker fruit and peppery spice and bright acidity that will leave your mouth watering. It is delicious with a slight chill, perfect for grill season!

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  • red
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  • $23.99

Eminence Road Farm Winery 2021 Seneca Lake Lamb's Quarters Riesling

Riesling from the Seneca Lake Lamb’s Quarter vineyard, crushed, de-stemmed and pressed before aging in stainless steel for twelve months. The 2021 shows some rich texture and body that responds well to air. There is subtle white peach and almost tropical fruit and a sleek minerality that takes some time to develop. Best served chilled but not too cold, this is a unique style of Riesling from the Finger Lakes that should evolve for years to come.

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  • white
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  • $23.99

Eminence Road 2020 Seneca Lake Chardonnay Lamb's Quarter Vineyard

Chardonnay from the Seneca Lake vineyard consisting of silt loam and gravelly loam soils over shale. Grapes were crushed and destemmed into a one ton bin to macerate for 72 hours before pressing. Settled juice was moved to stainless steel where fermentation, including full malolactic, continued over about fourteen months. In August of 2022 the wine was racked and bottled by hand without fining or filtration. This has some weight but is still chiseled, with ripe pear and apple fruit and firm acidity that make it it a great wine for the table. It evolves texturally over the course of a meal and may have even been better on day two, showing some aging potential over the next five years.

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $23.99