Full Review

Bright Leaf Vineyard

Bright Leaf Vineyard
NV Estate Ice Wine, Riesling, Cayuga Lake

Pair this wine with:
Dessert

Category: Ice Wine

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 11.1% RS: 17.05%
90 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$29

Bright Leaf Vineyard
NV Estate Ice Wine, Riesling, Cayuga Lake

Pair this wine with:
Dessert

Category: Ice Wine

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 11.1% RS: 17.05%
Gold color. Aromas of brandied white cherry, saffron, candied apricot, and honeysuckle with a bright, very sweet medium-to-full body and an elegant, medium-long baked pear, rich pineapple, and white flowers finish. Treat yourself to this rare find as a perfect foil to cheese, savory dumplings or charcuterie and as a decadent liquid dessert.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Rich & Full
Aroma Aroma: brandied white cherry, saffron, candied apricot, and honeysuckle
Taste Flavor: baked pear, rich pineapple, and white flowers
Sweetness Sweetness: Sweet
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Strawberry Shortcake, Creme Brulee, Mixed Berries
Bottom Line Bottom Line: Treat yourself to this rare find as a perfect foil to cheese, savory dumplings or charcuterie and as a decadent liquid dessert.

The Producer

Bright Leaf Vineyard

The Producer
1250 Clearview Rd
King Ferry, NY 13081
USA
1 -

Ice Wine

Wine Glass Dessert.jpg
Serve in a Copita
Ice Wine is a dessert wine that is made from frozen grapes that are harvested very late, anywhere from December to early March. At peak, these frozen grapes have at harvest, a water content in which 80% remains as frozen crystals. Fermentation takes months to complete.

Ice wine is made from white and red grapes, primarily Riesling as well as Vidal, while Cabernet Franc is the leading red variety. Most examples of ice wine are still, but there are also sparkling versions produced.

Canada is a major producer of Ice Wine, most notably in the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Residual sugar is quite high (about 150 grams per liter, similar to Sauternes from France), but since the acidity is usually high, ice wines do not taste overly sweet.

Ideal consumption time is from eight to ten years; these are best enjoyed on their own or with blue cheeses.

Top Rated for
Ice Wine

Weis Vineyards 2018 Ice Wine, Riesling, Finger Lakes
97 POINTS
Weis Vineyards 2018 Ice Wine, Riesling, Finger Lakes
9.5% $89.00.
USA
Johnson Estate NV Methode Champenoise Sparkling Ice Wine, Lake Erie
94 POINTS
Johnson Estate NV Methode Champenoise Sparkling Ice Wine, Lake Erie
13% $69.00.
USA
City Winery 2020 Vin De Glaciere Uva Blanca Vineyard, Riesling, Finger Lakes
94 POINTS
City Winery 2020 Vin De Glaciere Uva Blanca Vineyard, Riesling, Finger Lakes
13.2% $28.00.
USA
Frost Bitten 2023 Ice, Riesling, Yakima Valley
93 POINTS
Frost Bitten 2023 Ice, Riesling, Yakima Valley
10.5% $15.00.
USA
Chateau Chantal 2020 Estate Ice Wine, Old Mission Peninsula
93 POINTS
Chateau Chantal 2020 Estate Ice Wine, Old Mission Peninsula
14.5% $90.00.
USA

Best Buys for
Ice Wine

Frost Bitten 2023 Ice, Riesling, Yakima Valley
93 POINTS
Frost Bitten 2023 Ice, Riesling, Yakima Valley
10.5% $15.00.
USA
Frost Bitten 2022 Ice Wine, Riesling, Yakima Valley
89 POINTS
Frost Bitten 2022 Ice Wine, Riesling, Yakima Valley
10.8% $15.00.
USA