Osprey's Dominion Vineyards: Wanting (and Deserving) Much More Attention

 

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

When you think about the Long Island wineries that have pioneered alternative energy and other "green" practices, do you think of Osprey's Dominion?

If not, you should. They kicked off their wind turbine project in 2000 and converted all of their farm equipment (tractors, trucks, etc.) to biodiesel in 2004. They aren't organic in the vineyard, but 60% of their practices are according to winemaker Adam Suprenant. He refers the rest as "reduced risk" treatments.

Suprenant (pictured right) also steers clear of most additives in the winery, only using SO2, acid -- if needed -- and bentonite for fining. "If we do it right in the vineyard (the) wines are easy to make. I don't need tricks," he said when I spent some time with him recently, tasting 2010s from barrel and tank.

Most winemakers say things like that though. "Wine is made in the vineyard" after all, right?

Suprenant isn't prone to cliche. In fact, this New York-born, University of California Davis-trained winemaker tends to do things his own way, even if goes against what some consider best practices for fine wines on Long Island.

And make no mistake, though his portfolio is large and diverse, Suprenant is making some good wines -- some very good.

"Deconstructing Davis"

When Suprenant came to the region a decade ago, he was seen by some as "the Davis guy" who surely must adhere to the teachings of Davis professors in all matters. Not so, according to Suprenant "Davis is science. It's good to know, but it's also good to deconstruct Davis."

Spending nearly three hours with Suprenant, I found him to be a much more an intuitive winemaker than a scientific one. He trusts his palate, his instincts and his experience.

He has a full lab at his disposal, but admits he's used it less and less in recent years.

Making His Wines His Way

Suprenant displays an endearing level of confidence in his kills -- and is clearly not afraid to apply techniques that fly in the face of conventional or local wisdom.

In the vineyard, where hang time is important for ripening, Suprenant doesn't see the point of pushing it too far. He's far more interested in healthy, sound fruit. "The object is not to be the last one to pick. The object is ripe fruit," he said.

He doesn't want brett in his wines -- though doesn't mind a little in the wines he drinks -- so in a region were most of the best reds are bottled unfiltered, he filters all of his reds except pinot. He knows that he's probably removing some color "you should see the filter when I'm done," he said with a smile adding "But, here I am breaking the 'filtration rule' and I'm getting away with it."

He feels strongly that -- regardless of what others are doing or say -- you can filter and still make great wines.

He also believes you can machine harvest and make great wines. His Osprey's Dominion 2007 Merlot Reserve was a NYCR 2010 wine of the year finalist -- and the fruit was all harvested mechanically. 80% of the leaf pulling is done by machine too. All this mechanization is why Suprenant's wines are among the most affordable for the quality in the region.

 
No Longer a One-Man Show -- And a Private Label

 For many years, Suprenant crafted Osprey's Dominion's wines -- 10,000 to 12,000 cases annually -- by himself, without the help of an assistant.

"In 2007, I processed 200 tons of fruit myself," he said. That was the last time he'd do that. He hired an assistant in 2008 and hopes to add some more help in coming years.

With the help in place, he was able to create a private label that will be launched this spring, Coffee Pot Cellars -- named for a lighthouse just east of Greenport, using fruit purchased from top local vineyards.

Look for a post about that project soon.

As we talked about him making all that wine by himself for so many years, Suprenant half-joked that he's "making some of the best wines around... without a French consultant" a good-natured dig at local wineries who have invested heavily in such outside help.

Tasting Highlights

We tasted more than a dozen 2010 wines from tank and barrel, but there were a few standouts and noteworthy wines. Note that none of the reds have seen any new oak yet:

2010 Pinot Gris: Barrel fermented and aged sur lie, the mouthfeel is is beautiful with a rich, slightly glycerin texture balanced by fresh acidity and an interesting briny-olive note on the finish. Will go into a new wine styled after Alsatian blends.

2010 Coffee Pot Chardonnay: Made with fruit from Sam McCullough's vineyard. Barrel fermented (old barrels) with bright fresh-cut apple and tangerine flavors, citrusy acidity and a lemon-orange finish.

2010 Malbec: Blueberry, graphite and cocoa beans. Mouth-filling palate. Firm, but ripe structure. Will be central in an homage to Cahors.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon: Black currant and chocolate with hints of eucalyptus and sweet herb. Super-concentrated. Ripe and brawny.

