"The 2019 Amber Rkatsiteli is a little different. Most of the juice (about three-fourths) was aged for seven months in neutral French oak, with the rest split evenly between an amphora (a blend of crusted terracotta, stone, sand and water) and a Clayver (for the company that makes them), meaning a container "fired at twice the temperature of terracotta, so they say the containers are more stable, with high resistance to acids, and require no coating or pre-treatment." Plus, there were 16 days of skin contact in total. The wine is very dry and comes in with 9.8 grams of total acidity too, plus 13% alcohol. Of the two specialty labels from the producer this issue (the Winter Ferment Gewürztraminer being the other), this is the more complicated one, and the one that will be more controversial. You'll like it or you won't. The wood and the amphora change this wine's nature, obviously, and mute its character. That said, the texture and structure make it a perfect food wine, especially for foods that need a wine with acidity. It is stern and serious, with precision. The zesty qualities, though, give it a lively feel. It doesn't brood. This isn't exactly your most typical version of this wine, but if you use it right, it will be more appealing—i.e., it has to have an appropriate food pairing. It has much to recommend it, but you will have to like its differences (or eccentricities, as the case may be). It will be interesting to see if it has anywhere to go from here. Under screw cap, it will at least hold a reasonable time. Let's be a bit conservative just now."

"This has a bit more of a steely edge than the fruitier 2014 Brut, a crisper feel and a hint of stones. There is a little more barrel here, too, but there is not much on either. The Brut is sexier, but this is a little more intense. This will win in the end, but at this point, pick 'em according to your taste. This should age well, as they all tend to do."

"Full-bodied and concentrated, this rolls around the mouth and coats the palate nicely. The fruit is reasonably fresh despite the long aging, but the nose, in particular, shows complexities of age. It lingers on the palate beautifully, the underlying acidity supporting the wine well. It's pretty delicious too, in a dry and serious fashion, with just a hint of truffle. This is impressive on many fronts, in short. It is also very well priced, a terrific bargain."

"Probably the most intense of the sparklers, by a little bit, this still has finesse, elegance and that big, crisp finish nuanced with dried red fruits. For all of the nice acidity, this is impeccably balanced. I hate to sound like a broken record, but this really shows well, again. The winery is doing well with both consistency and quality. This would be my pick of the sparklers, but it is pretty close, and reasonable minds may differ."

"The 2016 Blanc de Noirs is a 75/25 blend of Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir—an unusual blend, due to warm vintage conditions that the winery liked for the Pinot Meunier—coming in with eight grams of residual sugar, 8.5 of total acidity and 12% alcohol. A tiny amount of the juice (5%) was fermented in used French oak. Per the sticker on the back (happily, the winery is transparent), this was disgorged in July 2020 after about 40 months on the lees. Crisp and textured with steel and silk, this works out well. There's tension on the long finish and plenty of power. In structure, it doesn't lose anything compared to different blends. However, it is a little less impressive in character and complexity. This energetic sparkler is still pretty terrific. It should age well, maybe better than noted. There were 140 cases produced."

"The 2017 Blanc de Noirs only has one "noir" this year, unlike the prior vintage—it is all Pinot Noir. It comes in with eight grams of residual sugar, 10.2 of total acidity and just 11% alcohol. About 5% of the juice was oak-aged. Per the sticker on the back (happily, the winery is transparent), this was disgorged in February 2021 after about 35 months on the lees. Unlike the Brut blend this year, this Pinot Noir shows off stronger fruit flavors, although it finishes very dry. The signature this year is certainly the acidity. The wine is light but bright and vigorous. The fruit is defined and lifted by the fine acidity that gives this a mouthwatering finish. This, like its sibling, shows relatively little complexity, but if there's a quibble, it does not seem to be a big step up compared to the Brut blend, contrary to what the price spike might imply. It was my personal favorite, but that will mostly depend on your personal taste."

