2012 Pinot Noir | NoFo Wineaux

*From the outside, it looks like Laurel Lake, but the inside is quite different.*

June 2, 2023

Strawberries at the farm stands! 83 degrees and sunny! It finally felt like summer, and we decided this warm, breezy afternoon was the perfect time to do a tasting. We had tried Ev & Em (the strange name is the result of Dan Abrams, the owner, wanting to name the winery after his children) in March 2022, when they really weren’t fully open. For one thing, they didn’t yet have their furniture. So we figured by now they’d have it together; and they do.

*I’m wondering if they’ll add more inside seating in the winter.*

We were met at the door by a hostess, who escorted us out onto the breezy porch, which has roll-up plastic windows we’ve also seen on boats, and to a table for two. I had asked if we could be seated at a table for four, but she demurred, saying she didn’t know if it was reserved. Really? At 3:30 in the afternoon in the middle of the week? And as it happened, the only other people who entered were a family group with children, who were escorted down the stairs to a table on the lawn, which is apparently the policy. But okay, we were fine.

As we perused the menu—which asserts that this is “where Napa meets the Hamptons” (um, this is not the Hamptons, but okay)—we were served a nice cold bottle of water and two cups. Our waiter appeared, and asked if we had any questions. We discussed the fact that they still have the same winemaker as the winery’s previous iteration, when it was called Laurel Lake, and that there are still a few bottles of Laurel Lake wines around. On the other hand, he noted that this is the first vintage that is really an expression of their wine-making philosophy. As we chatted, I thought he looked familiar, and suddenly he said, “I’ve seen you before! I used to work at One Woman.” Ah ha. It is a small world out here.

There were three flight options available—the Classic Flight, of four wines for $35; the Chocolate Pairing Flight, of four wines and four chocolate truffles for $50; and the Ev&Em2 flight, of four Ev&Em2 wines for $32. We decided to share a Classic flight, with the thought that we might get a glass afterwards of any other wine we wanted to try from their list of eighteen wines. We also ordered a $6 bag of North Fork potato chips (and used the leftover chips to make a delicious omelet the next day from a recipe I found in the New York Times). They also have a variety of cheeses and charcuterie available. Soft pop jazz played in the background as we sipped and chatted.

2021 Rosé $32

I expressed surprise at the appearance of the rosé, which is so pale as to look almost like a white wine, or as my tasting buddy said, “You wouldn’t know by looking that it’s a rosé.” Our waiter had me hold the glass against the white of the menu, and then I could see the faint pink tinge. The wine is a blend of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, gewürztraminer, and pinot noir, so three whites and one red, which must account for how pale it is. It also drinks like a crisp, mineral-y white. It has some complexity, but if you are looking for a fruity rosé, this is not it.

*In this close-up, you can see the faint pink tinge of the rose.*

2022 Sauvignon Blanc $40

This steel-fermented sauvignon blanc has almost no aroma, and again is a crisp, refreshing wine, though my husband says it is “not exciting.” The menu describes the taste as “gooseberry and grass,” and if you’ve ever chewed on a blade of grass you get that. I think it is sophisticated, and would pair well with charcuterie, but we agree that the price is somewhat out of line for the North Fork.

2022 Stainless Steel Chardonnay $40

Another white with lots of minerality, and not much fruit. Maybe white peaches, but no citrus. Pleasant.

2021 Pinot Noir $55

Our waiter informs us that this is aged 70% in new oak and 30% in neutral oak. I get lots of minerality again, which seems to be part of their style, with an aroma of eucalyptus and berries. I taste a bit of licorice in this fairly light red. The price? Hmmm…

2019 Merlot $40

If you’re keeping count, you can tell that we’ve come to the end of our tasting, but we have plenty of potato chips and time, so we decide we might like a glass of some other wine. I ask our server, who had been properly attentive—as in there when you want him to be, and not when you don’t—which wines he thinks are the best, and he brings us a small taste of this merlot. It is lean, not fruity, with some minerality. I’m not in love with it, so he offers a taste of one more wine.

*On this warm afternoon, we really appreciated the nice cool water.*

2021 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay $45

He’s a bit chagrined when I say I’m not fond of oaked chards, but this one is fine, not too oaky. It fits the general style here, which is lean, not fruity, and sophisticated.

Reasons to visit: pleasant outdoor porch setting; all the wines if you like them with more minerality than fruit, none if you don’t; nice menu of cheeses and charcuterie. Though my tasting pal says he “wouldn’t go out of my way,” I’d come here again for the nice setting and relaxed vibe. Note: they say on their website that groups including children will be seated down on the lawn.

