Pindar Vineyards: Plenty of Variety

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, dogs allowed, Dr. Dan's Extra Dry, Gamay Noir, Merlot Reserve, Mythology, North Fork, picnics allowed, Pindar Vineyards, Premier Cuvee Brut, Pythagoras, Sunflower Chardonnay, syrah, Tannat, viognier, wine tasting February 18, 2022

February 15, 2022

The first time we went to Pindar, years ago, we did not like many of the wines we tasted. However, in recent years, we have found much more to our liking, so on this chilly winter afternoon we brought two friends with us to do a tasting. It took some thought to decide where to go with them, since we have taken them to a number of wineries and breweries over the years. However, the breweries were off our list, since in the winter many of them are closed mid-week, or only open late in the day. We also wanted somewhere we could sit at a table and chat as we sipped, and where we didn’t need to make a reservation. If we had wanted to bring our own snacks, Pindar allows that, plus they also allow dogs, a piece of information we are storing for later.

Aside from one couple, who left, we had the place to ourselves, and we joked with our friends, did they like that we had reserved a winery for their tasting. That’s midweek in February for you. Gina, our server, was very pleasant, and patiently answered our friend’s many questions, asked us how we were liking our tastings, brought us cups of water, and gave advice as to which wines to pick from their long list, based on our preferences. And I do mean long—thirty wines in all! That included three reserve reds, which usually cost extra, but, since she had the bottles open, she offered to include them in our standard flight of five. How nice.

Pindar’s tasting room is in a converted barn, which has been expanded over the years, still retaining its rustic beams, with a gorgeous stained-glass window. One not so pleasant note—the restrooms are in a separate structure, a cold walk outside in the winter, though it wouldn’t matter in the summer. Maybe they should consider adding indoor facilities!

*We got different colored Sharpies to mark up our menus.*

I suggest choosing your flight carefully, as some of their wines are too sweet for our taste, but we were happy with today’s selections. We shared three tastings amongst us, with some overlap. The tastes arrived in rustic wooden boxes, clearly labeled as to the order in which to drink them.

Premier Cuvée Brut $32.99

More and more North Fork wineries are offering sparkling wines, some made with the “méthode champenoise,” so I was curious to try theirs. This was a nice, dry, sparkler, with lots of bubbles and some pear taste and smell. 100% chardonnay.

Dr. Dan’s Extra Dry $29.99

“Dr. Dan” refers to the founder of Pindar—and also Duck Walk—Dr. Dan Damianos, who died in 2014, one of the East End wine pioneers. His family have continued to run his wineries, though his son, Jason, who started Jason’s Vineyard, died in a car accident in 2017. Made from a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, this is another sparkling wine, but we didn’t like it as much. It has some green apple taste, but also a touch of something chemical.

2020 Viognier $21.99

We decided to steer clear of the sweeter whites, so we opted for the viognier, but found it too light, with again, a bit of a chemical aroma. It’s not bad, but there’s not much to it.

2020 Sunflower Chardonnay $21.98

According to Gina, this is one of their most popular whites, and I can see why. It is very lightly oaked, so there are only traces of vanilla, with some nice citrus flavor and a lovely floral aroma. However, again, it is very light, though I think it would be nice with seafood, like the steamed lobsters we plan to pick up at Braun’s later.

2020 Gamay Noir $21.99

The ever-attentive Gina informs us that this is their lightest red, and she is right, though is is quite tasty. This would be a good red for someone who thinks they don’t like reds. It has a red lollipop smell, and lots of berry taste. It could go with roast chicken, like a Beaujolais.

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon $18.99

I teach our friends the word “petrichor,” which, I say, is the smell of this wine. Though it is dry, it is also very light, and we don’t care for it.

2017 Cabernet Franc $21.99

In contrast, this red smells lovely, like a dried fruit compote, and tastes like slightly under-ripe purple plums. Quite drinkable, and we sense some nice tannins.

2017 Syrah $18.99

This was in my friend’s tasting, so I only got a small sip, but she compares the taste to “burnt toast.” I say black tea?

2017 Tannat $21.99

I don’t think anyone else on the North Fork grows this grape, which usually comes from the Basque area. It had a lovely flowery smell, like violets. It is not unpleasant to drink, but my friend says the taste reminds her of “canned plum tomatoes,” and theorizes it would be a good wine to add to a ragu Bolognese.

Pythagoras $18.99

You may have noted that some of the wine names are a nod to the Damianos family’s Greek roots, like this one, named for the founder of that theorem you had to memorize in high school. This is a Bordeaux blend—perhaps of three grapes? —hence the name. I insist that this smells like that white paste we used to use in elementary school, and which some kids—not me! –liked to taste. As it sits and we chat, it develops a better taste and smell, with some good berry flavor.

2019 Mythology $$42.99

This wine, and the two which follow, are categorized as reserve red wines, and normally cost an extra $4.00 per taste. We are happy to try it, and find it good, drinkable, with nice tannins which make me think it could be cellared, but not worth the cost.

2019 Merlot Reserve $34.99

This had typical merlot cherry flavor and aroma, though it is not as big a wine as one would expect from one labeled reserve.

2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $34.99

It seems we saved the best for last, as we all agree we like this one the most. It has an intriguing aroma of forest floor and berries, and plenty of interesting dark fruit flavors.

Reasons to visit: informal tasting room, with lots of room at the bar and plenty of outdoor space; they allow picnics and dogs; the Premier Cuvée Brut, Sunflower Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (plus others we did not taste if you like sweeter wines); many different wines to fit different palates; if you live elsewhere, they ship to forty states.

Laurel Lake: Not Their Fault, But… February 1, 2020

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Gewurtraminer, Laurel Lake Vineyards, nice outside area, North Fork, outside food allowed, Pinot Gris, Wind Song Red, wine tasting February 3, 2020

http://www.llwines.com/

We have had several prior visits to Laurel Lake which we enjoyed, including once in the early fall when we sat outside with some friends and experienced good table service and a leisurely afternoon, and another time in the winter when we had the tasting room mostly to ourselves and had a lovely chat with the winemaker. However, this time a very noisy crowd of women having a bachelorette party, succeeded by an even noisier group celebrating a birthday, made it hard for us to relax and enjoy our tasting. Part of the problem is that the room is all hard surfaces, promoting echoing sounds. Not anyone’s fault, but it did color our appreciation of the wines.

The room looks empty, but off to the left there’s a large and rather noisy group.

There’s plenty of room for groups—which must reserve ahead—at Laurel Lake, especially if you include the outside area, but the main tasting room is a middle size. We decided to sit at a table, and get up to ask for each of our four tastes. The menu offers four tastes for $16, from a menu of six whites and eight reds (minus the sauvignon blanc, which was used up). With some guidance from the servers—one of whom, Maureen, amazingly recognized us from our visit over a year ago—we chose our four.

2018 Pinot Gris $23.99

A good place to start, this is a relatively simple, direct white, the French version of pinot grigio. The wine doesn’t have much aroma, just perhaps a touch of flowers and minerals. It is dry, with tastes of unripe pear, salt, and minerals. It would be fine with a delicate fish dish.

2018 Gewürztraminer $23.99

The menu wisely includes a little pronunciation guide to this wine, which people might otherwise hesitate to order! And order it they should, as it is very likely a crowd pleaser. It has enough fruit to make it easy to drink, but not so much sweetness that we were put off by it. The aroma is of thyme honey and oak, and it tastes like peaches and apricots. It would be fine to sip on its own, but even better with kung pao chicken.