2010 Merlot (South Block): Italian clone. Ripe, supple tannins. Ripe blackberry and very minty.

2010 Merlot (Mattituck vineyard): Davis 3 clone. Bigger, chewier tannins with dense cherry flavors. Great concentration.

Looking for Respect

When Suprenat talks about his wines and how far the winery has come, there is a tension in his words -- a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

He's intensely proud of the work he's done and the wines he's made over the past ten years. He points to the "Winery of the Year" awards, the Wine Spectator scores and the endless array of medals won at competitions, and wants to know why he, and the winery, don't get more and better attention.

He's eliminated the fruit wines from the portfolio. He only makes reserve wines in the best years. Heck, he only makes vintage-labeled wines in the years when the fruit is deserving. He seems to be doing everything right.

So what's holding the winery back? How does a winery transform itself and change how it is perceived by the public and the media? I'm not sure, but I know Adam isn't alone in asking these questions.

There is little doubt in my mind that Osprey's Dominion Vineyards deserves more time in the spotlight -- for it's practices and for its wines. Whether you care about awards and medals or not, it's undeniable that Suprenant is making some impressive wines -- particularly his Bordeaux-variety reds -- that are worth seeking out. The wind turbine and bio-diesel initiatives are an important bonus.

 

Comments

[Evan Dawson]

Great piece. I was smiling at the stark difference between Long Island and the Finger Lakes when it comes to hiring French consultants. How common, exactly, is that down there? Not that it's any sort of stigma, of course.

Flight was one of the first truly beat-the-heck-out-of-expectations Long Island red that I've had. You make a great point about the affordability of these wines, and I wonder two things:

1) Would other winemakers say that all the mechanical work has a deleterious effect? Actually, we've heard that with some frequency, haven't we?

2) Does making wine at a lower price point change expectations among buyers / critics, whether we want to admit it or not?

[Michael Gorton, Jr.]

I met Adam about a year ago, tasted through some current and future releases. I tried getting a post together, but unfortunately, time and my writing ability got the best of me. Adam if you read this sorry Bro!

I had visited Osprey's years ago as a novice wine enthusiast. I was never a fan of the fruit wine and I had a not so pleasant experience in the old, claustrophobic tasting room. Neither one of those exist any more.

Your description of Adam is exactly how I would have described him. I cam away that day wanting to spend more time with him and helping out in the cellar one day.

Osprey's defiantly deserves more attention, if not for their green practices, for their delicious red wines. Osprey's 2007 Flight and Reserve Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Long Island first Carménère were no doubt memorable.

You will see me and the family out it Osprey's Dominion this summer for sure.

[Lenn Thompson]

Evan, great questions...and the first one is maybe one I should have given more details on in the post.

As far as I know, there are two French consultants involved in LI wine, used to be a third and there is also a Hungarian consultant around.

For question #2...I would like to say definitively that it doesn't enter my own mind, but it probably does.

[AdamS]

Lenn: thanks for the kind words and the post.

Evan: to further clarify on mechanical harvesting, it is only possible to be successful with meticulous "pre-sorting" in the field before the machine picks the fruit. We do pick by hand for certain varieties like Pinot Noir, our small 1- 2 acre blocks, or if we feel that we will not be able to machine pick clean fruit because of poor harvest weather.
I think the take home message is that there is more than one way to make great wine as we see with the diverse winemaking strategies utilized by winemakers statewide. The proof is in the bottle.

[Evan Dawson]

Adam -

Cheers to that. Lots of successful methods to make wine. We see that every day.

I look forward to tasting more of your wines.

[James Houston]

Having assisted Adam for two vintages (2009/2010) while alternately working three others in Bordeaux, New Zealand, and South Africa, I know that he is as good as it gets re: winemaking intelligence. Anyone who claims to understand great Long Island wine while overlooking Osprey's to any degree is blissfully ignorant.

[GrandCruClasses]

I visited Osprey's last year with my brother's family after having not been there in several years. My level of respect went up on that visit. I didn't "disrespect" Osprey's previously, but my opinion was neutral. No more.

And now, reading this, I look forward to more regular visits to try some of these wines. I expect my opinion to continue to rise.