LENNDEVOURS

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Rose

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

This isn't another one of those "rose is making a comeback" pieces, but dry rose is one of the under-appreciated pleasures of cool climate wine regions. The natural acidity that cool evenings and long, slow growing seasons retain is key.

In the Finger Lakes, there are more dry roses (in addition to the sweet ones) being bottled every year, but here on Long Island, dry rose has been a part of many wine programs for years.

Sometimes, they are made by blending red and white grapes, but some of my favorites are made primarily with Long Islands signature (for now, anyway) red grape -- merlot. Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Rose ($16) is one such merlot-based wine.

Co-owner Barbara Shinn, who manages the winery's vineyard, grows a specific clone of merlot specifically for the production of this wine each year.

A light cherry red in the glass, the nose is fruity and savory at the same time with red cherry and strawberry fruit aromas accented by a sprinkling of dried oregano and hints of earthy, dried leaves.

Medium-light on the palate, this well-balanced summer sipper shows bright, clean red berry flavors with a minerally, earthy edge. The mid-palate is just a little creamy and the surprisingly long finish is dry, with nice palate-cleansing acidity.

Grape(s): 75% merlot, 25% cabernet franc
Producer: Shinn Estate Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $16
Rating:  (3 out of 5 | Recommended)

(Ratings Guide

The LENNDEVOURS Tasting Table (June 21, 2009)

I've been a bit slow tasting through samples of late, but here are a few wines that I have tasted but will not receive full published reviews. All five are varietal chardonnay, and while some are well made, none was particularly interesting or inspiring.

Brooklyn Oenology 2007 Chardonnay ($17): Nose of pineapple, peach, vanilla and light citrus. 80% ML retains fresh acidity to with mango, pineapple, lemon and toasted nuts. Light oak touch and creamy vanilla on mid-palate. Decent finish. Favorite of the family members I tasted with. Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended)



Pellegrini Vineyards East End Selection 2007 Chardonnay ($15): Thought this used to be mostly steel, but significant oak on a toasty, vanilla-inflected nose with roasted apples, pear and a little raw oak. Medium body with good tree fruit up front. Vanilla and oak come and stay through the oaky, short finish. Only okay acid. Rating: (1.5 out of 5 | Not Recommended-to-Average)



Channing Daughters Winery 2007 Brick Kiln Chardonnay ($20): Ripe pear and apple aromas are gently accented by vanilla and spice notes. Nice spiced pear flavors with delicate oak and a silky, lively mouthfeel. My favorite of the tasting. Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended)




Lakewood Vineyards 2007 Chardonnay ($13): New York oak barrels used. Nose is lightly floral with distinct burnt sugar aromas with melon, pear and oak. Lively acidity and medium body but too much oak. Overwhelms the pear and melon. Caramel on the end of the medium-length finish. Rating: (2 out of 5 | Average)



Pellegrini Vineyards 2006 Chardonnay ($18): Pineapple, toasted almond and overripe pear on the nose. Fuller bodied with lush, tropical fruit with a nutty back note. Good, but not great acid. Longish finish. Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

 
 

Shinn Estate Vineyards in the New York Times

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Eric Asimov, chief wine critic for New York Times, has long been interested in Long Island wine, particularly Long Island merlot. He has previously said that Long Island makes some of the best merlot in America.

In his column this week, he writes about a recent visit to Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck, NY. It's a great piece that I think accurately depicts the winery's place in the Long Island wine world. It will come as no surprise to many of my fellow wine bloggers (the ones who came to TasteCamp anyway) that one of the wines Eric singled out for mention was the 2007 cabernet franc. He also mentions the 2007 cabernet sauvignon and the 2008 Coalesence, which I liked but didn't love.

Perhaps even more interesting was Eric's companion blog post about Long Island merlot, a grape that underwhelmed some during TasteCamp. In the post, he mentions many of the producers I'd put at the top of the heap (and there is a heap of merlot grown and made out here), but two things he said struck me as worthy of mention here:

"...the North Fork of Long Island is one of the few places in this country that merlot makes a wine of distinctive character."

It's funny, as I read and re-read this line, I came to realize that I probably can't argue for or against this statement. Obviously I enjoy many Long Island merlots, but the fact is, I drink a lot of them, and frequently, and drink very little merlot from other regions in the United States. I can say that I tend to prefer the local wines and do notice characteristics that seem uniquely Long Island, but I don't think I've tasted enough other regions to be sure. Still, Eric's comments fly in the face of what some have said.

"The history of Long Island winemaking is still far too brief to know exactly what will flourish best there. For now, the more experimentation, the better."

This just made me smile when I read it. And not because Eric Fry, the winemaker and quote machine from The Lenz Winery is quoted right after saying "I’m being very vocal that I don’t want Long Island to specialize. The market will tell us what doesn’t work. We already know that zinfandel doesn’t work. For now, let’s have diversity! It’s more fun.’’

No, I smiled because if you read through the quick interviews I did with TasteCamp attendees, particularly the responses to the question "What grape or variety, in general, impressed you the most?" you'll see a few different answers, which certainly supports the idea of diversity. Everything from merlot, to cab franc to chenin blanc to sauvignon blanc to petit verdot was called out by the bloggers. I'd probably throw malbec into the fray as well, although we didn't taste any during TasteCamp.

One grape that was NOT mentioned by bloggers or by Eric Asimov though was chardonnay. Stay tuned for more on that though. I'm working on a post that will explore that grows-anywhere grape.

Paumanok Vineyards Protecting Consumers Against Counterfeit Wines

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Today, Paumanok Vineyards and Applied DNA Sciences announced a partnership created with the goal of protecting consumers against the growing problem of counterfeit wines.

From the press release:

"Counterfeiting is a problem known to have a significant impact in the wine and spirits trade," said Applied DNA Sciences CEO James Hayward. “We are delighted to be working with Paumanok to ensure that their products continue to be enjoyed and valued by retailers and consumers.”