2015 Cabernet Franc $22.99

I was thinking of getting their red blend, called Wind Song Red, but the server warned me that it is “semi-sweet.” So, no. Instead I got the cab franc, which had a very promising aroma of fruit, leather, nutmeg, and plums. It is, she informed me, their most popular red. We found it pleasant, but one-dimensional, light-bodied, with slight tannins and nice acidity. I taste purple plums and maybe a touch of black olive. I could see how people would find it easy to drink. The tasting notes suggest pairing it with grilled tuna, and I agree.

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $29.99

The word “reserve” can mean anything a winery wants it to mean, but generally it denotes their higher end wines. All of Laurel Lake’s wines are moderately priced, with this the most expensive one on the menu. It is a dry, smooth, pleasant (there’s that word again—am I damning with faint praise?) red, with light tannins, tasting of dark fruits and berries. The menu describes it as having an “intense aroma,” but we thought not. Interestingly, the last time we were here we tried the 2012 iteration of this wine, and liked it very much. Just shows the importance of tasting each vintage.

Reasons to visit: pleasant tasting room, if it’s not filled with noisy groups; nice outside area for warm weather; at the moment they allow outside snacks; the gewürztraminer and the cabernet franc, small selection of amusing wine-related gifts.

I’m a sucker for magnets with cute slogans on them.

Duck Walk Vineyards: Quack Quack January 12, 2019

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Absenthe, cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, chardonnay, dogs allowed outside, Duck Walk Vineyards, Malbec, merlot, Merlot Reserve, North Fork, Pinot Meunier, rose, sauvignon blanc, snacks allowed, Southampton White, White Port, wine tasting January 14, 2019

Duck Walk Vineyards: Quack Quack January 12, 2019

https://duckwalk.com/

“We’ll have to stop quacking,” joked my husband, as we finished our tasting at Duck Walk Vineyards’ North Fork tasting room. You see, the last time we went, in 2009, we disliked almost all the wines, including a red that tasted like ashes, and I had an allergic reaction (something I almost never have to Long Island wines, for some mysterious reason). So we vowed never to return, and amused ourselves by quacking derisively as we drove past. No more. Though we didn’t like all the wines, there were plenty we did enjoy, and we had a great tasting experience.

This tasting room is quite spacious, though the last time, when we came in the spring, we were in a different one that was even bigger.

Duck Walk, like Jason’s and Pindar, is owned by the Damianos family, and many of their wines are somewhat sweet for our taste, though numerous people like them. And it is a family affair, with even a third generation possibly getting ready to join the business, according to our chatty and well-informed server. It is always a plus to have a server who is really into the wines of the place where she works, and we appreciated our server’s enthusiasm for the wines and eagerness to share her preferences. She also was happy with our respectful approach to the wines, and gave us some extra tastes to show off the depth of their collection.

The tasting room we went into is to the right of the main entrance, where we had a tasting the last time, and is a smaller—though still quite large and airy—room. A long bar dominates one end, past which are French doors leading out to the vines. When we entered, a large group of young women were enjoying their tasting before heading back out to the limo, and the room became noticeably quiet when they left. In the summer, we have often seen whole fleets of limos and buses parked outside, as Duck Walk is a regular on the limo circuit (another reason we haven’t been back in a long time).

Wine and anacks for sale.

The bar includes Greenport beer on tap.

Aside from feeling it was finally time to go back, I also was intrigued to taste their Absenthe, their new after-dinner “traditional distilled spirit,” whose name echoes that of the famous Czech drink, absinthe.

Their website notes that they have snacks for sale, though we were not offered a menu, and they do allow you to bring in “light snacks.” It also says they are “pet friendly,” which I assume means in the summer, when you can sit outside.

A tasting consists of four tastes for $10, which you pay in advance. You then get four tickets, which the server collects after each drink. Since the menu includes seventeen red, white, and rosé wines, plus seven other drinks in the sparkling and dessert categories, we decided to do two tastings and share as we went along. Though you are free to choose any four, in any order, our server did give us the standard advice to drink whites before reds, and to follow the order of their listings on the menu.

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2017 Chardonnay $16.95

Since chardonnay is so ubiquitous on the North Fork, I felt we should include it in our tasting. This is their steel-fermented chard, and at the moment they do not have an oaked chard, though our server says they have had one in the past. We agree that we both prefer steel to oak. This one has a bit of a barnyard smell, and is a touch too sweet for us. It has tastes of pineapple and guava with some minerality. My tasting buddy opines that it is “wine for the skittish,” by which he means it is easy to drink if you’re not a big wine drinker.

2017 Sauvignon Blanc $18.95

Nice. I get a cut grass smell which my husband describes as “woodsy,” plus some rock or mineral. The taste is fairly typical for North Fork sauvignon blancs, lemony and grapefruity, and would be fine with oysters.

When the labels do not feature ducks they feature Gastby-themed art, like this one of what the tasting room workers jokingly named the “Hamptons hooker.”

2017 Rosé $16.95

We admire its pretty pink color and Gatsby-inspired label, which features a young woman in flapper dress standing in front of a mansion and a 1920s car. Her provocative pose has led the winery workers to dub her the “Hamptons hooker.” Made from the pinot meunier grape, this has a slightly funky aroma, plus the expected strawberry. The taste reminds me of a vodka-infused watermelon I once sampled at a party (I was young.), with some sweet strawberry and lemon notes. This would be a fine summer sipper, though it is a bit too sweet for us.

Southampton White $14.95 for 750 ml, $18.95 for 1.5 l

According to the menu, this is made from the cayuga grape, which is often used upstate. As we feared, it is too sweet for us, while also being light and not complex. I contemplate dumping the rest of our taste.

2017 Pinot Meunier $29.95

Since Duck Walk is the only vineyard that grows this grape, we decide we need to start our tasting of the reds with this wine. My tasting pal and I agree that this smells like berries, though I say blueberry and he says raspberry. It is a light, fruity summer red, good with barbequed chicken. It reminds me of a Beaujolais. This label also features an upper-crust Gatsby-esque theme, with formally clad horse riders.

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon $18.95

This cab doesn’t have much aroma or taste. There is a slightly funky smell. The wine itself is light and dry, with some tannin. It would be okay with a burger, though I generally prefer beer with burgers.

Do you see the duck reference in this picture? I got it!

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $38.95

Power of the book strikes again! Our server, with whom we have been having enjoyable conversations about the North Fork vs. the South Fork (where she often has to travel to work in the South Fork tasting room in Water Mill), gives us an extra, a taste of the high-end cab sauv. And it is really good! Lots of dark fruit taste, the kind of tannins that make me think it could age even more, and some depth and interest.

2015 Merlot $16.95

Again, the aroma is a bit funky, plus the usual cherry smell. This is a dry, drinkable merlot, not overpowering at all. My husband says there’s “not a lot of stuff going on.” It’s a fairly typical North Fork merlot, with some cherry taste. It would be fine with pasta.

2014 Merlot Reserve $38.95

Once again, we get an extra. This time, a taste of the reserve merlot. The aroma is complex, with notes of plum, cherry, and tobacco (which my husband calls ash). However, the aroma promises more than the taste delivers, though this is a good, dry, drinkable red. Not a lot of tannins.

