Allegro Library Wines

Carl Helrich, winemaker/owner of Allegro Vineyards (York County) has once again offered us the rare opportunity to taste vintage wines produced at Allegro. This type of tasting is normally only offered at very private tastings at the vineyard itself, but Carl has offered to personally transport the very fragile old wines to share his library with our members. The event always proves to be very educational and will enhance your understanding of old wines’ tastes and character. If you like old wines or at least have a curiosity about them… this is the place to be! Bring your library cards and join us, at 7 p.m. on February 17, 2011 at the Hilton Harrisburg.

• 1998 Riesling

  The Allegro Rieslings have always been about balance. They are modeled on Rheingau Rieslings, but as they age tend toward Mosel as the acidity becomes more pronounced without the primary fruit to complement it.

• 2002 Reserve Chardonnay

  The first native yeast fermentation at Allegro, presaging a half-dozen vintages in this style. Modeled on Meursault, these Chardonnays are fermented and aged in French oak barrels.

• 1992 Reserve Chardonnay

  Usually this wine is a real surprise, showing brightness and structure belying its near-twenty years. Great acidity has helped keep this wine alive.

• 1984 Reserve Chardonnay

  This wine serves as a benchmark for what great Chardonnays can attain. Frequently full of a peachy creaminess, this wine is smoother and more developed than the ’92.

• 2002 Reserve Merlot

  A Merlot in Bordeaux terms. The primary fruit is fading. And, the cocoa tannins are so enticing as to make waiting longer impossible!

• 1999 Coda

  John and Tim’s final great red. Coda is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. It’s always been a bit schizophrenic in a good way.

• 1998 Cadenza

  A long vintage yielded a fruit-bomb of a wine in its youth. Beginning to yield to a bottle bouquet of earthy/savory/dried fruit characteristics along with a complex nose that perfume-makers could learn from.

• 1995 Cadenza

  The biggest Cadenza ever produced? This slumbering monster has woken up a few times to show its true potential. The tannins have been monstrous, with higher alcohol than normal; the fruit has always played a bit of hide-and-seek.

• 1988 Chambourcin

  Just for fun, it’s crazy to think about what a hybrid grape does over time. This wine is the definition of “winnowed.”

• 1982 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

  One of the first wines that put Allegro on the wine map. A nice counterpoint to the hybrid, showing the lasting power of great grapes from great soils. Full of earthy/mushroom and leather aromas and flavors.

• 2002 Aria

  The first Aria, made solely from Traminette grapes. Cryo-extracted and bottled young, this wine had Beerenauslese written all over it in its youth, but perhaps mellowed and is richer now.

Please join us in this rare and special tribute to Allegro library wines at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 17, 2010, at the Hilton Harrisburg to enjoy the original winemakers’ as well as the current owners’ wines, which continue in the same quality. Sign up now because seating at this tasting will be limited. Anyone who joined us in 2008 will tell you what an incredible opportunity and pleasure it is to taste truly fine Pennsylvania wines capable of aging. Allegro has raised the bar, and brought Pennsylvania’s wineries to a new level of excellence.

At Allegro, it is all about the wine. If you look at Allegro’s Web site they will tell you “You won't find big festivals here because we don't like the hassle.” You won't find medals either, because Allegro wines sell out without them. Allegro makes wine…great wine, seriously. Allegro means "lively" in musical terms. To that end, Allegro has been making its life in wine here in Pennsylvania since 1973. “Our mission is to make world-class wines in a brave part of this new world.” (Carl Helrich, owner and winemaker)

“Wine and music are one,” wrote Emerson. It’s not a perfect metaphor, but for the founders of Allegro Vineyards in Brogue, Pennsylvania, it certainly rang true that a person captivated by one, might be at once captivated by the other; and in similar ways. Bachelor brothers John and Tim Crouch took a two-decade interlude from their musical careers to grow and make wine here. Carl Helrich and Kris Miller are now the grateful owners of Allegro; preserving it and moving it forward.

“Allegro: it can be a noun, adverb, or adjective; it’s a way of doing something, or being something, with some spirit. ” (Kris Miller)

Carl Helrich, the winemaker and owner of Allegro Vineyards and Winery (Brogue, York County, PA), has offered us a rare opportunity to taste older wines produced at Allegro. We will have examples of whites as well as reds, some more recent and others going back to 1982.

Those who know the winery know that they have made very special Bordeaux-style wines and Cabernet Sauvignon for many years. John and Tim Crouch gained critical acclaim for their commitment to make excellent European-styled wines. Carl and his wife, Kris Miller, bought the winery in 2000 and are continuing the tradition. They have won the coveted trophy in the PA Wine Excellence competition.

Those who attend will learn about older wines—how to approach them, how to handle them, what to expect from them. Carl will be with us as a guide and will lead us to a greater understanding of these wines. These wines are normally not presented anywhere other than private tastings.

Sign up now because seating at this tasting will be limited. If you are a true student of wine, this tasting is a must. It will be held at the Hilton Harrisburg on Thursday, February 17th at 7:00 p.m.

Event Registration Instructions