"Paumanok, wines are highly valued around the country due to high demand and limited availability," said Charles Massoud, Proprietor, Paumanok. "The problem of counterfeiting has become more prolific worldwide. Authenticity definitely matters and our new wines will have a unique label that can be authenticated. We are proactively doing everything we can to ensure, from vine to bottle, that the Paumanok name represents exceptional quality."

The Massoud family feels that "guaranteeing quality wines helps small wineries to be competitive in today’s market."

They've designed new labels, which include Applied DNA Sciences botanical SigNature DNA markers. These labels will initially be used for the launch of Paumanok's newly released 2008 Late Harvest Riesling, 2007 Tuthills Lane Vineyard Merlot (due out in late 2009) and 2007 Apollo Drive Vineyard Petit Verdot (due out in 2010). Apparently, SigNature DNA is a botanical mark that can be added to ink and used to authenticate products in a unique manner that essentially cannot be copied. Maybe a scientist out there can tell me a bit more about it?

I emailed with Charles this morning about this, asking him if they've had to deal any instances of counterfeit Paumanok Vineyards wines. He told me "While we have not had, to our knowledge, such an incident, there have been, as you know, many documented instances of such fraud. We have used Signature DNA on our most expensive wines for now, but eventually, because it is a non-intrusive authentication device, we would like to include it in all our labels. It is an additional measure to protect the consumer and our brand. And given that Applied DNA is another Suffolk County-based business, we liked the idea of being with them at the forefront of innovation."

Paumanok was the first local winery to convert part of their bottling to screwcap closures (others have since invested in the equipment). Maybe they'll be the first again with this technology, though I'm not sure that many local wineries consider fraud a problem.

They probably wish there wines were in enough demand that that were the case.

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2005 Nine Barrel Merlot

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

As you've read here and elsewhere, to tell the story of the 2005 vintage is really to tell two separate tales -- one before the October deluge and one after.

That deluge lasted eight days and dumped as many as 20 inches of rain on some vineyards. Some wineries weren't willing to risk waiting, harvesting their reds before the rains hit. One even stopped picking chardonnay, leaving it to the elements, to pick reds. 

The before-or-after decision wasn't a simple one, nor was it one-dimensional. If you waited until after the rains, how long did you wait? How much of your crop was rendered useless due to berry splitting?

2005 could have been a banner year, but it ended up being an inconsistent one from producer to producer.

The merlot (85%), petit verdot, cabernet franc and malbec that went into this Shinn Estate Vineyards Nine Barrels Merlot ($43) after the rains, and they clearly made good decisions along the way.

The nose is expressive, showing rich, intense blackberry and blueberry fruit with Thai basil, violet and subtle toasty vanilla accents. 

On the medium-bodied palate, the fruit is ripe, but restrained, with dark fruit flavors (blackberry, blueberry and a little plum) with more Thai basi/anise character along with sweet, minty herbs. The finish is medium-long with blueberries and a lightly earthy note at the very end.

Ripe, well-incorporated tannins of medium intensity make this wine approachable today, but short-term (3-5 years) development is easy to predict.

Only 225 cases were made (9 French oal barrels, 4 of which were new).

NOTE: David Page, co-owner of Shinn Estate Vineyards has announced (via Twitter) that anyone mentioning this LENNDEVOURS review gets a 20% discount on purchases of this wine.

Producer: Shinn Estate Vineyards
Price: $43*
ABV: 12.8%
Rating: (3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)

(Ratings Guide)

Notes on Ravines and Wolffer at I Drink NY Astor Place Event

By Sasha Smith, New York City Correspondent
Photo by Sasha Smith

A few weeks ago I attended the first annual Winebow "I Drink New York" event at Astor Wines featuring Ravines Wine Cellars, Wolffer Estate Vineyards and Millbrook Vineyards. I focused on Ravines, which I knew little about (aside from the fact that Lenn's a fan) and Wolffer.

A brief dispatch:

A good wine is like a good thriller: it should hold your attention throughout and finish with a surprise. The Ravines Wine Cellars 2007 Dry Riesling fulfilled both criteria. The wine has a mineral and citrus fruit purity that’s really compelling, and instead of falling off a bit on the back palate and the finish (something that I’ve noticed often in lesser-quality New York rieslings), it retains this intensity throughout.

The Ravines Wine Cellars 2006 Keuka Village White, made from Cayuga White and Vignoles, is the best hybrid I’ve ever had. Granted, I don’t drink them very much and even really good hybrid wines leave me a little cold, but this one was simple (in a good way), clean, and refreshing. A picnic wine if there ever were one.

I wasn’t a big fan of the pinot noir. A little too green for my taste, and with none of the silkiness that makes Pinot Noir what it is.

The Ravines Wine Cellars 2006 Cabernet Franc had vibrant red fruit and hit an earthy, mushroomy note that I loved. Winemaker Morten Hallgren told me that they pick cab franc as late as November. Whether or not you like this very cool climate style of wine, you have to respect that kind of patience and fortitude.

Morten and his wife Lisa (pictured here) could not have been kinder, or better ambassadors for their wine.

I also had the opportunity to meet Roman Roth, probably the closest thing Long Island has to a celebrity winemaker. Given his reputation, I was expecting him to be a bit stand-offish, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

We chatted about a sparkling rosé they’ll release in time for the holidays this year and he let me linger over a glass of their Wolffer Estate 2007 Late Harvest Chardonnay. With ripe apricot, peach and honey flavors, the wine has a finish that seems to last forever –- or, as Roman quaintly put it, one would need the neck of a giraffe to fully savor it.

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Coalescence

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Merriam-Webster Online defines the word coalescence:

• "to unite into a whole" or
  
• "to arise from the combination of distinct elements."