2015 Malbec $16.95

Although malbec is most often used as part of a mixture of grapes, I tend to enjoy it on its own as well. The color of this is a beautiful dark red, and the aroma is also dark, of dark fruits like plums. We like the taste, which is dry and tannic, with enough fruit that it would be fine to sip or have with steak.

The White Port is so new it wasn’t on the menu.

2010 White Port

I can’t tell you the price of this because it is not yet on the menu. Another extra treat! Duck Walk often features their blueberry port, which is actually made with blueberries, so this is a departure for them. The aroma is nutty, and it would actually taste good with nuts. I taste some gooseberry taste, (and then we decide that next summer when Briermere sells gooseberries we will have to buy them again). Nice after-dinner sipper.

If you like Sambuca you’ll like Absenthe.

Absenthe $29.95, $5 per taste

We happen to have a bottle of absinthe we hand imported from the Czech Republic a while ago, so as I tasted this Duck Walk version, I looked forward to comparing it to the historical drink. Supposedly, absinthe used to be made with wormwood and was highly addictive as well as causing hallucinations. That’s no longer the case, so it is safe to sip. In the Czech Republic there is a whole ceremony to drinking absinthe, involving mixing sugar and a bit of absinthe on a spoon, igniting it, and then, as the sugar liquifies, blowing out the flame (important step!) and pouring it into the glass. No sweetening is necessary with the Duck Walk Absenthe, which is quite sweet, almost syrupy, and tastes very strongly of black licorice. If you like Sambuca, you’ll like this. After I went home—and recovered from all that drinking!—I tried our absinthe. It is not at all sweet or syrupy, though it does have a licorice taste plus a beautiful green color, and is quite strong (70% alcohol).

Reasons to visit: it is winter, and you want to check out a winery that is too crowded in the summer; the Sauvignon Blanc, the Rosé, the Pinot Meunier, and the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve; they allow dogs (outside) and snacks; pretty labels; reasonable prices; beer on tap in case you’re with someone who doesn’t want wine (why?).

Laurel Lake: Chile But Not Chilly November 18, 2018

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, dogs allowed, Juan Sepulveda, Laurel Lake Vineyards, Meritage, Merlot Estate, no outside food, North Fork, Pinot Gris, Sangiovese, sauvignon blanc, syrah, wine tasting November 22, 2018

Laurel Lake: Chile But Not Chilly November 18, 2018

www.llwines.com

The weather outside was chilly, and the winemaker is from Chile, but our welcome was quite warm when we walked into the Laurel Lake tasting room on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Our server, Maureen, recognized us from previous visits—especially the notebook—and had time to chat with us, exchanging bits of wine country gossip. She also introduced us to the charming Chilean winemaker, Juan Sepúlveda, who was pleased to discuss his wines with us.

As we stood at the bar, we noticed that behind us a large party was happily sharing a meal and some bottles of wine, and another group was out on the enclosed porch. One of those groups was a club of classic Cadillac owners, whose cars were lined up in the parking lot. Maureen told us that they also host a group of Corvette owners who come once a year, and we remembered one time when we had thought to stop in but found the parking lot filled with Corvettes. Now we knew why.

All of these Cadiallacs were not in the parking lot by coincidence.

The last time we were here it was a warm day in September,and the food truck was in operation. However, the winery is coping with Southold Town’s crackdown on food trucks, so now if you want food they will order it for you from CJ’s restaurant, just down the street in the Mattituck shopping center.

A standard tasting consists of four wines for $16, and we decided to share a tasting, which means we could go back and do another tasting and have all different wines. We were, however, perfectly happy with our choices.

2016Pinot Gris $22.99 I smell citrus and flowers. The wine tastes fruitier than some pinot gris(a.k.a. pinot grigio), but still dry and light. It is soft and tasty enough to sip on its own.
2017Sauvignon Blanc $22.99

This is another light white, dry and citrusy, and, like most North Fork sauvignon blancs, would go well with oysters. We had thought to taste the gewürztraminer, but Maureen warned us that we might find it too sweet. She also mentioned that their best-selling white is the somewhat sweet riesling, which is why they keep a supply next to the cash register.

They keep a supply of their best seller–the reisling–next to the cash register.

3. 2014 Merlot Estate $21.99

I feel that if there is a merlot, one should try it, since it is such a basic North Fork red. The aroma combines the expected cherry plus a touch of smokiness. This is a relatively light merlot, with tastes of cherry, prunes, and vanilla. Relatively simple, it is a good burger wine.

4. 2012Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $28.99

Aged in French oak, this had a lovely fruity aroma and taste, with a long finish and some complexity. It has enough tannins that I think you could age it a bit longer, and it could stand up to a nice steak. Very drinkable, we conclude.

5. 2013 Meritage ($59.99on the menu for the 2010)

I know, the menu says four tastes, but once again the book and our seriousness get us an extra. The Meritage is a combination of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, sangiovese, and syrah, and she pours our taste out of an unlabeled bottle because officially the wine is still in the barrel. Wow. My notes characterize the aroma as “yummy.” I taste lots of fruit, some nutmeg, and cassis. Lots of tannins. It is worth the price, especially if you keepit for a few years, but we are currently not in the market for a fancy red.

This is their most expensive wine, and no, they are not pouring tastes of it!

Reasons to visit: Pleasant tasting room, and lovely outdoor area in the summer; we liked all the wines, but especially the pinot gris and the cabernet sauvignon reserve; the chance to chat with the winemaker if he is around; dogs are allowed in the outdoor area; small but amusing selection of wine-related gifts.:

They have a small selection of wine-related gifts.

You can see the porch off to the side, and in addition in warm weather there’s a shaded outdoor area.

Pugliese Vineyards: Crowd Pleaser March 10, 2018

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 8 Hands, Blanc de Noir Nature, Braun's, cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Chardonnay Gold, Cutchogue, gift baskets, Long Island, merlot, no food inside, no pets inside, North Fork, pinot grigio, Pugliese Vineyards, Sangiovese, Sunset Meritage, Veronica's Rose, wine tasting March 13, 2018

http://pugliesevineyards.com/

The pergola and pond make a pretty outdoor setting–but not in the winter!

We’ve driven past Pugliese many times in the summer, noting the crowds at the outdoor tables and the many limos (by appointment only) in the parking lot, and given it a pass. But we figured a March Saturday would be safe, and indeed, when we entered, there was only one other couple there. However, as we were leaving the first of what the servers told us would be several groups arrived, a bunch of bachelorettes in matching burgundy sweatshirts emblazoned with wine-related quips, with the bride-to-be in a matching white sweatshirt. “Rise and wine,” read the one on a cheery woman, who informed us that this was already (at 2 PM) their third winery.

The limos were starting to gather.

If we hadn’t been on our way out, I would have recommended that they start with the sparkling Blanc de Noir, which was one of the wines we did like, and would have been a suitably festive start to their tasting. But I would guess that many of the wines on the Pugliese menu are crowd-pleasers, as they are generally un-challenging and easy to drink, as well as moderately priced.

For $12 you can choose any four wines on their extensive menu of four sparkling wines, seven whites (including one rosé), seven reds, and five dessert wines. We decided to share two tastings, trying one sparkler, the rosé, two whites, and four reds. As we sipped we admired the view out the window of Pugliese’s pretty grounds, with a vine-covered pergola and a fountain-centered pond. It would be a nice place to bring a picnic in the summer, though they discourage food in the tasting room itself (and a sign on the door admonishes “No Pets”). (One server remembered a group that brought a huge cake with them, and left “crumbs everywhere.”)