"It results in a wine with silky texture, elegance and nuanced flavors—neither fully blue fruit or red fruit but something intriguingly in the middle. It has good depth for the price level, region and grapes. In its youth, it is solid while still maintaining its finesse. The tannins are ripe for a young wine, but happily, there is a sign of a backbone."

"This combines rich fruit with good acidity, making a consumer-friendly sparkler that tastes great yet still has some distinction. This is the sexiest of the sparklers, although not the most intense or complex. This should easily last another decade, more perhaps. It is young and vibrant today."

"Beautifully done, this seems fresh and balanced. It tastes great, but the acidity supports the fruit and always makes this seem dry and serious, not just fruity. There's a crispy finish with slight nuances of toast. Mostly, this is not about complexity, but it is vibrant and lovely overall, a middle-of-the-road sparkler that still has notable distinction at a rather nice price."

"This puts it all together in most respects—concentration, structure and smooth, sensual texture. Powerfully built for such an inexpensive wine, it is also one in need of some time to develop. "

"Showing more sugar than its siblings, this still has good acidity and a fresh feel. Nicely done in its style, this is going to be a consumer favorite for picnics and the like, but it has a little distinction too. Did I mention that it tastes great? It may age longer than anticipated, but this should really be drunk fresh, when it is at its most exuberant point."

"Fresh and friendly, this does show a little wood at times, but there is enough unoaked juice so that it shows its fruit and liveliness too. Respectably concentrated for the level."

"This is a Dry Riesling with a lot of energy, fine focus and excellent concentration. This tightly-wound Riesling combines structure and fine fruit perfectly. The fruit is expressive, fresh and aromatic. The tension on the finish allows it to linger nicely. There's a bit of steel underneath. Dr. Frank is right on the mark here, all for a very nice price. It is a can't-miss bargain. It should age pretty well and it will likely be better this time next year."

"Lively and sunny, this has a fresh and friendly feel up front, but then it proves that it has fine persistence and some power too. It's dry, but not austere. This has beautiful length on the finish. The mid-palate is elegant, but it has enough concentration. It's another fine Riesling value in the Finger Lakes."

"My tongue is still tingling—the sugar here merely prevents the acidity from running away with this wine, but there is plenty of power on the gripping and tense finish. After the enticing and classic aromatics, this finishes with a bang. There is a hint of petrol as it warms and airs out, but not much. Beautifully done and very elegant, it's another fine value from the winery this issue."

"This has beautiful flavors and respectable concentration for the difficult vintage and the level. The energy is less impressive—it's round and harmonious, an easy-drinker. It does have a bit of distinction, though. "

"It certainly seemed concentrated, round and easy to drink on opening, surprisingly lush when contrasted with the last vintage I saw. It started out with a rich and full-bodied feel. The underlying acidity and tension are there, though, even if not overly aggressive in the wine's youth. As this aired out, it became more transparent, the overall concentration notwithstanding, but remained very approachable. Then, retasted the next day, it changed notably. Suddenly, it was all about the structure again. As it warmed, it added classic flavors and a touch of petrol, something to watch. It took another hour for the wine to come back into balance. This Riesling can indeed use the extra time the winery is giving it."

"The juicy and tense finish, however, has a bright and precise combination of power and delicacy to it that makes it simply special. This should have the opportunity to continue improving for a decade or more. As it comes into better balance, it should become even more interesting."

"This is very well done, another fine bargain from Dr. Frank. This screams Gewürz in character. It's heavier on the lychees than on the spice, but those flavors linger a long while. It has good concentration for the level, although it could be more tightly wound. It is more persistent than it seems at first, though. It's also pretty delicious, if you like Gewürz, and impeccably balanced. The sugar doesn't stand out at all—it simply cuts the inherent bitterness of the grape. This is well done."

"This is sourced from Keuka vineyard blocks from 1968 and 1981. Enticingly aromatic with its classic rose petal nuances, this is a balanced Gewürz that shows off some lychees on the finish. The modest sugar is easily offset by the acidity. Very gentle and just a touch bland for this grape, it lacks some power and doesn't show much spice, but the rest is quite well done, certain to make fans of this grape happy at a pretty nice price. This is always a nice and consistent offering, never quite having the structure to rise to star status, but always delivering plenty of easy-sipping value."