Given that, the folks at Shinn Estate Vineyards have chosen an unique, apt name for this blend of 54% chardonnay 23% sauvignon blanc 13% viognier 10% merlot, Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Coalescence ($14 at the tasting room).

The four wines were vinified separately, and then came together, or "coalesced" into one wine.

That 10% merlot, which was actually merlot blanc, gives this "white wine" a mere suggestion of pink.

This bottle showed a little stinky sulphur when first opened, but that quickly dissipated with zesty citrus, melon, white cherry and subtle her aromas emerging.

Medium-light in body, the flavors very closely match the nose, maybe with a bit more melon and the addition of a lightly floral note. The acidity is fresh and citrusy. The finish crisp, inviting another sip, but pretty short.

For $14 (and you can probably find it for $12 at some local shops), it's a nice value for every day drinking or if you want to serve local wine at your next summer party.

Producer: Shinn Estate Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long ISland
ABV: 12.8%
Price: $14*
Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

(Ratings Guide)

Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Mudd Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

I've said it a million times and I'll say it again -- there is little doubt that sauvignon blanc is the white-wine future of Long Island. And, year after year, a unique regional is emerging -- one with bright citrus fruit, accented by herbs that are less overwhelming than wines from New Zealand, and minerality that is less intense perhaps than Sancerre. And, unlike sauvignon from the left coast, the wines are focused and well balanced by refreshing acidity.

These are generalizations, of course, but it's an emerging style and I'm just trying to position it within other generalized styles from other regions.

Chris Tracy, winemaker at Channing Daughters Winery, does beautiful things with white wines, so it comes as no surprise that he's leading the pack in the develpoment of that signature style for Long Island sauvignon blanc.

He makes two versions, including this Channing Daughters Winery 2008 Mudd Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($20), which is almost entirely sauvignon blanc with 3% Musque clone chardonnay blended in. All of the fruit was grown in Steve Mudd's vineyard on the North Fork of Long Island.

Bottled in late February, it's a pale straw yellow and shows clean aromas of grapefruit, lemon, honedew, citrus blossom and the sea.

The medium-bodied palate is very lively with acidity and shows focused citrus and melon flavors up front that become minerally and herbal as you taste and swallow each sip. I don't each much seafood, but it's hard to imagine a better wine to enjoy with local shellfish this summer. Or, and this is something I do eat, fresh goat cheese.

Grape(s): 97% sauvignon blanc, 3% chardonnay
Producer: Channing Daughters Winery
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 12%
Price: $20
Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended) 
(Ratings Guide)

Anthony Nappa Wines 2008 Anomaly

By Lenn Thompson, Publisher and Editor

When Anthony Nappa, winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards, interviewed for the job, he had two questions of his own for the owners, could he bring his dog to work, and could he make his own wine?

I've seen his dog at the winery myself and with the release of Anthony Nappa Wines 2008 Anomaly ($18), the second question is answered as well. His second wine, the Anthony Nappa Wines 2008 Nemesis, will be released this weeked. Both are available at Shinn's tasting room and both wines are 100% pinot noir sourced on the North Fork. The Anomaly is a white wine, while Nemesis is a more traditional pinot.

Why would he put himself through the pain of making pinot noir on Long Island, a cool, humid region? It's simple: "Part of the reason is because I love pinot, and part of the reason is because everyone says pinot cannot be done well on Long Island. I know it can, and I enjoy the challenge of working with such a hard grape," he says.

And when I asked him why he decided to make a white pinot, he told me that "making a white wine out of pinot gives me a pure expression of Long Island pinot noir, brought down to its basics, and allows me to better understand the nuances of the variety grown here." Of course, he knows that it's a little off the beaten path, it's called Anomaly after all.

After tasting this wine for myself, I can say that I've found a Nappa wine I can recommend. Notice the second "p" in Nappa.

As with all the wines made at Shinn Estate, all of the fruit was hand harvested and sorted in the field. Then, it was de-stemmed but not crushed, and hand sorted on a sorting table. The fruit was then processed by gravity, to the press, where it was very gently pressed to minimize color extraction, like a Champagne. The wine was fermented cold, slow and aged without oak or malolactic fermentation

It is also worth noting that Anthony doesn't use enzymes or tannins in his winemaking. He only uses a little bit of sulfur and "Some are inoculated with yeast, and some are wild fermented, but none of the wines get DAP, only certified organic yeast nutrients if they need them."

I didn't get a very good picture of the wine, but its nearly colorless with only the faintest suggestion of pink. Unless you're looking for it, you may not even see it.

You're reminded that this is pinot noir once its aromas greet your nose, however. Delicate aromas of wweet red cherry, strawberry and strawberry hull are accented with a light note of sweet herb way in the back that became more apparent as the wine warmed to room temperature.

On the palate, it is mouth-filling, with a beautiful silky texture (this is pinot, remember?) that delivery clean, bright red fruit flavors, framed by good acid backbone.

Producer: Anthony Nappa Wines
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $18*
Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended) 

(Ratings Guide)

Long Island Wines at the U.S. Open 2009

Yesterday, Newsday reported that Long Island wines will be served at this year's U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park. Specifically, Bridge Vineyards wines will be served by the USGA caterers.

This is obviously a great deal for Bridge, which operates a vineyard on the North Fork and sells its wines both at the co-op The Tasting Room in Peconic and at it's own facility in Brooklyn. But wouldn't it be great if this arrangement included more than one Long Island winery so that attendees could taste a wide array of local wines during the tournament?

In addition to Bridge Vineyards' wines, local strawberries, lettuce and herbs will be used during the tournament.

Kudos to Senator Charles Schumer, the Long Island Wine Council and the Long Island Farm Bureau for making this happen. It'd be great to see the USGA adopt this model for all of its tournaments.