One view of the tasting rooms.

The tasting room itself is not huge, but there is a side room with tables. That space is lined with tables laden with gift baskets, which feature the pretty flower-decorated bottles of Pugliese wines and hand-painted wine or champagne glasses, all wrapped up in cellophane. If you need to pick up a gift basket in a hurry, this is the place. They also have a selection of matted photographs, mostly of local nature scenes, for sale at reasonable prices.

Nice bubbles in the bubbly

2010 Blanc de Noir Nature $25.99

Made from 100% pinot noir grapes (all their grapes are grown on their estate, we were informed), this has the typical yeasty aroma of a champagne. It is a pleasant sparkler, not complicated, with nice bubbles and a bready flavor. It would work for a toast (no pun intended!).

We enjoyed the view as we sipped.

2014 Pinot Grigio $17.99

At first, I didn’t detect any aroma, but on a second sniff I decided it smelled like clover honey, plus minerals. It also tastes a bit like honey that has somehow had the sweetness removed from it, or like a tart dish that has been flavored with honey. My husband complained that it was “watery,” and I agreed that it was very light. Not a sipper, it needs to go with food, maybe charcuterie, though it has so little flavor most food would overwhelm it.

2015 Veronica’s Rosé $17.99

Why Veronica? “I wanted to name a wine after my niece,” said one server, who was most likely a member of the Pugliese family, since they are generally in the tasting room. This is another light, dry wine, with typical strawberry aroma and flavor, again not complex. It has a pretty pink color from the merlot grapes.

I commented on the pretty labels, and was thanked. On a previous visit I was told that Pat Pugliese painted the design.

2016 Chardonnay Gold $14.99

They have an oak-fermented chard, but we decided to go with the steel, since we tend to prefer those. I was also thinking if we liked it we’d buy a bottle, to go with the fish we planned to buy at Braun’s later. However, we cancelled the trip to Braun’s when we realized we’d be stuck in the Cutchogue St. Patrick’s Day parade, and, though we found the chardonnay pleasant, we didn’t like it enough to buy it. (Instead we stopped at 8 Hands Farm and picked up some of their delicious bratwurst.) Though the chard is a bit sweet, it is balanced by good fruit flavors of citrus, mango, and pineapple. My tasting buddy says it would have gone well with a dish I made a couple of days ago, called Chicken Veronique, chicken breasts cooked with grapes and mushrooms.

The grape is the one used to make chianti, but this is not a very chianti-like wine.

2012 Sangiovese $16.99

I was interested to taste this, as it is advertised on the menu as “Long Island’s only chianti.” I like chianti. I wouldn’t have necessarily identified this as a chianti, however, and, considering that 2012 was supposed to have been a good year for reds on the North Fork, this was a rather disappointing wine. However, it is drinkable, with no tannins, very light and dry. Not much fruit. My husband says it has “no oomph,” sort of a “generic wine.” It would be okay with pizza.

2014 Cabernet Franc $16.99

Their reds certainly are reasonably priced for the North Fork. This is another light, easy to drink wine, with no tannins. You get a bit of fruit with the first sip, but the taste soon evanesces. You could pair this with pasta with a not-powerful sauce.

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $16.99

Nice aroma of dark fruit and berries precedes a taste also of dark fruit and berries, with a touch of tannins. It’s the best red so far, but again has no depth and is rather light.

2013 Sunset Meritage $34.99

Why sunset? “It’s just a name.” You need a non-varietal name for a blend, which this is, a mixture of merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. It’s the best red of the day, which is not saying much. Again, it is a relatively simple, light wine, “tame,” according to my drinking pal. It is pleasant, but not worth the price.

Entrance–the little signs say no food inside and no pets inside–which I assume means both are okay outside.

Reasons to visit: pretty setting for sitting outside; very crowd-friendly if you’re coming with a limo (which I actually did one time); lots of choices on the menu; the Blanc de Noir, the Chardonnay Gold, the Sunset Meritage; you prefer light, easy-to-drink wines with no complexity; lots of gift baskets and hand-painted glasses.

Laurel Lake: A Festive Day September 23, 2017

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, chardonnay estate reserve, CJ's Food Truck, gewurztraminer, Greenport Maritime Festival, Harbes, Laurel Lake Vineyards, Merlot Estate, Moscato Sparkling, North Fork, Pinot Gris, pinot noir reserve, sauvignon blanc, syrah, Wind Song Red, wine tasting September 28, 2017

http://www.llwines.com/

The winery building is quite pretty.

We had been to the Greenport Maritime Festival, where we watched pint-size mermaids parade and cruised past booths offering art, food, lavender, and more. Now it was time to continue the festive mood by bringing our guests to a winery, and we decided on Laurel Lake, which we had not been to in more than a year. One reason we hadn’t been there sooner was that the last time we tried to go they were about to close for a wedding. This time they were also going to close for a wedding, but we had more than an hour for our tasting, so in we went.

The tent was being prepared for a wedding party.

The tasting room is pleasant, with an antique bar at one end and plenty of tables, all of which were empty. We opined that everyone on the North Fork was probably at the Greenport Festival or apple picking at Harbes. Then the server behind the bar suggested we seat ourselves near the outside bar, where we had never been. Out we went, to find long tables in the shade, a few more customers, and a very genial server who timed his visits to our table perfectly. A look at the attractively rustic setting made it clear why people favor Laurel Lake as a wedding venue. A food truck run by CJ’s restaurant was parked near us, but we had already had lunch in Greenport.

There is a food truck on the premises, so they request that you not bring your own food.

Laurel Lake offers an extensive menu, of seven whites and nine reds, and a tasting consists of four tastes for $15. By some judicious selecting and sharing, our group of six was able to taste many of the offerings. Each couple shared a tasting, and then we gave each other sips. Overall, we tended to prefer the whites to the reds, but the reds do have the advantage, rare on the North Fork, of being mostly reasonably priced. One nice touch—our server brought us clean glasses for each taste. That’s such a great idea. So often they either pour the next taste right into your glass, where it may be affected by the previous wine, or they rinse it with water, which runs the risk of wine that tastes like chlorine. One other clever method is when they rinse your glass with a few drops of the next taste, though that seems a tad wasteful to me. I hate to see wine being poured into a dump bucket!

The tasting room.

2016 Pinot Gris $22.99

We hadn’t yet settled on a sharing method, so two of us ordered this. I tend to like pinot gris (a.k.a. pinot grigio), and this one was no exception. It smells a bit like pineapple juice, and tastes a bit like it, too. It is tart, with notes of mineral and salt. Our daughter-in-law, who is good at thinking about wine and food pairings, thought it would go well with something made with capers. How about smoked salmon with capers, we asked. Yes. Very buyable.

They give you a good-sized pour, so all six of us could share tastes.

2014 Chardonnay Estate Reserve $23.99

Their oak aged chard, this has the expected aromas of vanilla and wood or caramel, with some citrus flavors. Interestingly, this one also tasted of pineapple, but in this case of very ripe pineapple. Food pairing? How about pork with pineapple.

The outside bar.

