Full Review

Knapp Winery

Knapp Winery
2020 Blaufrankisch, Cayuga Lake

Pair this wine with:
Beef Pork

Category: Lemberger

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 12.1%
95 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$25
2022 New York Wine Classic - Best Lemberger-Blaufrankisch 2022 Best Lemberger/Blaufrankisch

Knapp Winery
2020 Blaufrankisch, Cayuga Lake

Pair this wine with:
Beef Pork

Category: Lemberger

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 12.1%
Deep purple color. Attractive aromas and flavors of peppery jerky, waygu teriyaki, pomegranate-sultana chutney, and olive tapenade with a satiny, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a polished, intricate, long finish with notes of blueberry-acai tart, pencil shavings, pickled melon rinds and beets, and eucalyptus-menthol honey with fine, dusty tannins and a suggestion of oak flavor. A captivating and exotic Blaufrankisch with a wonderful panoply of savory and spiciness.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Fruity Juicy & Smooth New World Non-Oaky Savory Rich & Full Spicy & Complex
Aroma Aroma: peppery jerky, waygu teriyaki, pomegranate-sultana chutney, and olive tapenade
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with notes of blueberry-acai tart, pencil shavings, pickled melon rinds and beets, and eucalyptus-menthol honey
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry-yet-Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years Enjoy on its own
Recipes Pairing: Ribs, Beef Teriyaki, Steak Fajitas
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A captivating and exotic Blaufrankisch with a wonderful panoply of savory and spiciness.

The Producer

Knapp Winery & Vineyard Restaurant

The Producer
2770 Ernsberger Rd
Romulus, NY 14541
USA
1 607-930-3495

Lemberger

Wine Glass Zinfandel.jpg
Serve in a Zinfandel Wine Glass
Lemberger is a varietal widely planted in Central Europe--particularly Austria, where it is known as blaufränkisch. The suffix "fränkisch" implies that the grape was originally of French origin; however, the varietal's true lineage is somewhat murky. Nonetheless, over the years, lemberger has become somewhat of a darling to a handful of vintners in Washington state, as it is quite winter-hardy and offers a measure of insurance against the state's periodic harsh winter conditions.

Washington lemberger tends to be quite dark, with a racy, grapey character. The wines are nearly devoid of tannins, but retain a nervy level of acidity. This leads to the inevitable comparisons with gamay, or perhaps more appropriately, dolcetto. In that it's an early-drinking, zesty red that lends itself to immediate gratification, there is more than a nugget of truth to the comparisons. They have flavors of blackberry and black cherry along with notes of dark chocolate. These wines are ripe and spicy and pair well with grilled meats or game.

John Rauner, the proprietor of Yakima River Winery and a fierce proponent of lemberger, claims that the varietal is one of few that don't contain histamines, a compound to which some people are allergic. Histamines or not, lemberger is an interesting wine in its own right, and one day may deserve to be called the "Nouveau of the Northwest."