New York State’s Pinot Noir potential and 18 wines to try

Morten Hallgren, of Ravines Wine Cellars in New York’s Finger Lakes calls New York State Pinot Noir a revelation. ‘In contrast to the dominant Pinot Noir character from the West Coast, it’s a cool-climate expression with noticeable acidity. Bright, fresh fruit; never on the jammy, heavier side of things.’ It reminded him of home.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 18 New York State Pinot Noirs

Hallgren made this discovery while working as the winemaker for Dr Konstantin Frank Winery in 1998. In the Finger Lakes, he worked closely with vines planted by the winery’s namesake in the 1950s.

Having grown up in Provence, studied oenology and viticulture in Montpellier, and made wine in Bordeaux, Hallgren found himself particularly drawn to New York’s expression of the grape. ‘It’s a good reminder that Pinot Noir, at least in its original form, is a cool climate variety,’ says Hallgren.

A resemblance in Riesling

Riesling is most commonly associated with New York wine–and with good reason. The aromatic grape has established itself in a state with a nearly similar terroir to Germany. Warm summer days and cool nights moderated by local bodies of water help to ripen fruit while preserving firm acidity.

Slate and limestone bedrock lie not far underneath the soil, repeatedly tilled by glaciers throughout the ice ages. All these attributes lead to beautiful expressions of the white grape reminiscent of wines from the Mosel.

Often overlooked are the shared traits between the Riesling of Germany and Pinot Noir from Burgundy.

‘It was something that struck a nerve with me,’ says Hallgren, who now serves as co-owner and winemaker at Ravines, with locations on Seneca and Keuka Lakes.

‘I was told it was somewhere between reckless and irresponsible to grow Pinot Noir in the Finger Lakes,’ Hallgren chuckles. He now works with 10.5ha of Pinot Noir, one of the more significant plantings in the state. ‘We’re not backing off’, he smiles.

An element of bravery

‘I think Pinot can be amazing here but requires a complete shift of thought to truly grasp,’ says Christopher Bates, Master Sommelier, co-owner, and winemaker at Element Winery.

‘It should taste like Pinot grown on the extreme edge. Like great, delicate Burgundy used to before the flashy new world fruit and the spicy oak trend took over.’

Bates recently just released a 2012 library vintage. ‘It needed time to come into its own,’ he explains. The wine is a wonderful representation of a winemaker’s intuition and the ageability of New York’s Pinot Noirs.

If New York Pinot requires living on the edge, then Tom and Susan Higgins have embraced that concept. Away from where vineyards are typically planted in the region, you’ll find their property.

Heart & Hands Wine Company sits on the northeast side of Cayuga Lake. It’s the first winery and vineyard located in the slim band of Onondaga Limestone that wraps from New York City through Albany to Cayuga Lake and beyond.

‘Because our soils were atypical in this region, our outreach to learn the best soil management practices for our land was to resources in places like Champagne and Burgundy,’ says Tom Higgins. Who noted local resources had yet to encounter the soil profile and pH figures anywhere else in the Finger Lakes.

He used the opportunity to experiment. He planted seven clones of Pinot Noir from Burgundy vineyards like La Tâche and Clos de la Roche in 2010. Alongside his role as co-owner, he is also the vineyard manager and winemaker.

‘A connection with the vineyard is critically important to making great wine,’ stresses Higgins. ‘If you are willing to listen to the vineyard, it will teach you a great deal about how best to work with each vine.’

The 2020 vintage gifted Heart & Hands with their inaugural estate bottling–and the realisation of Higgins’ dream to grow terroir-driven Pinot Noir in New York.

A true heartbreaker

Even in a state ripe with potential, Pinot Noir still requires extreme care and a little luck.

In the slightly warmer climate of Long Island, ‘you never really get a break’, notes Macari Vineyards winemaker Byron Elmendorf. The thin-skinned, early-ripening grape is highly susceptible to rot, mould, and mildew, especially in wet years like 2021.

In contrast, 2020 was unseasonably warm with drought-like conditions, leading to beautifully fruit-forward red wines.

Unpredictable weather patterns require ingenuity from vineyard managers and winemakers. ‘It’s not guaranteed what kind of year it’ll be for Pinot,’ Elmendorf highlights.

‘You have to allow yourself a lot of flexibility. You have to be able to change your production goals on the fly.’

Thankfully, the grape lends itself to various final outputs. Winemakers have ‘off ramps’ including sparkling, rosé, and as part of a red blend. A perfect example is Macari’s 2021 carbonic-style offering, which Elmendorf decided to make after noticing signs of concern in the vineyard shortly after the sparkling harvest.

‘I thought it would be fun if we did a really early pick that still had a lot of acid’, he explains. The result is ‘a very light bodied, very juicy, very low alcohol, very drinkable wine’.

Despite the challenges, producers agrees New York Pinot is worth the risk. This is why you’ll find it planted in each of the state’s eleven AVAs.

Smaller regions like the Niagara Escarpment and Hudson Valley are realising their potential for lighter-bodied, refreshing red wines alongside more complex and age-worthy offerings in warmer years.

Tom Higgins sums up the challenges and rewards of New York State’s Pinot Noir. ‘I love the challenge of working with a notoriously difficult variety to grow and vinify. The results can be so much more satisfying than making something that comes easy.’

New York Pinot Noir: 18 wines to try

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