Memorial Day weekend David and Kathy Jackson invited me over to their celebration. They are long time good friends, and fans of great wine. They have traveled all over the US and around the world, tasting wine. Among the hot dogs and hamburgers, and carnitas and other good stuffs, there were some wonderful wines from around the US. Two wines stood out impressively, both from winemakers Tom and Susan Higgins at Heart & Hands. I hadn't had one of their wines in a while, but
Heart & Hands is owned and managed by husband and wife team, Tom and Susan Higgins. We are committed to producing cool-climate wines which express the terroir of the Finger Lakes. They focus exclusively on Pinot Noir and Riesling, from which they create still and sparkling wines. They are a boutique winery, producing around 2,000 cases per year. Tom and Susan collaborate closely on general management of the winery. Tom manages the vineyard and cellar activities, while Susan manages the tasting room, external sales and finance activities.
The first wine that caught my attention was the Heart & Hands Polarity 2019. This is a limited-production cult-classic white wine made from red Pinot Noir grapes. It is barrel fermented in French oak and sur-lie aged to enhance richness and mouthfeel. Apricots and citrus on the nose, white cherries and green apples on the palate and a dry, refreshing finish....
The grapes were hand picked into small, thirty pound baskets to prevent bruising. On the crush pad, they gently destemmed the grapes, then optically sorted the grape berries. The optical sorter used cameras to evaluate the color and texture of each berry, and selected only those which met their standards for the best possible fruit for Polarity. They pressed the grapes after optical sorting to minimize skin contact, creating a pale colored juice. The juice was barrel fermented, then underwent a secondary malolactic fermentation. The wine was sur-lie aged for just over ten months, and stirred about every three days to enhance the mouthfeel and add richness.
The wine explodes with fresh apricots and citrus blossoms on the nose as promised. It is absolutely unique. There's also a lovely wash of lemon zest and acidity. Lovely Granny Smith apples. There is a long, mouthwatering finish. Bone fry, but keeps the mouth puckering. This wine is truly exquisite and surprising! Absolutely spectacular!
Made with grapes grown on 4 Finger Lakes vineyards, with 40% of the fruit from their own estate vineyard. This is their classic blend of Pinot Noir, and includes fruit from the following Finger Lakes vineyards: 40% - Heart & Hands Estate Vineyard, Cayuga Lake 25% - Nutt Road Vineyard, Seneca Lake 20% - Elaine's Vineyard, Seneca Lake 15% - Hobbit Hollow Vineyard, Skaneateles Lake
Elegant notes of strawberries, cherries, blueberries and currants. Notes of violets on the nose, followed by dark cherries and dark cocoa. A lovely finish with medium tannins. A superb Pinot Noir.
Hadn't had Heart & Hands in a while. What an absolutely lovely treat! One of the best producers in the Finger Lakes.
