SOUTH GLASTONBURY, CONN. - Fruit trees line the long, steep winding road.
Right near the top of the hill, with sweeping views of the orchards and the Hartford skyline in the distance, stands a large, wooden, cabin-like building.
One recent sunny, Sunday afternoon, the building's wrap-around porch was filled with people drinking glasses of wine. Inside, many of the tables were full as well.
And there's a good reason why.
Because this wooden building serves as the tasting room for Crystal Ridge Winery, which makes outstanding wine using grapes grown almost entirely in Connecticut.
This might not seem like a big deal to you, but I was absolutely blown away by the quality of the wine produced using local grapes. One of the secrets that many New England wineries don't tell people is that many of their wines are made with grapes grown in California or New York's Niagara region. In my mind, that makes the wine a California or New York State wine.
But great things are happening at many New England wineries in recent years. Several people have been raving to me about wines they've tasted made with grapes grown in Vermont. And then I heard about this winery in Connecticut from a friend of mine who knows and loves great wine.
I'll admit I was a bit skeptical at first. Then I tasted the first of nine wines at Crystal Ridge Winery and I was immediately impressed. Some wines were definitely better than others. But there frankly wasn't a single bad wine I tasted at this 200-acre winery established in 2004.
Like many wineries around the world, Crystal Ridge gives credit to the property's unique soil and climate for its outstanding wines. "Our vineyard's rocky soils and southwest facing slopes create a quiet microclimate for our grapes to flourish," according to the winery's website.
I was especially impressed by the winery's reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Here are my tasting notes for nine, distinct, interesting wines produced by Crystal Ridge Winery and which were all for sale by the bottle or the glass at the winery earlier this month.
257 Belltown Road
South Glastonbury CT 06073
(860) 657-1004
Open Thursday and Fridays, 4:30 - 8 p.m.
Saturdays Noon - 7:30 p.m.
Sundays Noon - 6 p.m.
WINES REVIEWED
- 2014 Crystal Ridge Vignoles ($25 a bottle at the winery)
- 2016 Crystal Ridge Vignoles ($25)
- 2016 Crystal Ridge Vineyard White ($25)
- 2016 Crystal Ridge Unoaked Chardonnay ($27)
- 2014 Crystal Ridge St. Croix Rose ($25)
- 2015 Crystal Ridge Dornfelder ($32)
- 2016 Crystal Ridge Sangiovese ($47)
- 2016 Crystal Ridge Old Gate ($40)
- 2016 Crystal Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon ($57)
TASTING NOTES
2014 Crystal Ridge Vignoles
This crisp, refreshing wine has a slightly sharper flavor than the same wine reviewed below from the 2016 vintage. But don't get me wrong. Both wines are outstanding and were a great start to a fascinating tasting.
2016 Crystal Ridge Vignoles
Like many of the wines created by Crystal Ridge, the 2016 Vignoles has a clean, crisp taste. There's nothing dull or cloying about this wine. There's a slight hint of ripe apples and other fruits but nothing overwhelming. Very well balanced, well-made wine. Slightly better than 2014 vintage reviewed above but not by much.
2016 Crystal Ridge Vineyard White
This blended white wine hits all the right notes - soft and subtle without being overwhelming. With just a hint of pear and other soft fruits, this clean, refreshing wine is perfect for a wide range of foods or just sipping on its own on a warm, lazy summer (or fall) afternoon.
2016 Crystal Ridge Unoaked Chardonnay
This was one of the wines that impressed me the most about Crystal Ridge. Made with Chardonnay grapes grown on the winery's property, the unoaked version is a revelation. Bright, clean and buttery with a soft, subtle finish, this wine clearly demonstrates that winemakers in New England can make great Chardonnays that rival the best ones made in California. Truly impressive.
2014 Crystal Ridge St. Croix Rose
This dry, Rose wine has just a hint of rose petals and other soft fruit. Clean and refreshing, this slightly buttery Rose isn't bone dry like many produced in France's Provence region. But who wants every wine to taste the same anyway?
2015 Crystal Ridge Dornfelder
Dark, intense, ruby-colored wine with a delightful silky finish. This unique, dry red wine has a velvet-like texture straight out of the bottle that lasts for hours. Think of this wine as a session wine as they say in the beer world.
2016 Crystal Ridge Sangiovese
This understated red wine has a bright, clean, refreshing taste. Less intense than many Sangiovese wines from Italy, this stellar red has a more easy going approach which allows this wine to pair well with less intense, mellower food than some other Sangioveses.
2016 Crystal Ridge Old Gate
One of the best wines produced by Crystal Ridge, this robust red wine has a clean, complex finish that lingers on the tip of your tongue. This wine reminds me of some of the better blended red wines produced in Canada's outstanding Niagara wine region. A real gem.
2016 Crystal Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
The best wine of the tasting, this outstanding, smooth as silk red wine will blow you away. Like the Crystal Ridge Chardonnay, this wine will also likely make you rethink what's possible for wine growers in New England. Who knew Connecticut could produce such terrific Cabernet Sauvignon wines? Absolutely amazing.
Cheers!
Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican's weekend section every Thursday.
Follow Ken Ross on Twitter or Instagram.