2016 Sauvignon Blanc $22.99

This new release is light, crisp, and lemony, with some tastes of grilled peaches. A nice summer wine, it might pair well with a salad with grilled peaches.

2014 Gewürztraminer $22.99

Our server informed us that this is their “third sweetest white.” Though I am not a fan of sweet wines, this one is well-balanced enough that, with, let us say, spicy Thai food, it would be fine. I smell flowers and something metallic, and taste oranges.

Moscato Sparkling $24.99

One member of our group prefers sweet wines to dry, and he was very pleased with this sparkler. It is sweet, with strawberry and melon tastes and a candy-like aroma. Perhaps one could drink it with a chocolate soufflé?

Wind Song Red $17.99

Fair warning—we are told this is their sweetest red. Our server explains that they make it by blending all the leftovers from other wines, and it has no vintage because it could contain juice from various years. I would say this was not a successful blend, as it has a somewhat medicinal taste, like Cheracol cough syrup.

2013 Pinot Noir Reserve $29.99

Another newly bottled release, this was aged in used oak barrels, so it does not have the flavors you get from oak. Some say the nice aspect of this is you get the pure taste of the grape. We find it rather flat and one-dimensional, though not unpleasant. Perhaps one could drink this with molé, as it is a light red. Not caring for this or the previous red, our guests try their own blend, mixing the two. Not a success.

My favorite of these was the Syrah.

2012 Merlot Estate $19.99

Better. Whew. A pretty typical oak-aged merlot, with cherry aromas and taste and some tannins.

2013 Syrah $19.99

Two-thirds of us agree that we like this one. It has tastes of plums, pepper, and nutmeg, plus some nice tannins. Someone suggested pairing it with moussaka. Sounds good to me.

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon $19.99

Interestingly, this is aged in steel. It is an easy to drink, fresh-tasting pizza wine, with soft tannins, and fruity aromas and tastes.

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $25.99

As the afternoon progressed, our server became more and more chatty, and he described the interesting method used to make this wine. They take two-thirds of the cab sauv to make rosé, and they take the skins from that plus the rest of the grapes to make this wine, which is then aged in used oak. It has a “dark richness,” said someone, not sure who. It is dry, not as fruity as you might expect given how it is made, with some nice tannins. I wonder how it would age.

They have a small selection of wine-related gift items.

Reasons to visit: pretty setting, inside and out; the Pinot Gris, the Sauvignon Blanc, the Syrah, the Cabernet Sauvignon; reasonably priced wines for Long Island, especially the reds; food truck.

Our server did a good job of explaining each wine.

The top floor of the two-level outdoor area.

Mermaids on parade!

Castello di Borghese: A Perfect Pairing July 8, 2017

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, Cabernet Franc Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Castello di Borghese, chardonnay, Founder's Field Sauvignon Blanc, Harvest Moon Shellfish Co., Merlot Reserve, Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon, North Fork, oysters, Pinot Noir Select, riesling, Rose Pinot Noir, wine tasting July 12, 2017

https://castellodiborghese.com/

The Harvest Moon Shellfish Company truck is a sign that you should stop by Castello di Borghese for some oysters and wine.

I headlined this entry “A Perfect Pairing,” thinking about the Harvest Moon oysters we had with the Borghese 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, but it could also apply to the couple we went there with—our son and daughter-in-law. We all enjoyed the oysters, which are on offer every weekend until October 1, for $28 a dozen, and the wine, which went perfectly with them. The oysters were small, but sweet and briny and creamy, and the lemon in the wine complemented them beautifully. It was a perfect July day, and we were happy to sit outside near the vines and enjoy our bottle of wine and plates of oysters. Unfortunately, they don’t do tastings outside, so we had to go in when we decided we wanted to do a tasting as well. (I also would urge the winery to install an attractive fence to screen the hose, etc., along the wall of the building.)

A view of the outside seating area.

When we went in to examine the tasting menu, we found two options: five Estate wines for $15, or five Reserve wines for $25. We decided each couple would share one of each, so we could taste most of their wines, though we did miss a few. Our server was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, happy to share both what he knew and what he liked about each wine. The tasting room is about medium in size, with a bar along one wall and barrels with tops one can stand around on the other, so if you want to sit for a tasting this is not your place. Also, they don’t allow outside food (at least at the moment, when they are featuring the oysters). This is a winery which takes its wine very seriously, and is happy when visitors do the same. After all, the Borgheses bought the vineyard from the Hargraves, who were the first to plant a vineyard on the North Fork, back in 1973. The Estate wines are marked with an *.

The expert shucker from Harvest Moon.

.* 2015 Chardonnay $18

A good place to begin a tasting is this steel fermented chardonnay which is so light and lemony you might mistake it for a sauvignon blanc. We smelled mineral and peach and toast aromas and one of us suggested it tasted like star fruit. Our daughter-in-law, who is thoughtful about food and wine pairings, thought it would go well with Greek food or a corn salad. We agreed.

2016 Founder’s Field Sauvignon Blanc $29

This is not the Sauvignon Blanc we had with our oysters—that one is cheaper and we actually liked it better. This one is fermented half in oak and half in steel. It is light and dry, with some citrus and melon tastes and a long finish. “Blue cheese,” we agreed, would go well with it.

.*2014 Riesling $26

Not unexpectedly, this smells like flowers and cat pee. Though our server described it as “off dry,” we all found it too sweet for our taste. Our son and daughter-in-law said it tasted just like “sweet lime,” which I’ve never had, but I trust their taste buds, and thought it could pair well with watermelon juice and tequila in a margarita-type cocktail.

2014 Pinot Noir Select $50

We switched to the reds on the Reserve list, as there were no other whites we wanted to try and they have quite a few reds. The aroma is nice, of dark fruits, and the taste is also pleasant, with some notes of black pepper as well as plums. It reminded us a bit of a Chianti, and so we thought it would go well with pasta.

.*Rosé Pinot Noir $20

At the urging of our server, our tasting companions sampled this rosé (we had been given a sip of another one as we were trying to choose a wine to go with our oysters). However, they were “not excited” about it. Steel fermented, this is an uncomplicated dry rosé, with a taste of macerated strawberry that, I said, “evanesces.” We then began to apply that word to all sorts of things.

2015 Merlot Reserve $36

We found lots of aromas in this one—spice, pomegranate, charred wood, prunes, and, believe it or not, barbequed chicken were some of our comments. So then of course we decided it would pair well with barbequed chicken, one with a fruity sauce. Nice finish.

.*2014 Cabernet Franc $35

Good one! With aromas of prune plum and cedar, and tastes of blueberry and spice, this one got us thinking of food pairings again. We thought lamb chops, and then our daughter-in-law offered flank steak with chimichurri sauce or spiced chick peas (for vegetarians). Also good ideas.

.*2015 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon $25

A Bordeaux-style blend of 53% merlot, 44% cabernet sauvignon, and 3% pinot noir, this is, according to our server, a very popular wine. We can see why. The aroma is earthy and herbal, with scents of chestnuts and fruit, and the taste is equally appealing, with lots of fruit, and just the right amount of dryness. Food pairing? How about spaghetti with mussels in a tomato sauce.

2014 Cabernet Franc Reserve $44

You can definitely smell that this was aged in oak, with its cedar/oak aroma, plus fruit, spice, and something funky like mushrooms. I decide it is mouth-watering. It has lots of flavor, with dark fruits, and would go well with duck.

