I know several pinot noir lovers, who are almost always disappointed by the local renditions they taste. Many are thin, water, terribly simple, and just not elegantly textured. This is a wine that I think will give them what they are looking for.
While sipping (and spitting) my way through my weekly tasting lineup the other night, this wine stopped me in my tracks. It stood out among the other wines because of its texture, its complexity and it's overall deliciousness.
It's the one wine that I swallowed during the tasting and it's the only wine I reached for once I was done "working." Nena and I don't always have the same taste in wine, but this was one wine that we both loved. In fact, I haven't seen her react to a wine like she did this one for some time.
Coming from the 2005 vintage, a hot dry one, I wasn't surprised by the color, which is much darker than many local pinots. The nose, even in this wine's youth, is expressive and layered with aromas of earthy mushrooms, raspberries, cherries and spice.
On the medium-light bodied palate, that mushroomy earth flavor leads with cherry and crushed raspberry behind. Cinnamon, cloves and faint cocoa powder spice bring complexity and there is a minerally note towards the end of a medium-long finish.
I see on their website that the 2006 vintage is out, but I'm hoping I can still get my hands on some more of this 2005.
Grape(s): Pinot Noir
Producer: Osprey's Dominion Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $35
Rating: 
(4 out of 5 | Delicious, Distinctive)
Yes, this wine is a remarkable achievement. Glad you liked it.
Posted by: Ray Ormand | February 12, 2008 at 12:32 PM
I'm sold! Where can I get my paws on a bottle?
Posted by: Bryan | February 12, 2008 at 03:00 PM
Yes, you definitely made this wine sound very enticing. I will keep an eye out for it.
Posted by: RichardA | February 13, 2008 at 08:45 AM
Hmmmmm... a Long Island Pinot worth trying? I think I may need to duck into Osprey the next time we head out to Greenport. Hopefully the '05 is still hangin' out in the tasting room.
Posted by: Brooklyn Paul | February 21, 2008 at 09:05 PM
I stopped at Osprey's yesterday and they were pouring the 05. I admit my experience with Pinot Noir is limited, so I can only say I found it to be tasty. But at $35 I took a pass. I found the '04 Cab Franc to be more up my alley.
Anyway, I was told there is no 2006 vintage avaialble - it was a typo on the website.
Posted by: Sean | February 22, 2008 at 08:14 AM