Nestled on the lower third of the East Bank of the lengthy 35 mile long Lake Seneca lies Damiani Wine Cellars. It’s here in Burdett, NY that owners Lou Damiani and Phil Davis have remodeled an old home for their new tasting room. Lou and Phil, both locals, have been farming along Lake Seneca all their lives and were already producing wine for their own consumption. When it came time to turn their hobby and passion into a business they set out to produce award-winning dry red wine. Why dry red wines in the land of Riesling, sweet hybrid blends and fake ice wine you ask? “Because that’s that they liked to drink!” exclaims Tasting Room Manager Michael A. Cimino.
Cimino joined the Damiani family just under a year ago with a long list of accolades. He received his Diploma from the Sommelier Society of America in 1993 where Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, presided over his blind tasting. Lifelong work in the restaurant business consummates with Wine Director at the prestigious The Park Steakhouse and Director of Food and Beverage for the Alpine Country Club, the highest regarded private club in America. A novelist a heart, Cimino has written several books on Wine and Service and also the The Biography of Joey Molland – guitarist for the legendary Rock band Badfinger. In school he studied classical music and rock n’ roll later before becoming a professional radio broadcaster for a West Chester, NY classic rock station. Cimino may be the most interesting tasting room manager I have ever met.
We started with Damiani’s sparkling wines- Bollicini and Brut Reserve. Bollicini was Damiani’s answer to Italy’s off-dry style of Prosecco with flavours of red apple, pear, and yeast. Brut Reserve is produced Méthode Champenoise with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Pinot Meunier dosage. Pinot Meunier, unusual for this area, is all estate grown. Completely dry, the wine showed green apple, pear, yeast, and brioche. Only 208 cases produced.
Conversations with Michael are easy, and certainly never boring. His lifetime work in the hospitality industry shows. He rarely talks about his accomplishments unless asked. He’s sincere in learning about the people across the table when usually it’s about the wines and the person pouring them.
Next was their two Rieslings. It wouldn’t be a Finger Lakes winery without at least one! Semi-dry Riesling, roughly 2.3 g/l R.S., is the favorite among the Wine Trail crowds. Slightly sweet, the wine showed fine minerality with soft peach and citrus.
More serious of the two was the Dry Riesling from Davis vineyard. The fruit all comes from Phil Davis’ vineyard located on the same property of his home and Damiani’s production facility. Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc is grown at Davis’ vineyard. In between plots, Phil’s sister Tammy grows fruit orchards, concord and niagara grapes. The Davis Riesling was dry with strong minerality of shale and petrol balanced nicely with pear, soft peach and pineapple.
Tasted side by side was their Pinot Grigio and barrel fermented Chardonnay. Their vinification goes hand and hand. First the Pinot is fermented in stainless steel while the Chardonnay receives the French treatment, 1 year old french barrels from California. Once the Chardonnay has completed fermentation, it’s racked off and it’s lees are inserted into the tank of Pinot Grigio, explained to me by winemaker, and Philadelphia-born, Phil Arras. Damiani’s Pinot Grigio was Italy meets France meets Fume Blanc – crisp citrus, apricot with lees and brioche and a full-bodied creamy mouthfeel. The Chardonnay showed wonderful acidity from the cool climate of Lake Seneca with a strong toastiness.
For more than 20 years, Michael has traveled to the Finger Lakes region to bring back his favorite wines to NY restaurants. His love and passion started in 1994 when he volunteered with Wagner Vineyards during a harvest. He stayed at a lovely B&B next to Wagner and had his “Ah Ha” moment sitting on the deck with a glass of wine and a wine encyclopedia overlooking the sunset over Lake Seneca. It was then he knew he would some day live in the Finger Lakes.
Saving one more white wine for last, we finally made it to their reds. First, MC2, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. MC2 came about in 2012 thanks to a beautiful ripening season from spring to fall. The vineyards produced well structured Merlot. Since this new wine would be Merlot dominated it could not be called a Cabernet blend or Meritage, hence the MC2 brand. The wines sees 8 months neutral second and third use barrels. Soft juicy tannins with red cherry, fresh plum, green raspberry and currant.
Their Cabernet dominated Meritage receives 14 months oak, some new. Elevated acidity (again, cool climate) with soft moderate tannins layered with cedar, spice box, red cherry and black cherry.