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $44

Our server now gets into the whole food pairing thing we’ve been doing, and suggests this would go well with “a porterhouse on the grill.” We talk it over, and once again our daughter-in-law has the perfect pairing idea—hamburger with truffle fries. One of us compares the aroma to “dusty closet.” Not sure about that. However, this is another pleasant red, with nice fruit, though not very complex.

The winery also has an art gallery.

The art in the gallery.

Reasons to visit: a place to get serious about wine; oysters from Harvest moon until October 1; the winery also has an art gallery where you can view and buy local art; the Sauvignon Blanc, the Pinot Noir Select, the Cabernet Franc, the Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, the Cabernet Franc Reserve.

Laurel Lake: The Personal Touch May 14, 2016

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, chardonnay, chardonnay estate reserve, CJ's America Grill, gewurztraminer, Juan, Laurel Lake, merlot, NoFo, North Fork, Pinot Gris, pinot noir reserve, syrah, Wind Song Red, wine tasting May 16, 2016

http://www.llwines.com/

Juan sat down next to us at the bar and explained his ideas about winemaking. Although there were several large groups at Laurel Lake, and Juan was actively helping to serve them, he and the servers behind the bar also took the time to answer our questions and solicit our opinions about the wines—which were largely favorable except for one, which I will discuss later. Introduced to us as “our winemaker from Chile,” Juan told us that he enjoys talking to customers and finding out what they do and do not like about his wines. “The wines reflect the personality of the winemaker,” he told us, including whether the winemaker is a man or a woman. If so, then Laurel Lake’s wines should be outgoing and friendly and easy to like.

The main tasting room manages to be both spacious and cozy.

The menu offers flights of four tastes for $15, of a fairly generous pour, out of seven whites and nine reds. We opted to share a flight of whites and a flight of reds, skipping, for example, the rosé and the moscato. We also skipped the riesling, which we noticed comes in a pretty blue bottle. That price has actually gone down from our last visit, in 2014, when it was three tastes for $15. In general, the prices for the wines are quite reasonable. We noticed people eating snacks brought from home, although once their food truck arrives Laurel Lake no longer permits outside snacks.

The music group on the porch, with a view of a group enjoying the warm weather outside.

As we sipped, a music group set up in the large porch to one side of the attractive tasting room. The large groups also headed outside, so the main room remained relatively calm. We also noted a small but amusing collection of wine-related gifts.

Some of the gift items

We don’t need a mouse pad, but if we did…

2015 Pinot Gris $21.99

Pinot Gris is the French equivalent of Pinot Grigio, one of my frequent choices when opting for a glass of house white, as it tends to be reliably dry. I would be perfectly happy if I had gotten this as a glass of house wine, as it is dry and mineral-y, with a touch of sweet fruit. It smells a bit like asparagus, we decide, wondering if our current diet of local asparagus has influenced that thought. Lobster bisque, we decide, would be a perfect pairing.

2014 Chardonnay $18.99

This is their steel fermented chard, with an aroma of not-quite-ripe pineapple and some mineral. The taste is again a combination of dry and a touch of sweetness, and fades quickly. Evanescent, we say. As the wine warms a bit in the glass we also taste a hint of pineapple or tropical fruit. We note that people coming to the bar are quite insistent about wanting their wines really cold. We prefer wines not quite as cold, so you can really taste them. I decide that chicken cordon bleu would be a good accompaniment.

The pour is fairly generous.

2013 Chardonnay Estate Reserve $23.99

The tasting notes inform us that this spends 12 months in oak, and we have a discussion with one of our servers about preferences for oaked vs. non-oaked chards. “Which do you like?” she asks, and we realize that it depends. In general, we don’t like the really heavy buttery taste and texture of a heavily oaked chard, but a bit of oakiness is often quite pleasant. As is this wine. If you like Long Island chardonnays you should like this one, with its slightly vanilla smell and touch of citrus and tropical fruit taste. Nice long finish, too.

2014 Gewürztraminer $22.99

It could be an aperitif wine, or a dessert wine, or a wine to have with blue cheese and charcuterie, we decide, but it is a bit too sweet to enjoy just by itself. The tasting notes say to have this with spicy food, a frequent recommendation for sweeter wines, but we feel you’d lose some of the subtlety of this wine if you did. The aroma is complex, as is the taste.

Wind Song Red $17.99

The tasting notes say this is “like a nice Chianti.” I don’t think so! We feel quite misled by the note, which is an issue we take up with Juan, who sheepishly admits they were written for a previous iteration of this blend. They needed an inexpensive red crowd pleaser for the menu, hence this wine, the only one that has us looking around for a dump bucket. A blend of merlot, syrah and a “mystery ingredient,” which, after a guessing game, Juan admits is chardonnay (!), this is quite a sweet red. We compare it to red candy or fruit salad. Fresh glasses with most tastes, by the way.

2012 Pinot Noir Reserve $29.99

We’ve been on a raspberry pie kick at Briermere recently, with raspberry peach last week and raspberry plum this, and the wine smells to us like those pies. With 18 months in oak, this has some tannins at the end, and is a fairly light red. I could see it with veal chops.

2011 Syrah $19.99

My husband refrains from singing “Que sera, sera” when we choose this wine, for which I am grateful. This is our favorite of the day, with delicious aromas of dark fruit and rich tastes of dried plum (a.k.a. prune) and other fruits. It would go well with pastas and meats, and we decide to buy a bottle.

One cabernet

And the other cab

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $25.99

Our server, having engaged us in various discussions of our choices, asks if we would like to divide our final taste between the steel fermented cab sauv and the oaked one. Sure, we’re always up for that sort of interesting comparison. The steel cab has a funky aroma and is very dry and tannic, really rather austere. The Reserve is interesting and complex, also dry and tannic, with tastes of black raspberry and maybe a few other flavors. We buy a bottle of that, too.

Reasons to visit: an intimate space that also has ample room on the porch and outside for groups; the chance to chat with Juan or the very friendly and knowledgeable servers; the Pinot Gris, the Syrah, and the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve; reasonably priced wines for Long Island. While we were there, the owner of CJ’s American Grill came in and we noted that we like their wine policy, which is to feature local wines at a moderate price. Oh, and yes, the wines are outgoing and friendly and easy to like.

Nice decor

We liked the syrah.

We indeed felt welcome.

Sign of spring!

Martha Clara, Lieb, and Pugliese: Group Think June 6, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting, Uncategorized and tagged with Bridge Lane, Bridge Lane Chardonnay, Bridge Lane Red Blend, Bridge Lane Rose, Bridge Lane White Blend, Bridge Lane White Merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, chardonnay, Estate Reserve Riesling, Estate Reserve Viognier, Gold Star Limo, Lieb, Malbec, Martha Clara, North Fork, Northern Solstice Blend, petit verdot, pinot grigio, Pugliese, Raffaello White Port, Sangiovese, sauvignon blanc, Semillon, Sunset Meritage, syrah, wine tasting June 12, 2015

Our limo at the first stop: Martha Clara.

When a group of Nofo Wineaux’s friends and colleagues decided that the best way to have a celebratory get-together was to rent a limo and do a wine tour, she could not refuse to go along—especially since they asked her for some winery recommendations.

