Champagne Wishes: Fox Run Vineyards Lemberger Finger Lakes 2012 Highly Recommended by Whom You Know
Whom You Know has been hugely impressed with Fox Run Vineyards this season, and we Highly Recommend their Lemberger. Previously on Whom You Know, we featured by this brand:
Chardonnay
Riesling
Having grown up half an hour away from Napa, I enjoy my big, bold Cabs. That being said, I LOVE trying a new red, and the Lemberger Finger Lakes 2012 from Fox Run Vineyards did not disappoint! I had to do some research on this varietal, as I wasn’t familiar with Lemberger. It’s a medium-to-full bodied grape, originally from Austria. This particular one from Fox Run Vineyards was delicious. It was nice and peppery!
I don’t like spicy food, but I absolutely love some spice in my wine! This delivers an amazing combination of fruit and spice. It was fantastic with a simple grilled steak and salad, but I would love to try it with different types and combinations of meats. Enjoy some before it’s gone!
The Fox Run Vineyards Lemberger 2012 is an intriguing deeply colored red wine from estate grown grapes. It tastes of berries and black pepper. This wine is light but at the same time satisfyingly flavorful. I particularly enjoyed the wine with my dinner of grilled steak and avocado and kale salad. It has a hearty flavor. However, the wine did not overpower the taste of the foods. The Lemberger could hold its own at any barbecue. A very satisfying red wine. I heartily recommend it.
Although their website advertises this particular wine as “full-Bodied cool-climate red," we found it to be amazing versatile in the summer months. Approached as a rose, but not chilled, the Fox Run Lemberger 2012 stated its fruitiness without being too full-bodied. It’s the type of wine that will lead to tastings of Fox Run Vineyards other selections in their red, rose and sparkling cellar, if only because the palate of this wine is so delightful. With the berry note fixed in place, this wine serves well alone or with a meal.
I made a ratatouille with summer zucchini and tomatoes to balance the interesting finish of the Lemberger. I can imagine it with cheese, with crisp bread, with a healthy piece of meat, too. It’s a wonderful gift wine, and a great introduction to Fox Run, a notable local vintner that will please every time.
Are you familiar with Lemberger wine? If not, then it's time you get acquainted. I was blown away by the Fox Run Vineyards Lemberger Finger Lakes 2012. This wonderful wine surpassed all my expectations. Rich and full-bodied, you could taste the aromas of pepper with blackberries. It was very smooth and delicious.
This wine is great to bring to any party, guaranteed to impress. Pair it with beef, duck or just about anything for a lovely dinning experience.
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The Vineyard
Vineyard Sources: Fox Run Vineyards Blocks 6, 9 & 11
Block 6 – Established 1995 with alternating layers of clays and sand at an elevation of 470 ft.
Block 9 – Established 2000 with clays and silts with shallow bedrock and glacial till at an elevation of 595 ft.
Block 11 – Established 1998 with fertile, well-drained soil with sandy loam over lakeshore stones at an elevation of 660 ft.
Varietal Composition: 100% Lemberger
Growing Conditions: 2012 was an ideal year in the Finger Lakes for all varieties. An early start to the growing season advanced vine growth by several weeks, and the hot and dry midsummer conditions allowed for excellent sugar accumulation in the grapes. Moderate rainfall late in the summer helped with the final stages of ripening.
The Winemaking
Harvest Date: September 25 - October 4, 2012
Brix At Harvest: 21.1º B
Vinification: Grapes were machine picked at dawn, and were immediately crushed into open-top fermentation vessels. Our favorite yeast strain was added, and fermentation began within 24 hours. At dryness, the grapes were pressed to a stainless steel tank. After several days of setting, the wine was transferred to a mixture of French and American oak barrels. Aging for 18 months resulted in a rich and complex wine that needed no further intervention.
The Wine
Residual Sugar: 0%
pH: 3.62
Acidity: 5.9 g/L
Alcohol: 12.9%
Bottling Date: February 15, 2014
Production: 651 cases
On The Palate
Aromas of blackberry, raspberry, and freshly ground black pepper in this classic Finger Lakes Lemberger are followed by rich plum and black cherry flavors that evolve
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Under the passionate ownership of Scott Osborn and Ruth Osborn, Fox Run Vineyards is one of the first and truly great artisanal wine producers in the cool-climate Finger Lakes region of New York State.
planted in 1984 and the Civil War-era dairy barn was converted to a winemaking facility in 1990 – three years before Scott Osborn took over the helm.
Working closely with winemaker Peter Bell and vineyard manager John Kaiser, the Osborns are dedicated to a program of minimal intervention winemaking. With sustainable practices in both vineyard and cellar, Fox Run adheres to a low impact agricultural philosophy – protecting the di- verse ecosystem present on its land and the pristine waters of Seneca Lake.
In 2012, Fox Run Vineyards became exclusively family-owned. Scott and Ruth Osborn, together with Kathleen and Albert Zafonte, Ruth Osborn’s sister and brother- in-law are setting the course for an exciting new chapter. “We are redefining our legacy”, says Scott Osborn. “The team is tight here.
Our acclaimed winemaker, Peter Bell, has overseen 18 estate vintages and John Kaiser, our vineyard manager, began developing the vineyards in 1984 – even before I set eyes on this magnificent property. We are all excited about the future here and our focus will center on the signature wines of the estate.”
There are several wood-aged fortified wines – including a Tawny and Ruby-Style Port. Hedonia, a White Port, is made entirely from Traminette grapes. The
Geology Series represents Rieslings sourced from specific vineyard blocks on the estate, that lie within the boundaries of ancient lakes and shorelines.
In 1996, a new wine facility was completed with state-of-the-art capabilities
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and views of Seneca Lake that remain unrivaled. In 2001, architects Jim Durfee and Scott Hemenway redesigned the original dairy barn, creating a new wine center and tasting room that maintains the original rustic character, while taking further advantage of the dramatic panoramic views of Seneca Lake. The original barrel room remains at the heart of the 2001 design, retaining the dramatic timber frame character and soaring space. Pine plank floors and timber detailing extend the “Finger Lakes” style and an expansive stone terrace extends behind the building. The impressive wine center also features a market and café where visi- tors can stock up on specialty items from the Empire State, or sit down to flights of signature Fox Run wines, well-matched to selections of local farmstead cheeses and farm-to-table specials.
Scott & Ruth Osborn
For Scott Osborn, international politics were the first interest of this Rochester, NY native. The son of two professors, Osborn attended the Friends World College with campuses all over the world, and studied in Kenya, India, Thailand, Japan, and England. After college, in the mid 1970s,
he went into the real estate development business in Lake County California, where he discovered his passion for wine. In 1980 he took his first job in the industry, labeling bottles at Konocti Winery. His aptitude led to cellar master positions at Zaca Mesa and Byron Winery. R
eturning east in 1986, Osborn soon realized that the Finger Lakes region was where he wanted to make his mark producing wine, eventually with his own winery. O
sborn is a frequent participant in wine judgings,
panel discussions, and symposia relating to fine wine production in the Finger Lakes.
