2013 Element “RTW/The Element”
$81.99 / 750ml
204 Cases Produced
“The Element” is a wine that has been a long time in the making. We began conceptualizing this wine at the very beginning—in 2010, with the inaugural release of Red Table Wine, a non-varietally specific bottling that we felt captured the essence of vintage and place, rather than focusing on a single varietal. We have been chasing this idea ever since, building on the philosophy and changing the name a few times along the way.
Christopher’s Journal: Harvested entirely from Equilibrium Wine Farm, this wine is the first example of “The Element” coming from our farm. It is made up of 57.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8.4% Merlot, and 8% each of Pinot Noir and Syrah. Elegant aromas of black and red cherries, herbs, and wet rock dominate the nose, with dried flowers and a touch of balsamic lifting the aromas. The palate is fresh and bright, with crunchy structure and elegant tannins.
Also available in Large Formats:
$180 / 1.5 L Magnum
$370 / 3 L Jeroboam
Cabernet Franc
A grape most traditionally associated with the Loire Valley (Chinon, etc.), Cabernet Franc has received only moderate attention outside of France. While there are some notable examples of great Cabernet Franc being produced around the globe, they remain limited. It seems as though the Finger Lakes may be emerging as a stronghold for Cab Franc in the new world.
A bit lighter than its much more popular offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc excels without the ripeness that Cabernet Sauvignon so often seems to need. With its thick skins and loose clusters that promote airflow, this grape seems perfectly suited to our cooler, moist climate. To seal the deal, it is also highly cold-tolerant.
We believe Cabernet Franc will soon become the iconic red grape of the Finger Lakes.
Syrah
Syrah is synonymous with the Northern Rhône, though it has exploded worldwide. However, Syrah has often been misunderstood. Vintners and consumers alike have the impression that Syrah is a hot-climate grape, and many even consider the Northern Rhône a hot-climate region. We, too, were under this misconception for a long time. This could not be farther from the truth. The best part (Côte Rôtie) of the Northern Rhône is warmish, but cooled by the constant cold Mistral winds blowing south from Switzerland. In fact, California producers are now focusing more on their own cool climates, and some of California’s best examples of Syrah are grown in areas directly influenced by the cooling effects of the Pacific.
So, we thought, why not in New York? We found an acre of Syrah that was about ten years old and immediately snapped it up. While still controversial here in the Finger Lakes, Syrah ripens beautifully. Its thick skins allow it to hang late into the fall for flavor development. The one downside is its sensitivity to extreme cold, meaning Syrah, like Chardonnay and Pinot, requires protected microclimates.
Our Syrah is a bit of a rarity, but it truly shows the potential of cool-climate Syrah production. It has been very exciting to see more and more interest in this grape here in the Finger Lakes.