So that is how I found myself seated in a Hummer stretch limo with 14 wonderful women, traveling the North Fork wine country. And I did enjoy myself! Along the way, I noticed that each winery had its own method of handling a crowd, I taught some of my friends how to smell wine (stick your nose into the glass and open your mouth as you inhale), and I heard some new ways to describe wine tastes and smells.

Our limo was rented from Gold Star Limo Company, and John, the driver, was courteous and efficient, dropping us off and picking us up on schedule. The company took care of the logistics of reserving each winery and getting us sandwich and salad lunches catered by Farm Country Kitchen. There were a few reasons why I think our tasting tour went well. For one, as a group we were there to relax and enjoy each other’s company, with the wine tour as a means to that end, plus a number of us were quite interested in tasting and discussing the wines. Another reason was our judicious (if I do say so myself) selection of venues, and the fact that we limited ourselves to three places, spaced out from noon to five p.m. And finally, the weather cooperated—warm enough to sit outside, yet not so hot that we were uncomfortable.

First stop: Martha Clara

The menu at Martha Clara

Our group organizer picked Martha Clara as a place she had been to and liked in the past, and it made a pleasant first stop (we got there about 12:15). A young woman with a clipboard greeted us, checked our reservation and, after a brief consultation with the driver, set us up around two sides of one of the long bars in the tasting room. She explained that they ran a tight schedule of groups, and requested that we take our places immediately. At each place were a glass and the tasting menu, featuring a flight of five wines. The servers assigned to us attentively filled our glasses as soon as they were emptied, and gave a brief spiel about each one. When I requested additional information, they were able to provide some. After we finished, we wandered outside to some picnic tables and shared a few snacks we had brought with us while some members of the group explored the pens of animals one can pet and feed. I think a few might have visited the extensive gift shop.

We gathered around the bar at Martha Clara.

2013 Northern Solstice Blend $17

This is a blend, as the title suggests, of four whites: semillon, viognier, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc. I described the aroma as mineral. One of my friends, newly introduced to the art of smelling wine, compared it to the smell you get when you open a bottle of vitamins, which I thought was quite right. This is a dry, crisp, lean, steel-fermented white which we all found quite pleasant.

2012 Estate Reserve Riesling $26

My friend with the newly enlightened nose senses a touch of rotting fruit. I agree, but also add orange blossoms. We all sip, and I note some apricot tastes, and also a bit more sweetness than I prefer. Nice finish.

2012 Estate Reserve Viognier $29

We had been discussing why some people think they dislike chardonnay because all they have ever tried were oak-fermented California chards when this barrel-fermented (nine months) wine was served, giving me the chance to note how different it is compared to the steel fermented blend we started with. You can definitely smell vanilla and also spice—perhaps cardamom. You can also get that “woody” taste you get with some oaked whites.

2010 Syrah $24

I often like syrahs for their rich fruit flavors, but I find this one a bit dry and thin. I also smell some of that barnyard scent North Fork reds sometimes get (though more rarely lately). It is aged 16 months in French oak.

2012 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $29

This red is also aged in oak, for 12 months, and I also am not enamored of it. It’s not bad, but could use more fruit, though it is nicely dry.

Second Stop: Lieb Bridge Lane

The entrance to Lieb, though we didn’t go inside.

Lieb actually has two tasting rooms, and we are at the one on Sound Avenue and Cox Neck Lane. I’m a bit surprised that we have come to this one, since the other is more spacious, but fortunately it is a beautiful day and we settle ourselves at several picnic tables adjoining some grape vines. The driver brings us the shopping bags filled with our lunches from Farm Country Kitchen and also offers us bottles of water from the limo. As we settle in with our choices—I got a grilled veggie sandwich with a small green salad on the side, and it was good—a lovely young lady from the tasting room comes around with glasses. Ah, we are to have the tasting as we eat our lunches. Nice—though I do note that food changes the taste of wine.

Our view as we sipped our wine and ate lunch.

What is also pleasant is that we have the place mostly to ourselves, and it is a relaxing venue to sit and chat and enjoy our lunches. Martha Clara had been quite noisy, making conversation difficult except with the person next to one.

All the wines are from the Bridge Lane label, so I will abbreviate it BL. Also, because I did not see a tasting menu, I can’t tell you what the cost of these wines is per bottle.

2013 BL White Merlot

As our server explains, this is a white wine made from a red wine grape, and it is totally clear, having spent no time on the skins. It has a nice mineral aroma and a pleasant fruitiness. It would compare favorably with Anthony Nappa’s Anomaly.

2013 BL White Blend

This blend included chardonnay, pinot blanc, riesling and viognier, and, like the blend we just had at Martha Clara, is steel fermented. Everyone agrees that we like this one very much, with its nice balance of sweet and dry and its mineral aroma and taste. It goes well with lunch!

2013 BL Chardonnay

For those who think they dislike chards, this is a good rebuttal: dry and tart, with lemon and grapefruit tastes and aromas. Steel fermented, of course.

2013 BL Rosé

After some discussion of how much rosés have improved in recent years, we try this blend of merlot and cabernet franc. Though I still maintain that Croteaux has the best rosés on the North Fork, this one is fine—slight strawberry aroma, very dry, but with no finish. I think it tastes a bit like unripe strawberries.

Wine and a picnic.

BL 2013 Red Blend

I explain to my friends that this is a Bordeaux blend: 70% merlot, 15% each malbec and cabernet sauvignon, 7% petit verdot. It is aged in neutral oak barrels, our server notes. I think it might improve with more age, since it has some nice tannins. Though it is not exciting, it is a very drinkable red.

Third and last stop: Pugliese

The pond at Pugliese

Everyone exclaims at the lovely scenery as we pull into Pugliese—the pond, the trees, the fountain. Charming. We troop into the tasting room, where we admire some artistic items, including pretty prints appropriate to our surroundings, such as sunflowers.

From the gift shop

Our fearless leader soon finds us and hands each of us a sheet of four tickets, which we can exchange for tastes, and tells us to adjourn to the outside bar located under a tent next to the pond, where a musician is setting up. As a result, we scatter, and form into small groups at the bar. The menu is quite daunting, offering 22 choices from sparkling wines to dessert wines, with reds, whites and rosés in between. At first the servers offer no guidance other than, “You can choose any four.” (We expand our options by sharing a couple of tastes, which is why you see six wines mentioned here.) However, we then luck into a rather youthful server who seems to know more, and enjoys giving us information about each wine. My good friend is a white wine drinker who would like to learn to like reds, so we decide, after one white, to focus on the reds. For each taste we get a fresh glass—I mean small plastic cup.

The rather lengthy menu at Pugliese.

2013 Pinot Grigio $17.99

This steel fermented pinot has not much aroma and a tart lemony taste, with no finish, which my friend insists on calling after taste. Which, after all, is what finish is! It would be better with food, I think.

Pugliese serves the wine is small plastic cups.

2010 Sangiovese $16.99

Our server boasts that they are the only winery on the North Fork to use this grape, which is the gape used in Chianti. As we sniff, we note aromas of tobacco and some fruit. Then we taste, and promptly dump. Well, this wine is not going to make a red wine drinker out of my friend! Bad.

2010 Sunset Meritage $29.99

Whew. This one is better! A blend of merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon, this has nice ripe fruit flavors and is just tannic enough to add interest.

One view of the tent and the pergola.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $16.99

This would make a good, everyday table wine. It has lots of fruit and my friend likes it.

