Lenz 1994 Cuvee R.D.

Wine Recommendation:
Lenz 1994 Cuvee R.D.

Vineyard Notes:
Lenz Winery is located in Peconic, on the North Fork of Long Island, in New York. This is a distinct geographic region as well as a designated AVA for US wines. Founded in 1978, the winery has some of the most mature vineyards in the country. Lenz grows only vinifera grape varieties: chardonnay, gewürztraminer, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and pinot noir.

The eastern end of Long Island has several distinctive features as a wine growing region, such as: a long, frost-free growing season, the most sunshine hours in New York State , the ideal heat range for growing and ripening a wide range of grape varieties , deep, well-drained soils , even, year-round rainfall, and water on three sides to moderate winter lows and summer highs.

Proprietor's Notes:
Sparkling wines improve with age in the bottle before they undergo the finishing steps that precede corking. But once these steps have been taken they should be drunk relatively soon. When we sell out of a particular sparkling wine vintage, we usually hold back 60 or 70 cases to continue aging and improving in the bottle. We recently sold out of the small quantity from the excellent and well-aged 1993 vintage. The French refer to Champagnes made using this 'late-finishing' process as 'RD', or Récemment dégorgé (recently disgorged).

The 1994 Cuvee RD is rich and sumptuous where the current-release 1999 is fresh and vibrant. Like RD wines in general, the 1994 has certain nutty earthiness that comes with the process, overlaying the original - - but muted - - fruit base of the wine. 356 Cases Produced