Pennsylvania - Berks County - Manatawny Creek Winery

Manatawny Creek Winery - October 2019 - I met a few friends here before heading out for dinner. The Riesling had light peach aroma with a sweet ending, Indigo, made from Vidal Blanc, with orange aromas was not as sweet on the palette, the 2016 Pinot Noir Reserve had mild fruit flavors and a hint of tea, the 2015 Merlot was dark purple in color with a good tannin ending, the 2016 Cabernet Franc was weak in color but had a good cherry flavor, the 2016 Meritage, their Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, was dark like the Merlot, fruity and nice tannins, the 2015 Trio tasted old (I'm glad I drank the bottle I purchased.) and the 2015 port lived up to fruity expectations.

Jan 2018 - We found the port purchased back in 2015 right before Christmas and decided to share it with friends. Needless to say, its gone and we went to see what was new.

I tried Kobi's Koncoction (the new name for Cooper's Conundrum); it was a nice blend of Viognier, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat, but  preferred the Soleil my wife tried. In true fashion, I stuck to the reds. The 2015 Pinot Noir has light notes of cherry while the 2015 was bursting with blackberries and currants and a nice lingering oakey finish. The 2013 Syrah had a deep purple color with aromas of tobacco and smoke and the 2013 Cabernet Franc had dark cherry notes with a nice vanilla finish. The Meritage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot had too much going on fruit-wise that it was hard to pick any one aroma or flavor, but the oak finish was smooth. Manatawny has created Trio, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot with Allegro and Pinnacle Ridge. I did not try it as I wanted to taste the 2015 port, which was well balanced with the alcohol and oak. We'll leave this one sit for awhile too before drinking.

My wife tried Soleil, their blend of Cayuga and Seyval Blanc, balanced just right with sweet and acid. Their Riesling was bursting with grape flavor and had the right amount of sugar. The Gewurztraminer was a bit too sweet, while Golden, made from Niagara, was palatable. She ended her tasting with the Rose and Happiness, a blueberry wine

Mar 2015 - On this trip, I stayed strictly with the reds while my wife did the whites. After I tried the cabernet franc against the meritage, I enjoyed the previous more, based on smoothness. Cooper's Conundrum is being renamed, once this vintage is gone, since Cooper the cat passed away. My wife like that as well as the Soleil. We always end our tasting here with the port. We feel it is one of the better ports as it is not heavy on the brandy, which brings out the beauty of the cabernet franc wine.

Dec 2014 - Although I've been here many times before, this is the first time I'm writing about this winery; they still live up to the expectation. I was in the area and decided to pick up something special for the holidays.I enjoyed the chardonnay over the pinot grigio. The soleil (cayuga and seyval blanc blend was sweet, but Coopers Conundrum (a white blend which I have not tried before) was sweet and smooth. I enjoyed the syrah and meritage (blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec and petit verdot.