2012 Cabernet Franc $16.99

For a cab franc this is quite light, though it would be okay with lamb chops, as it has some tannins. It could use more fruit.

My last ticket.

2007 Raffaello White Port $17.99 for 375 ml.

As my final wine of the day, I decide to go for dessert, and try their white port. Yes, it is sweet, but I think appropriately so, with lots of sweet orange, tangelo, plum, and apple flavors. At 20% alcohol, you wouldn’t want to drink much of this, but it would be nice with a cheese and nut course.

And so I finish my foray into the world of the limos standing on the shore of Pugliese’s pond, admiring the koi, listening to music, talking to my friends, and sipping sweet wine. There are worse ways to spend a Saturday.

No fishing!

Suggestions for limo users: plan to go to just three wineries (maybe four at most, especially if you tend to dump part of each taste) and space them out over five hours so you can appreciate each one; try to go to at least one that doesn’t seem to specialize in big groups (like Lieb, which we thoroughly enjoyed); be sure to eat in between—or during—your tastes so you don’t get too drunk; take your time in each place to savor and discuss the wines; have fun.

Castello di Borghese: Wines that Go Great with Food February 21, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Allegra, Bianco di Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Castello di Borghese, chardonnay, Founder's Field Sauvignon Blanc, North Fork, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, White Meritage February 23, 2015

http://www.castellodiborghese.com/

The last time we were here, two years ago, we had a great conversation with Ann Marie Borghese, the owner, with her husband, of this excellent winery. Since then, alas, they both have died. However, their three children—Allegra, Fernando, and Giovanni—have committed to keeping the vineyard going. We were wondering what the tasting room experience would be like under the new regime, and were happy to find the same careful, well-informed, personal, and cheerful service as before. Whew. The wines were also pretty good!

The tasting room is divided into two areas, one with the bar and a few gift items, and the other with tables and chairs, an art gallery, and a small stage. Alas, Marguerite Volans, a frequent musical performer, was not there.

The stage for performers.

Our enthusiastic and well-versed server explained the menu choices to us. For $10 you can choose any four wines from the Estate wines side of the menu, and for $15 you can choose any five wines from either the Estate side or the Reserve side. Since if we each tried five wines we would be able to cover most of their choices, we decided to go with that option, which would also let us taste some similar wines side by side. We opted to skip the rosé, since we are such Croteaux fans, and a few others. In addition to the menu items, we were also offered the opportunity to taste some newly bottled examples of the 2013 vintage. I’ll mark the wines from the Reserve menu and the new vintages with an *.

Walking into the bar area.

2013 Chardonnay $18

The steel-fermented chard got our tasting off to a good start. We got lots of pineapple smells, as well as a bit of grapefruit. Typical of a steel chard, this is crisp and fairly tart, with nice citrus flavors. Kumquat, says my husband, and I agree, kumquat with the skin on. Good with scallops, suggests our server.

*2012 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay $26

I don’t always like oaked chards, but this one only spent six months in oak, so it is still fairly delicate, with butterscotch aromas and some wheat toast flavors as well as fruit. 2012 was a great year on the North Fork, with a dry September that allowed grapes to really ripen. It was also interesting to taste these two very different wines made from the same grape.

2013 Sauvignon Blanc $24

Yum, another good white. This wine is also steel-fermented, with an aroma that reminds me of white grape juice. How odd, a wine that smells like grapes…This is also dry, with citrus taste dominated by grapefruit, and I could be very happy pairing it with some local oysters.

*2013 Founders Field Sauvignon Blanc $24

How interesting. Still some of that grape juice smell, with a bit of butterscotch from its two months in oak, but the taste is quite different, almost funky, with a bit of a metallic tang. “Austere,” says my husband. I think it needs to be drunk with food, I counter, and our server agrees. Maybe seafood in a cream sauce, like a New England clam chowder, would be a good idea.

*2013 Bianco di Pinot Noir $50

I always like to try something new, so I suggest we try two whites which sound interesting. This one is made from pinot noir grapes, which are usually used to make red wines. In this case, they took the skins off in order to make a white wine. Hmmm…it smells really nice. Chocolate, suggests my tasting pal, and I have to agree. But it smells better than it tastes, tart, with a very short finish, and not complex. It’s good with cheese and crackers, we are told, and I can see that.

*2012 White Meritage $60

Usually, Meritage means a red blend, so I’m intrigued. This is a mixture of sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, and in contrast to the previous wine has more and better taste than aroma. It smells somewhat like acetone (phenols, says my scientific companion) but has some good citrus and grapefruit tastes.

2012 Pinot Noir $30

Now we switch to reds, and get new glasses, always a nice touch. Pinot noir is the Burgundy grape, lighter than Bordeaux, and so it is. The menu says “soft tannins,” but I don’t sense any. I smell raspberry and a woodsy aroma and taste lightly fruity berries. I could see this slightly chilled on a summer picnic with roast chicken. Speaking of chilled, we were pleased that none of the wines were served too cold, which often happens, and which makes it harder to really taste the wines.

*2013 Pinot Noir Reserve $55

This is one of the new releases, and we are interested to see how it compares with the 2012 Pinot. Again, we get a woodsy and raspberry aroma, with some additional fruit smells. We like this one much better (though maybe not $25 better). It has lots of cherry flavor, not much in the way of tannins, and is also a fairly light red. We are told that pinot noir is a “heartbreak grape,” as it can be finicky and doesn’t always deliver on its promise. We are also told that the snow is actually good for the vines, as it acts as almost a blanket for the dormant vines.

*2013 Cabernet Franc Reserve $44

This is also a new release, and we are advised to try it before the cab sauv. The aroma is again a bit funky, but with lots of red fruit to it. We like it, but again think it would benefit by being served with food. It is dry, with some nice fruit tastes, and would complement a barbeque very nicely. I envision digging our Weber out from the snow bank it currently inhabits. Not gonna happen!

Some of the gift items for sale

*2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $44

I think this wine demonstrates the risk of serving a newly bottled wine, as we feel it would benefit from more time. It’s closed, says my husband, who has been reading wine magazines for years. It has some good tannins and dark fruit—black cherry in particular—tastes. We think it might be good in a few years, and if we had room in the cellar might have given it a chance. Time to drink some more reds from the cellar!

The lovely Allegra

2010 Allegra $36

If you’re counting, you realize that we should be at the end of our tasting, but our server, noticing our seriousness and my note-taking, asks if we want to try anything else. Well, I ask, is there anything we should try? Okay, she says, you have to try our dessert wine, made from chardonnay grapes. A new, smaller glass appears, and we get a taste. Very delicious! Aromas of honeysuckle and freshly cut grass, tastes of honey and apricot, but not too sweet, not at all cloying, we agree, and we buy a bottle. Then, all the way home, we discuss what to have it with. I think if we did a dessert course of Catapano goat cheese and local peaches it would go beautifully. Or if we had an appetizer course of paté…It was named, by the way, for Allegra Borghese, on the occasion of her 16^th birthday. She must be a lovely person!

Reasons to visit: you want to try an all-around good winery that is not inundated with buses; you’re curious about the oldest vineyard (it was originally Hargreaves) on the North Fork; some interesting choices; the 2013 steel Chardonnay, the 2012 Barrel Chardonnay, the 2013 Cabernet Franc Reserve, the 2010 Allegra; servers who really know the wines.

The vines enjoy their blanket of snow.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

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