Eminence Road Merlot Lamb’s Quarters Vineyard Finger Lakes 2022

“If you really want to learn about wine, why don’t you make some?” The somewhat-taunting, somewhat-encouraging words, scrawled on the card gifted to Andrew Scott in 1996 alongside his first home winemaking kit, would kick start an endeavor that today lends consistent credence to the overall rising quality of New York State viticulture. Moving from New Jersey to the mountain valley of Long Eddy, New York, on the western edge of the Catskills, in 2008, Andrew and wife Jennifer established Eminence Road Farm Winery with zero formal training or winery experience, developing a “self-taught methodology based on patience, low-intervention and faith in the natural processes of fermentation.” Using sustainably grown grapes from a few select sites across the Finger Lakes, the two make a handful of delicious naturally fermented micro-batch wines, all bottled by hand, unfined and unfiltered with the only addition being a minimal amount of sulfur. This is their first ever 100% merlot release and it is 100% awesome. The fruit was crushed and destemmed into a bin, and left to ferment with once daily punchdowns. About a month later, the grapes were pressed and the settled juice was moved to old French pinot noir barrels to complete fermentation, including full malolactic. In September 2023, the wine was racked out of barrels and bottled. Clocking in at just 11.3% alcohol, the finished result is medium bodied and bright, with juicy wild cherry fruit cut by herbaceous and flinty tones, framed by fine tannins. Sustainably Grown, Low-Intervention/Natural Wine.