*The area where they seat parties including children. Looks comfy!*

http://www.mccallwines.com/

The tasting barn

It was a beautiful spring day, so we opted to sit at a picnic table in the sunny yard outside McCall’s tasting barn (and it is a barn, with the horse stalls converted to seating areas) for our tasting. In the past, we had really liked their wines, especially the reds, so we opted to share two tastings, one of their whites and another of their Estate reds. We hadn’t been to McCall’s since the summer of 2013, and this visit confirmed what we’ve often thought—that you need to taste each vintage to know whether or not you like a particular wine. In this case, we were less impressed than we have been in the past.

One of the converted horse stalls used as a seating area

The tasting menu offers four options of combinations which let you taste their twelve wines. Each flight offers four two-ounce tastes: White Flight for $12, Cellar Master for $12, Premium for $14, and Estate for $16. As we sipped, we watched children run around picking dandelions and other groups snack on picnics they had brought with them. Our server was friendly and efficient, and if there were any questions she couldn’t answer she quickly found out the answers for us.

I was wondering why no one on the North Fork makes dandelion wine.

I’ll start with the White Flight.

2014 Marjorie’s Rosé $18

Okay, so a rosé is not exactly a white, but it’s not a bad way to start a white flight. This wine is named for the owner’s mother, and is a very light-colored wine. Instead of the expected aroma of strawberries, we smelled rising dough, more like a champagne. The taste was tart and lightly citrusy—“a summer wine,” noted our server. The end taste was more mineral than citrus, and fairly tart. “Like a sour candy,” noted my tasting buddy. Though it was not unpleasant, it was just okay.

2013 Chardonnay $18

“This is our steel-fermented chardonnay,” said our server, adding, “and another good summer wine.” Indeed, it is fairly light and citrusy, with again a doughy aroma. Had it undergone malo-lactic fermentation? She wasn’t sure. We guessed yes. She returned to tell us that indeed it had. We decided the taste reminded us of the key lime pie my husband had enjoyed the night before at A Lure. I’m not a fan of key lime pie.

2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Cuvée Nicola $24

McCall’s doesn’t grow sauvignon blanc grapes, so this wine is made from grapes from One Woman’s vineyard, and this was the first time McCall’s offered this wine. Good decision, as this is their best white. The aroma and taste both remind me of apricots—sort of like apricot fruit leather, with some spice and citrus notes at the end. It would be good with blue cheese or pasta in a white sauce. Sippable.

2013 Chardonnay Reserve $39

No surprises here—this is a typical North Fork oaked chardonnay (nine months in the barrel, we are told), with aromas of vanilla and oak and some fruit tastes as well as some vanilla. Of course, I say it would go with roast chicken.

Now we move on to the Estate Flight of reds. We are not brought fresh glasses, but we do appreciate that our server has opted to give us two glasses, dividing the taste between us rather than having us share one glass, as we generally do. I should also note that many of their bottles use twist off caps rather than corks.

2012 Pinot Noir $28

What a pretty color this wine has—a light red. We smell blueberries and wet forest ferns, with maybe a touch of barnyard. Alas, the color is the best aspect of the pinot, since the taste is rather sour and unappealing. What a disappointment, since my comments on the 2010 pinot noir include “mmmmm.”

The setting feels quite bucolic.

2012 Pinot Noir Hillside $39

Well, perhaps we’ll like this one better. It spends about 3-4 weeks longer on the vine and three months longer in the barrel. Okay, definitely better. Again a blueberry pie aroma (Which reminds us that tonight we’ll be having a blueberry crunch pie from Briermere.) with a touch of cocoa. The taste has more fruit and more subtlety, but no depth and a fair amount of tartness. Again, we’re not loving it. Also, the reds are all too cold, though that may not be anyone’s fault, as the tasting room is quite chilly.

Cabernet Franc Reserve 2012 $39

Nice aroma—plums, some oak—but with a touch of something metallic. This wine comes from 30-year-old vines, our server tells us proudly, from a vineyard originally planted by the Gristina family says our server (Does she mean Galluccio?), and though the property is now owned by Macari, McCall’s is using the grapes. Again, this wine is tarter than one would expect, without enough fruit to balance the dryness. And though our server enthuses that she really likes this one, we are not pleased with it, especially with the aftertaste.

2010 Ben’s Blend $54

Finally, a wine we can like. This is their Bordeaux blend (named for their previous winemaker, who died much too young), though the combination is quite different from the last time we sampled it. This one is 46% cabernet franc, 25% cabernet sauvignon, and 29% merlot, whereas the 07 Ben’s Blend was 60% merlot and also included some petit verdot. In any event, we scent aromas of dark fruit, such as purple plums, and taste pleasant fruit, though it is not tannic enough to stand up to a steak. It would be good with brie and pears.

Reasons to visit: the Cuvée Nicola Sauvignon Blanc, the 2010 Ben’s Blend; a pleasant relaxed setting where kids can run around and you can bring a picnic; the surprisingly elegant rest room (!). We’ll be back when it is time for a new vintage, hoping the wines are better then, since we really liked them in the past.

The tasting barn viewed through a taste.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

Tag Archives: 2012 Pinot Noir

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