Sneaking NY Wines Into the Lineup

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent

Few things put a hop in my step like a tasting of cabernet franc from around the world. Before heading out to Wine Sense, an excellent wine shop on Rochester's Park Avenue, I noticed that the tentative tasting list did not include any New York cab franc. The shop's owner, Kristin Vanden Brul, is a strong supporter of New York wines, and I called to ask if I could bring a bottle to taste blind. She happily agreed; it's rather common at Kristin's tastings for enthuastic guests to bring a bagged bottle from their cellar. I did not tell her the bottle was from the Finger Lakes.

"You're sticking your neck out," my wife, Morgan, observed, noting that there was no guarantee that the dozen other guests would enjoy a New York cab franc.

When we arrived we saw that the tasting list had been updated to include a cab franc from Long Island: the Pellegrini Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc. Before we began, one of the guests told Kristin that he had never had a Finger Lakes cab franc, and he wondered if she could add one to the list. She replied that the Damiani Wine Cellars 2007 Cabernet Franc was a late addition to the menu as well -- an excellent choice. And then there would be my bagged wine. I was deeply curious to see how the NY wines would show.

The ebullient and ubiquitous Holly Howell led the tasting, and she soon found that the group was comprised of cab franc lovers. We began with a pair of slightly disappointing Chinons (both from 2007, and I admit that I don't know what that vintage was like). But a spicy, herbal Amirault Bourgueil raised the game considerably.

Next stop was Long Island. We were excited; most guests had either never had a New York state red wine or had not had one in many years. "I gave up on New York state almost 20 years ago," one man said. His tune was about to change.

The Pellegrini garnered quite a few raised eyebrows. Nicely structured and varietally on point, the only uniform complaint came from the finishing kick of vanilla. "I'm glad the oak didn't swamp it the whole way, but that's a lot of toast to finish," said the very sharp cab franc afficianado to my right. Disappointing finish aside, the wine showed depth and a nice balance of classic cab franc traits. It had me privately wishing we could have flown in a barrel sample of the Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007, which is earning gonzo reviews.

The cab franc tour then barnstormed through the regions that are turning out a wine that I would never associate with cab franc. Fig newtons and Raisinets are fine, but I hardly think of brown fruit when I think of cab franc. And yet the $47 Vignamaggio 2003 from Tuscany was massive and raisiny; the $45 Benegas 2003 from Argentina was rich with fig and vanilla, and the $47 Viader Dare 2004 from Napa was a bomb (though I confess I very much liked the leaner 2003 version of the same wine, a bonus that Kristin brought from her cellar).

By the time we arrived back in New York state, the Cab Franc lovers were ready for something more recognizable. Many were surprised to find it in the Finger Lakes, in the form of a ripe, spicy 2007 Damiani. The tasters loved the "good green" notes that were balanced by juicy dark fruits.

"After the Pellegrini and Damiani, what do you think of New York state now?" I asked the table's Doubting Thomas.

"I'm impressed," he said, smiling. "We've come a long way. I'll need to plan a few visits."

Not even Kristin and Holly knew what wine was in the brown bag being passed around for the final taste. Kristin had asked one of her staff to open it; she didn't want to know. She does an outstanding job of discerning a wine's origin, so I was curious to see what she would say. I only announced that I am afflicted with a deep love of cab franc, so I wanted to bring a bottle that is special to me for this tasting.

As the group studied the wine in the glass -- dark but not black -- I began to catalog their comments:

"Best nose of the night."

"A lot there. Smells like an herb garden."

"Well, we can rule out California!"

As they sipped and swished, they began to narrow the search. "Gotta be French," said Doubting Thomas. "I don't know about that," said the astute taster to my right. "I think it could be New York based on the wines we've had tonight. A very good New York."

"That would be neat," the man said, "but this is not a New York wine."

The group decision, led by Kristin, was that this was a "Loire from a ripe vintage." They were shocked to see that it was a Ravines Wines Cellars 2005 Meritage. Now, I cheated a bit, as this was not a pure cab franc (nor was the Pellegrini). But the blend was nearly 2/3 Cab Franc that year, with cab sauvignon and merlot finishing it off. And to me, it was a gorgeous showing of what a Finger Lakes blend, led by cab franc, can be.

2005 was a wonderfully balanced year, and the results were exciting. The tasters at Wine Sense agreed that this particular wine still had plenty of years left and was as complex and enjoyable as any they've had from New York state.

In the wake of Taste Camp East, it's fascinating to see where New York wines will take Cab Franc. It does not sell particularly well in the Finger Lakes and there was a glut of fruit last year that had trouble finding a buyer. In many parts of the Finger Lakes it is still over-cropped and thin -- perhaps frustrated growers will finally gear back the tons per acre. On Long Island it is not nearly as widely planted as other varieties. But when wine lovers get a taste of the strong vintages of NY Cab Franc (and trust me, I would not have brought 2006 to this group), the old ideas tend to fade away like the Labrusca vines that once dominated our land.

Roanoke Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc

Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

There's been a lot of TasteCamp content this week (for obvious reasons) so let's get back to some of the actual wines being made in New York. Not that this wine doesn't have a TasteCamp connection -- we tasted this Roanoke Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc ($32) on our visit to Roanoke Vineyards Saturday morning.

As you've probably read elsewhere, 2006 wasn't a great vintage for reds on Long Island. It was cooler growing season and was marked by a lot of overcast days and higher-than-average rainfall. Still, even in down years, the best producers put out quality wines, like this one.

The nose on this ruby-brick red shows sweet red fruit aromas -- cranberry and red cherry -- with vanilla, a bit too much oak, toasted nuts, tobacco leaf and hints of anise.

The medium-bodied palate is a little earthier than the nose, with the leafy, oaky notes more pronounced and fruit a bit subdued on the forepalate. The sweet vanilla cran-cherry flavors come back on the mid-palate and contnue through a medium-long finish, where they are joined by dusty earthy and cocoa powder flavors. The tannins are relatively light, but food-friendly acidity brings structure.

