Dr. Konstantin Frank Brut 2017 Finger Lakes - New York

A dramatic wine with a lively mousse, this smells of fresh apples and bread crust. The flavors attack with impressive breadth and depth—baked apple, pear and melon—only to finish with abrupt and edgy acidity, a mineral line that gives the wine its invigorating cut and length.

The 2017 Brut is a 55/40 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (with 5% Pinot Meunier) coming in with eight grams of sugar, 9.73 of total acidity and 10.8% alcohol. This was disgorged in January 2021, which date is on the back label, after about 34 months on the lees.

 

Beautifully done, this seems fresh and balanced. It tastes great, but the acidity supports the fruit and always makes this seem dry and serious, not just fruity. There's a crispy finish with slight nuances of toast. Mostly, this is not about complexity, but it is vibrant and lovely overall, a middle-of-the-road sparkler that still has notable distinction at a rather nice price.