It’s common these days to find many Finger Lakes red wines running in the upper $20s and lower $30s price range, with some reserve wines costing even more than that. The quality of our local red wine has improved exponentially over the past decade, and there’s no doubt that these wines are worth it.
But for many of us committed to drinking Finger Lakes wine, it’s nice to find some red wines of good quality with a lower price point. Which is why we’re big fans of this red blend from Lamoreaux Landing on the east side of Seneca Lake. It runs $14.99 in the winery’s online shop but we’ve found it in some wine retailers for as low as $12, making it a great wine to buy a lot of and have around for those impromptu Friday night pizza parties.
Right out of the glass the first thing to notice is the tawny, deep ruby color. It’s beautiful to pour. Jasmine flowers, red cherries and dried herbs on the nose. The wine is light to medium bodied with soft tannins. Juicy red plum, black cherry, and some white pepper on the finish. This is a well-balanced wine and at 12.3% abv it’s smooth on the palate without too much heat for such a dry wine.
The winery keeps the recipe close to its chest and calls it a “proprietary blend“. Not even the tasting room staff know what grapes are in this wine. If we had to guess, there’s some Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in there. The velvety mouthfeel is a dead giveaway for the Merlot.
But let the winery keep its secrets. What you need to know is that this is a delicious and refreshing red wine that will please a crowd, or just a party of two. And the price makes it an especially pleasing purchase on the wallet.
Lamoreaux Landing, 9224 Route 14, Lodi, 607-582-6011