There might be a bit too much oak here for the fruit, but it's not over the top.

Grape(s): 87.5% cabernet franc, 6.25% cabernet sauvignon, 6.25% merlot
Producer: Roanoke Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 13.2%
Price: $32
Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended) 
(Ratings Guide)

The State of Long Island Wine

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

As expected, TasteCamp EAST 2009 has initiated a flurry of blog posts by some of the best and brightest in the wine blogging world. I've enjoyed reading through all of the posts and commenting on many of them. I'd encourage you to do the same -- especially if you are one of the wineries that poured for the group last weekend.

One thing that has become clear is that I was blind to one pitfall as I put together the TasteCamp format -- it sent attendees away with only a snapshot of Long Island wine today, literally, a taste of what is going on here.

Joe Roberts' post over at 1WineDude and Lyle Fass's post at Rockss and Fruit have written some interesting posts. These are two of my favorite bloggers and I was thrilled that they were able to attend. What they say in their posts certainly has merit. They are interesting perspectives and I've said some of it myself both here on LENNDEVOURS and elsewhere.

That said, I think some of the absolutes they discuss might be a bit over-the-top.

Let's break this up into two primary points -- pricing and merlot vs. cabernet franc.

Taking them in reverse order, the argument for Long Island cabernet franc isn't a new one. Many have made it, and I've written about it several times, including this post almost 4 years ago to the day. I love Long Island cabernet franc. I'm a card-carrying member of the Franc Fanatics (a club I just made up 30 seconds ago). And, many of my favorite Long Island wines are cabernet franc or cabernet franc-dominated blends.

I wish it were true, but Joe's contention that (on Long Island) "Cabernet Francs will likely offer more consistent quality year-on-year" is off base. But once I thought about it for a few minutes, it's easy to understand why he'd think that.

This is where the timing of TasteCamp comes into play. These bloggers were not only here for a weekend, a weekend when 2005 cabernet francs were available in bottle and 2007s tasted from barrel. TasteCamp attendees tasted some of the best cabernet franc ever to come out of Long Island.

I'm making generalizations of course, but if they had tasted 2003s or 2006s, they may have come away with different feelings about the consistency of Long Island cabernet franc. As any winemaker or vineyard manager can tell you, Long Island cabernet franc can be a mess in lesser years. They can be overly green, thin and show little of the potential and intensity that these 05s and 07s exhibit.

Merlot, on the other hand, makes acceptable-to-good wines even in the worst of years. That is one reason that a lot of people here push merlot. They ability to ripen it well consistently. It is also the most-planted variety on Long Island. Don't let anyone tell you that isn't a driver as well.

Shifting gears and discussing pricing -- as the organizer of TasteCamp, I should have made sure that attendees got to taste a wide array of wines, instead of each winery's high-end wines. 

Our experience at Wolffer Estate on Sunday is a perfect example. Winemaker Roman Roth poured a three-vintage flight of his $100 Premier Cru, his own $50 Grapes of Roth 2002 Merlot, and two dessert wines priced at $37 and $85. Looking back, I probably should have asked him to pour some of his reserve merlot, which is around $20 and maybe his $15 rose. Would the impressions left be different, with regard to price, if Shinn Estate had poured it's $15 "Red", $23 Estate Merlot and $15 white blend? Or if Bedell Cellars had poured its $25 merlot? Maybe.

Both of those points -- varieties and prices -- are still open for debate, but for anyone who has only been to Long Island for a weekend (or even writing about them for 5 years like me) to suggest that Long Island wineries are doing anything "wrong" out here might be a bit presumptuous. I think so anyway.

The Long Island wine industry learns something new every day.

One of the things that some people are finally coming around to is the potential of sauvignon blanc here. We tasted several good renditions over the weekend from a variety of wineries. But for now, there is a lot of chardonnay planted. It's the second most-planted grape here, after merlot. If there were endless amounts of money around, my guess is that at least a handful of producers would rip out some of their chardonnay and plant sauvignon blanc. I think the future of Long Island whites resides in sauvignon blanc, but there just isn't that much fruit available. I know of at least 3 people who wanted to make a sauv blanc in 2008 but were unable to buy fruit.

Again though, they are still learning and will continue to learn. Long Island's wine industry was founded in 1973, fewer than 40 years ago! In the early days, there was a lot of American oak, completely different vineyard practices and varieties like zinfandel being grown. Through research at Cornell and experimentation both in the vineyard and in the winery, wineries understand what is possible here now more than ever. They aren't trying to grow zinfandel anymore and American oak is the exception, not the rule, these days. They have learned and continue to learn.

I've learned something here too about the TasteCamp format. Next year, I'll make sure that wineries pour a better representation of their portfolio. And, I hope that attendees will remember that two and a half days in a region doesn't make you an expert. 5 years with a blog focusing on the region doesn't make one an expert either, by the way.

At the end of the day, I think that these exchanges can help push Long Island wine country forward. That's the power of blogs. Where else would these discussions be possible?

TasteCamp 2009: An Interview with Rob Bralow

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

All told, we had 30 bloggers and spouses/friends take part in this debut edition of TasteCamp EAST, each with different backgrounds, tastes and impressions of Long Island's wineries, people and wines.

Over the course of the next several weeks, in addition to my own posts about the weekend, I'll be asking some of the attendees for their honest impressions and experiences with Long Island wines both before and after TasteCamp.

We'll kick things off with Rob Bralow from the Wine Post blog, out of Manhattan.

Rob has been in the wine business for the last three years, working for multiple country image campaigns, including Wines of Chile, Wines of Germany and Wines of Israel. Rob's first experiences with wine stem from his parents, both of which had a great enthusiasm for making wine part of daily life. In addition to the work he does, Rob also has taken several wine courses and uses his blog to expand his wine education.

