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Lieb Cellars‘ 2013 Reserve Pinot Blanc has been chosen as a winner of WSJwine’s respected “Annual Dozen” tasting, the latest in a string accolades for Long Island wine producers.

A panel of six judges, led by wine author Hugh Johnson, blind tastes 400-plus entries from across the U.S. and 12 winners are selected for the annual event.

“We were excited when invited to enter but figured it’d be an extreme long shot upon hearing that the judges would be tasting over 400 wines this year,” Ami Opoisso, Lieb Cellar’s general manager and a certified sommelier said in a statement. “When we received the note saying that our pinot blanc had won, we were literally jumping and screaming.”

WSJ Wine is a partnership between the world’s leading direct-to-home wine merchant and the Wall Street Journal. It is operated independently from the newspaper.

The event, which began in 2009, is held yearly to find some of the best wines in America. The dozen wines chosen will soon be available to purchase as a case at wsjwine.com.

There was no additional information available about the 2015 event on the Annual Dozen‘s website and an email to representatives was not returned.

Lieb calls its pinot blanc its “signature wine” and winemaker Russell Hearn describes it as “clean, bright and mineral-driven, with subtle citrus fruit notes.”

“We’ve known for years that we have something truly special with our pinot blanc,” Opisso said. “It’s incredible validation to know that these judges agree and a testament to the overall quality of Long Island wines. We’re no longer ‘up and coming.’ Our wines have arrived.”

Lieb’s Pinot Blanc was also mentioned in a recent Wine Spectator article listing 10 diverse wines from Long Island (paywall) where it received 89 points on a 100-point rating system.

“This firm white has density and focus, with mineral and blanched almond notes framing the core of pear and melon, supported by clean, fresh acidity. Not showy, but harmonious,” said Wine Spectator editor Thomas Matthews.

Long Island wines have been garnering increasing attention in wine world lately. Most recently, two local wines received scores of 94 in a recent issue of The Wine Advocate and Paumanok Vineyards was named Winery of the Year at the New York Wine and Food Classic.

Lieb Cellars’ 2013 Pinot Blanc Reserve is available on Lieb’s website, as well as in Lieb’s Cutchogue and Mattituck tasting rooms.

The winery will host a reception in the Cutchogue tasting room on Friday, Oct. 23, from 6 to 9 pm to celebrate the winning wine. Complementary tastes will be offered. The event is open to the public and no RSVPs are necessary.

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