"This is a very nice bargain in its youth. It is not the biggest or most powerful Grüner, but it has good concentration and coats the palate nicely. There is reasonable tension on the finish and white pepper and spice as well."

"Granting that they are not all here, this seems like one of the better performances for this grape from the winery. With touches of pepper on the finish, it feels reasonably full in the mouth and adds some power. It succeeds, though, because it is very expressive this year while maintaining its focus and precision. It has the structure to hold, and under screw cap, it should do pretty well. Of the producer's still whites not named "Riesling," I debated whether this or the regular Rkatsiteli was the best. Ultimately, I gave the latter a slight nod, but it was close. We'll see what happens in a couple of years."

"This shows its wood a bit and doesn't have a lot of depth to soak it up, but it holds itself together well in the long run. However, it also doesn't have a lot of power, and it is very easy to drink now. This is going to require a food pairing to show its best. It may have some ability to approve in the cellar, and it should hold well for several years. Overall, while this is a very different style from the regular Chardonnay, it's not all that much more impressive. Bargain hunters should take note, as the price here more than doubles. This does have one key advantage—it may age better. At the moment, it's more about the stylistic difference, but they may separate as they age."

"This kitchen-sink blend is intriguing, to say the least. It has a medley of flavors from herbs to plums, mostly leaning to darker fruits. The acidity creates a juicy finish. The structure is excellent, the concentration good. It has the depth and power to age beautifully. You could drink it now if you wanted to, but I'd say this needs a couple of years of cellaring. I won't be surprised if it holds 15+ years—and it might improve notably in time as well. Let's be a little conservative on this new bottling, but the future looks bright."

"The 2017 Dry Riesling "Margrit" is not quite as dry as the "Eugenia," the other "black label" specialty Riesling this issue. It comes in with 8.7 grams of residual sugar and seven of total acidity, plus 12.5% alcohol. Tasted a few months before release, this seemed hard to resist right now. It's dry but rich and seductive. Feeling even fuller bodied than the Eugenia, this is the one I didn't expect to be overly nervy. It's in line with expectations. The balance makes it caressing on the palate, while it still seems pure and clean. The next day it showed very differently in flavor profile, adding a bit of a sour grapefruit nuance cutting through the sugar. Overall, I had a distinct preference for Eugenia in structure and flavor profile, but this has many merits and may yet prove its case in the cellar. Sourced from the winery's 2007 Hector-area vines (Seneca Lake, as opposed to the Keuka Lake vines for the Eugenia), there will be 380 cases released in the spring of 2019."

"The 2019 Dry Riesling "Margrit" comes in with 7.39 grams of residual sugar and 9.7 of total acidity, plus 12.8% alcohol. That is dry. This is sourced from a single vineyard on Seneca Lake, owned by the winery, that was planted in 2008. The winery says the site is somewhat warmer than their Keuka Lake properties, producing a riper wine. A big step up over the last I saw, this has power but also a juicy finish that displays fine fruit. As powerful as it is, it not just an acid-freak wine. That long finish is gripping and tense. The aromatics are powerful too, while the mid-palate is simply solid. This food-wine Riesling shows every sign of improving over the next decade. It may have layers yet to reveal. Giving it a year or so of cellar time would be a good idea. Dr. Frank is on fire this issue, hitting home runs and demonstrating why it is an iconic estate in the region."

"This shows good concentration while maintaining some elegance. It is not quite as fresh or as lifted as in some years, but it does fine overall. The structure is the best feature—it's a bit tight on the finish, showing off a moderate tannic backbone. The flavor profile is a bit darker this year, more black cherries with a hint of plum than raspberries and cherries. That said, I did see some evidence that this could evolve and become more interesting. It took over an hour to get there, but this has a good chance to improve. It could really use a year in the cellar. Let's start here and be a little conservative."