Was this your first time to Long Island wine country?
It was my first time in Long Island wine country, although I had been to Long Island a few times before. My mother originally grew up on Long Island.

Had you ever had any Long Island wines before? And if so, what was your impression of them?

I tasted a few, but not nearly enough to have an opinion of them. Really the only ones I tasted regularly were the Schneider Vineyards wines, and that only because I knew and worked with the winemaker, Bruce Schneider.

 

After tasting a representative sample of the wines being produced on Long Island, what is your impression now?

Good. There is no question that great wine comes out of Long Island, however as a whole I think the region still has plenty of room for improvement.

 

What grape or variety, in general, impressed you the most?

Cabernet franc, no question. I think that grape has a lot of potential, and there were plenty of great examples of the wine and some really cool nearly-sustainable practices (they're working on it) that I thought made the wines not only unique, but very tasty.

 

What grape or variety, in general, underwhelmed you the most?

I was not so excited about the merlot I tasted. I think the Long Island Merlot Alliance has some great stuff going for them, but overall there was too much hype about the merlot that never really impressed me, especially for the price.

Was there a winery or tour stop that stands out in your mind as the "best"?

All were beautiful, but the one that stuck out to me was Lenz Winery. The winemaker there (Eric Fry) is quite possibly certifiably crazy, but his wines are so pure and so delicious that I can only applaud his work ethic. If I had the same zeal about tasting wine as he does about making it, I would have tasted every wine in the world by July, just in time for me to start tasting them all again.

 

If you had to pick one, what would your wine of the weekend be?

There were so many great wines during the weekend. I think my choice is going to surprise a few people when they read it, but I loved the Channing Daughters Tocai Friulano 2007. It was so fresh and aromatic and such a wonderful change from what I had tasted before. Clearly the winemaker there is not afraid to experiment and not afraid to go with his gut instinct of making the best wine the region can grow.

New York Cork Club: April Selections

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Obviously I'm a bit behind with this post, given that we're well into May now, but I wanted to write a quick post about the wines I chose for April's shipment of the New York Cork Club. Both were a little difficult to get our hands on, so I'm extra proud of the choices.

First is Keuka Lake Vineyards 2007 Reserve Vignoles ($19), just the kind of wine that you're not going to get in any other wine club. First, Vignoles is hybrid grape. Unfortunately, most wine 'experts' ignore hybrids. Second, it's a (almost) dry rendition (most of the Vignoles with any sort of pedigree is used in dessert and ice-style wines).

It pours a pale yellow and the nose is rich and fruity with intense ripe (almost over-ripe) pear aromas mingling with those of musk melon and peach skin. A faint, distant note of gravelly minerals never really stepped forward, but really added to the complexity.

Medium-to-full bodied, the palate is similarly ripe and intense. The musk melon flavors come first, with the pear flavors emerging more on the mid-palate. The naturally bright acidity of Vignoles is there every step of the way, from the attack all the way through to a long, peachy finish that ends with a flavor that reminds me of the way my parents old gravel driveway smelled after a summer rain storm.

This is a wine that I'd love to pour for anybody who scoffs at the ability of crosses and hybrids to make delicious, balanced wines. And this was the LAST CASE available at the winery. It was hand delivered to the Brooklyn store a couple weeks ago by the winery's owner.

Our second wine is one that we actually received before it was even released, Raphael 2008 Naturale ($20), a blend of 60% chardonnay, 30% sauvignon blanc and 10% semillon. It's named Naturale because it's winemaker Rich Olsen-Harbich's forray into natural winemaking. It was made with wild yeasts, without fining or filtering, and only a touch of SO2 at bottling. It even has a bit of residual C02 in it that tickles the nose and tingles the tongue. That slight frizzante is a remnant of fermenation and Rich think it will disipate within a couple months. 

The nose, especially once the froth subsides and the wine warms to cellar temperature, is complex and intricate with aromas of ripe Gala apples, apple blossom, roasted nuts, sweet herbs, lemon zest and toasty yeast.

Medium bodied, it's much more citrusy on the palate, with the apple taking a step back, and basil-like herbs, nuts and a subtle minerally note. This wine is impeccably balanced -- creamy on the mid-palate yet featuring lively acidity. The oak (20% was fermented in new oak, the rest in stainless) accents rather than dominates. And, the finish is long with a little yeasty-leesy spiciness.

TasteCamp EAST 2009 in Pictures

Winemaker Kareem Massoud pouring barrel samples of 2007 reds for TasteCamp attendees.

By Lenn Thompson, Publisher and Editor

TasteCamp 2009 wrapped up yesterday afternoon and I have to admit, I'm exhausted. It was truly a whirlwind, non-stop tour of Long Island wine country over the course of two days.

There will obviously be a deluge of blogs posts, both here on LENNDEVOURS and on attendee blogs, but to give you a taste of the weekend via a handful of photos. You can enlarge any of these by clicking on them.

We started the second day of TasteCamp EAST 2009 with a tasting of six red wines from Roanoke Vineyards. My surprising favorite? The unreleased 2007 Marco Tulio, a low-oak blend of cab sauv and cab franc.

Our second stop of the morning was at Paumanok Vineyards, where we tasted through much of their current portfolio and also had an opportunity to taste some 2007 barrel samples. Several wines impressed, but I went home with a couple bottles of the soon-to-be-released 2008 Chenin Blanc.

Shinn Estate hosted us for an amazing lunch featuring a few of their own wines as well as some from Jamesport Vineyards and Macari Vineyards. The sauvignon blancs from each of the three wineries were all delicious with the fresh, clean fare, but the wine of the tour stop was a barrel sample of Shinn's 2007 Cabernet Franc. It would not be hyperbole to say that it could be a new benchmark for Long Island franc.