Cimino explained Damiani was founded 10 years ago, 2004 being their first harvest, by winemaker Lou Damiani, vineyard manager Phil Davis, and business guy Glenn Allen. In total they produce roughly 5,000 cases per year and own 40 acres under vine. Damiani was the first winery in Finger Lakes to receive a 90+ point rating from Wine Spectator for red by their 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.
The Reserve Cabernet was quickly sold but we got to taste the regular 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. In total they produce 40 barrels of Cabernet, the best barrels go into Reserve, now called Barrel Select. The wine was rich in black fruits with green bell pepper. My favorite of the lot was their Pinot Noir Reserve. Spiced red cherry, forest floor with strong mineralitly. Very Burgundian in style.
Michael’s dream would soon come true. Three years ago Cimino had volunteered with Hermann J. Wiemer to work harvest. He drove by his favorite B&B from 20 years ago and saw a “For Sale” sign. Michael and his wife made the plunge, renovated the property, and three years later moved into the home where he first fell in love with the Finger Lakes.
Continuing on our Reserve tasting, we were poured 2010 Merlot Reserve and 2012 Cabernet Reserve. The Merlot fruit comes from Lou Damiani’s property just north of Davis vineyard. Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is grown at Lou’s vineyard. The Merlot was highly complexed with great texture. Spiced plum, elevated acidity and tannin with red and black cherry and a spicy texture. Probably the best drinking wine of the afternoon.
The Cabernet Reserve did not let down either – medium plus grippy tannins, elevated acidity, red cherry, black cherry, cedar without the underripe greenness you sometimes get with cool climate Cabs.
Phil Arras and myself in front of a vat of Lemberger.
Phil Arras, who resides from the Main Line suburbs of Philadelphia, had an wisdom tooth infection at the worst possible time, during harvest. He is a self-taught winemaker whose professor was Mr. Phil Davis himself. Arras attended school for Philosophy and Political Science but fell into wine during a wine appreciation class. He hasn’t studied in California nor does he want to. Without rules, Arras is free to be creative. He has one barrel of barrel fermented Cabernet France Rose from free-run juice (saignee) just because “I never tasted a barrel fermented Cabernet France, and Cabernet Franc’s are my favorite Rose to drink.”
Barrel Fermenting Rose Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay.
He has one stainless steel vat of Riesling that was not inoculated, a natural ferment. The baby yeasts haven’t started yet which Phil keeps the vat warm with a heat belt and pumps CO2 to keep the juice from oxidation.
The winery is an old logging barn behind Phil Davis’ home. The production barn is everything but the glam of a Napa winery, but I enjoy the rusticity. We met Steamy Nicks, who steamed the barrels. According to Arras, steaming the barrels removes the tartartes more so than chemicals by opening up the pours. He noticed neutral barrels from 2004 started showing oak flavours after steaming. During the tour we got to meet his other equipment friends – Betty Booker, the Bladder Press; Mega Maid, the Big Pump; and Stella, the old press.
Steamy Nicks at work.
As promised, Cimino poured us the last wine – the 2012 Gewurztraminer from Sunrise Hill Vineyards. Damiani has a partnership with Bob and Kathy Ruiz from Sunrise Hill Vineyards on the west bank of Cayuga lake. Phil Davis consults for the property so he supervises all the grapes that Damiani purchases, mainly Gewurztraminer and Lemberger. Two years ago Damiani acquired 20 more acres of land planted with Gewurztraminer and Cabernet France. Last year they planted new vines of Pinot Meunier, Gewurztraminer, Lemberger and Cabernet Franc. Until those vines are ready, Sunrise Hill Vineyards handles the production.
The 2012 Gewurztraminer was excellent. An off-dry style, very aromatic with petrol, lychee, peach, apricot, honey and flowers.
In the land of Riesling and sweet wines, Lou and Phil knew the terroir of Seneca was capable of producing world-class dry red wines. From Lou and Paul to Michael and Phil, Damiani is a heart-felt story of dreams that come true. They proved spectacular red wine can be produced in the Finger Lakes while still being modest about it. Maybe next year I will volunteer during harvest with Damiani, stay at Michael’s Bed & Breakfast, and fall in love with Lake Seneca as he did 20 years ago. After my afternoon with everyone from Damiani, I may have already.
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