Shinn also hosted a post-lunch tasteing coordinated by the Long Island Wine Council where we were able to taste a wide array of Long Island wines. I didn't get to taste as many of them, but the roses from Croteaux Vineyards and the white merlot from Lieb Family Cellars were memorable.

Next, we headed over to Bedell Cellars to taste with founding winemaker Kip Bedell. I always like their gewurztraminer.

Our last stop of day 2 was at The Lenz Winery where we were hosted by winemaker Eric Fry. Eric is always great to taste with and we tasted a lot of barrel/tank samples of wines followed by the current releases of each. His 2007 reds are going to be amazing when they are released in a few years.

On day 3 of TasteCamp, a smaller group (the long day tasting on Saturday took its toll on some) invaded the Hamptons to visit two of Long Island's best, starting with Wolffer Estate, where we tasted some of the regions luxury wines with winemaker Roman Roth. It's not every day that you get to taste three vintages of Long Island's most expensive wine, Roman's own 2002 merlot, and a succulent botrysized dessert wine.

Our final stop for the weekend was a visit to Channing Daughters Winery, where we tasted with winemaker Chris Tracy. I think that those in attendance found this a very refreshing stop -- both because the focus is on white wines and because Chris talked more about similarities to Friuli, Austria and the Loire Valley than Bordeaux, which we heard several times during the weekend. The soon-to-be-released 2008 Sauvignon Blanc was a great start to a lineup that impressed start to finish.

Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard 2008 Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Well folks, it would appear that my first official review of a 2008 Finger Lakes riesling is of a wine made and bottled by a Long Island winery.

Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, located in (you guessed it) Baiting Hollow, NY is the first tasting room you come across as you head east on South Avenue/Route 48 and they are often swamped with people on weekend and during the pumpkin-picking season.

Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard and its wines reside somewhere in the middle of Long Island wine. Their wines are often good, not great, and none of them retails for more than $21. In an industry with sweet, magnum-bottled blends of dubious origin on one end and $125 merlot on the other, Baiting Hollow is perfectly middle class.

This riesling fits that model a bit too.

They are planting their own riesling vines this spring, but as I mentioned earlier, this wine was made from grapes grown in the Finger Lakes.

I really like the nose on this riesling. It shows nice green apple and just-ripe peach aromas with a little spicy-floral note in the background.

With 2% residual sugar, it's clearly made in the popular "off-dry" style. The flavors are fruity -- apple, peach and a little melon -- but it really lacks the acidity needed to bring balance, especially on the finish where a little citrus peeks through.

This is the kind of riesling that will probably fly off the shelf in their tasting room, but I prefer my riesling a bit more racy.

Producer: Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard
AVA: New York
ABV: 12%
Price: $18
Rating:    (2 out of 5 | Average)

(Ratings Guide)

Run for the Rosés During May in Long Island Wine Country

May is riesling month in the Finger Lakes, but it's rosé season in Long Island wine country.

Throughout the month of May, participating Long Island wineries will be featuring newly released rosés in a benefit for the American Cancer Society. Wineries will be offering special rosé tastings, many paired with food prepared by local chefs or accompanied by live music. One dollar from the sale of all rosés during the month will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

To see what each participating winery has planned, check out the list over at the Long Island Wine Council website. It looks like many, but not all, of my favorite local rosé producers are taking part.

Drink pink -- not just because it tastes good, but because it is also for a good cause.

Macari Vineyards 2008 "Katherine's Field" Sauvignon Blanc

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

When it comes to Long Island sauvignon blanc, there is a small group of wineries that can be counted on to deliver consisten quality. Macari Vineyards is one of those wineries and puts out one of the region's best sauvignons.

This is a wine that I look forward to every spring (when its released) and drink plenty of all summer long, even if I don't eat all of the great local shellfish that this wine is seemingly destined to be enjoyed with.

Most of the grapes than went into Macari Vineyards 2008 "Katherine's Field" Sauvignon Blanc ($22) come from their Block K (Katherine's Field), which is the part of their vineyard closest to the Long Island Sound between 100 and 150 feet above sea level.

Farmed to 2.5 tons per acre, the fruit was hand harvested, steel fermented and malolactic fermentation was strictly avoided.

This year's wine is far lighter in color that previous vintages. The green-yellow is so light that the wine is nearly colorless. The nose is nicly citrusy and grassy with hints of basil and gooseberries.

On the palate, it's a bit more delicate than past years, but it shows tremendous balance between citrusy fruit flavors, savory herb and grass notes, and snappy, lively acidity. The finish is lengthy with persistent saline minerality that the best Long Island sauvignon often has.

Grape(s): 100% sauvignon blanc
Producer: Macari Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 13%
Price: $22
Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended) 
(Ratings Guide)

Osprey's Dominion Vineyards 2007 Sauvignon Blanc

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

A quick review of a very affordable local sauvignon blanc this Monday morning.

I really liked the 2006 edition of this wine for it's light, easy-drinking style and price. Well, Osprey's Dominion Vineyards' 2007 Sauvignon Blanc ($13) keeps the price down in the "daily drinking" zone and, despite the vastly different growing 2007 growing season, brings very similar aromas and flavors to the table.

Even with the ripe growing season, this isn't a big aggressive sauvignon. Intead, light lemon and grapefruit aromas mingle with golden delicious apple and subtle herbs on a medium-intense nose.

Medium bodied with fresh acidity, the flavors are fairly simple -- grapefruit, lemon and kiwi -- with just a little herbaceousness. The finish is medium-length with a little minearlity.

Grape(s): 100% sauvignon blanc
Producer: Osprey's Dominion Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $13
Rating:  (3 out of 5 | Recommended)

(Ratings Guide)

Osprey's Dominion Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Of the 40 or so producers on Long Island, only a handful make pinot noir, and of that handful and even smaller group does it well. Osprey's Dominion Vineyards made one of the best in the 2005 vintage, one of the better vintages in the relatively brief history of Long Island wine.

Winemaker Adam Suprenant didn't bother making it 2006 and with good reason, it wasn't a great year for reds.

But Osprey's varietal pinot noir made a return with the warm, dry 2007 growing season.

That ripeness certainly isn't hidden at all. This Osprey's Dominion Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir ($40) is a medium-dark garnet and has intense dark fruit aromas of black cherry, pomegranate and cranberry, subtle notes of lavender and whisps of smokey, toasty oak.

The palate shows a deep core of rich black cherry, a little bit of that smoke from the nose, vanilla and cinnamon spice. Fine-grained but still grippy tannins and okay acid combine to bring structure. The finish is medium-long but there's a little raw oak on the end.

Right now, I think the oak is a little too noticeable, but this is still a young wine so that rawness will probably fade. Once it does, this wine could rival that beautiful 2005.

Grape(s): Pinot Noir
Producer: Osprey's Dominion Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Rating: (3 out of 5 | Recommended) 
(Ratings Guide)

Martha Clara Vineyards' Juan E. Micieli-Martinez is the Juan-Maker

Slowly but surely, Long Island wineries are getting into social media. There still aren't any blogs worth noting, but Juan E. Micieli-Martinez, the winemaker at Martha Clara Vineyards has launched a new YouTube video series, Juan-Maker. It's not the most educational video in the world, but its entertaining.

Juan has already been good for MCV's wines, so anything he can do beyond that is really just a bonus. I'm curious to see where he takes Juan-Maker.

Brooklyn Uncorked 2009: May 13 @ BAMcafe, Brooklyn

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Over the last couple years, Brooklyn Uncorked has become the premier Long Island wine tasting event. There are very few opportunities to taste so many Long Island wines in one place.

This year, the list of Long Island wineries pouring includes Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, Bedell Cellars/Corey Creek Vineyards, Bouké, Bridge Vineyards, Brooklyn Oeneology, Castello di Borghese, Channing Daughters Winery, Clovis Point, Diliberto Winery, Grapes of Roth, Harbes Farm and Vineyards, Lieb Cellars, Long Island Merlot Alliance, Macari Vineyards, The Old Field, Osprey's Dominion Vineyards, Palmer Vineyards, Raphael, Roanoke Vineyards, Sherwood House Vineyards, Shinn Estate Vineyards, Sparkling Pointe, Waters Crest Winery and Wölffer Estate.

And this year's food and other beverages will be provided by vendors and restaurants like Amy's Cookies, Bodum, Buttermilk Channel, DiPalo's, Fizzy Lizzy, Get Fresh, iCi, North Fork Potato Chips, NuNu Chocolates, Palo Santo, Plowshares Coffee, Rick's Picks, SerendipiTea, Stonehome Wine Bar, The Farm on Adderley, The Smoke Joint, Vere Chocolate, Wine Cellar Sorbets

Reidel will provide glassware. Collaborating wine shops include Slope Cellars, Blanc & Rouge Wine, Heights Chateau, Red, White, and Bubbly, Picada y Vino, and SIP Non-Profits partners include: City Harvest, Slow Food USA, and Brooklyn Food Plan

I'll be attending again this year (it's a lot of fun). So, come sample the bounty that lurks in your own backyard. Brooklyn Uncorked runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Members of the public can sample during the 4-hour event for $40.

Half price tickets are available for those who purchase a subscription to Edible Brooklyn. Visit www.brownpapertickets.com or www.ediblebrooklyn.net for tickets.

Pindar Vineyards 2007 Peacock Chardonnay

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

Because I have to taste several Kosher wines for WBW #56 tomorrow, today's review is going to be a quick one for a simple, but solid Pindar Vineyards 2007 Peacock Chardonnay ($11).

This chardonnay was ermented in stainless steel and with an unknown amount of oak aging (the website doesn't say), this wine is very fruity on the nose with pineapple and pear aromas backed by hints vanilla and even some citrus blossom.

As I said, simple, but solidly made, the palate is medium-bodied with more pear-pineapple flavors, a bit more vanilla and just a sprinkle of toasty oak in the background. Good, but not great acidity, brings balance and there is an interesting grapefruit note on the average finish.

The tropical, fruity character reminds me a bit of some Aussie chards I've tasted, but there's better acidity here. It's a good example of the kind of wine I'd expect to get if I were to order a "glass of chardonnay" at a bar. Not that I would... but if I did, I'd be happy with this.

It's not distinctive, but for $11, it delivers good fruit and enough acidity.

Producer: Pindar Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long ISland
ABV: 12.8%
Price: $11
Rating:  (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)

Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Himmel

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher

They don't always get a lot of attention, but there are quite a few late harvest and ice-style wines being made on Long Island. I say "ice-style" because the local versions of those wines are typically harvested long before they freeze on the vine, frozen in commercial freezers and pressed from there.

This wine, Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Himmel ($31) is one of those commercially frozen wines, made with 60% riesling and 40% Gewurztraminer from the producer's own vines.

What works about the best local dessert wines is acidity to balance out all of that sugar. We can thank cool evenings, even in the height of summer, for the kind of slow ripening that leads to balanced wines.

Except 2007 was warmer than most -- great for reds and some whites -- but that ripeness (and lack of acidity) is apparent in this wine.

Medium-gold in the glass, the enticing nose blends honey with dried apricot, peaches and subtle citrus blossoms. Perhaps a little botrytis?

The palate shows great flavor -- honey-roasted apples, faint brown spice -- but low acidity leaves it feeling flat, actually flabby, in the mouth. The finish is very long with that brown spice really stepping forward, but the near-cloying sugar-to-acid ratio here keep this from being a truly special wine.

Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long ISland
ABV: 12.5%
Price: $31
Rating:    (2 out of 5 | Average)

(Ratings Guide)