Mattebella Vineyards: Science Experiment! August 9, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 181 clone, bacon jam, brownies, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Croteaux, double cream brie, Famiglia, Famiglia Red, fig jam, gorgonzola, grana, lemonade, Mattebella Vineyards, merlot, Mr. Tobin, Mrs. Tobin, North Fork, Old World Blend, petit verdot, Pomerol, Premium Wine Group, reserve chardonnay, rose, Sparkling Rose, syrah, wine tasting August 12, 2015

The small tasting cottage

http://www.mattebellavineyards.com/

“So first you’re going to try the 2009 chardonnay and the 2013 steel chardonnay,” our charming server explains, pointing out the ways in which they compare. She also sets down in front of us two pieces of baguette topped with double cream brie, about which more later. Mattebella gives you the opportunity to make side by side comparisons of their wines, and in the process you can learn some interesting aspects of wine making, which I’ll tell you along with my discussion of each wine. We started to compare our experience with doing a fun science experiment.

What amazing hydrangeas!

Another attractive feature of the winery is their beautiful outdoor patio setting, with a variety of comfortable seating surrounded by lush hydrangea and rose bushes. The tasting “cottage” itself is quite small, so this is a place we reserve for beautiful days when we can sit outside and relax while being served. Others clearly think so, too, for though the patio was very quiet when we arrived, several groups walked in shortly after we did and all seemed to be enjoying the experience, including one group of young people who entered into a lively discussion with Mr. Tobin, the owner (with his wife, who was also there) of the winery. It is quite a family place, as evidenced by the active participation of the owners in the tasting room, the name of the vineyard—named for their two children—and the name of most of their wines: Famiglia, Italian for family.

Mr. Tobin entertaining a group.

Service is warm and personal, and the wine tasting includes some small tastes of food, since they believe that food affects how wines taste. The menu has two main options: the Light Flight is $17 for 6 whites and 2 rosés, or the Red Flight, $19 for five reds. (Note—they do not accept American Express, though they take other cards.) You can also order individual tastes for $2-$6, glasses of any of the wines, or a glass of their wine cocktail or sangria for $14. Non-drinkers can order their house-made lemonade or water. We decide to share one of each flight, so we can try all the wines. Though there are a lot of tastes on the menu, our server tells us that it is a one ounce pour, so we figure we can handle it!

Light Flight

2009 Chardonnay $21

We thought the server might have been a little confused when she set two glasses down on the table, but she soon explained that she was serving two wines side by side so we could compare them. The 09 is an oaked chard from a cold season, she noted, which made it fairly “crisp and sharp” and an interesting foil for the 2013 steel-fermented chardonnay. She also set down a pretty pottery plate with two pieces of baguette topped with double cream brie. She recommended that we experiment by tasting each wine, then taking a bite of the cheese, and then sipping the wine again to see how having it with the creamy cheese changed the effect of the wine. Okay! The ’09 has a perfume-y aroma of pear and citrus, with, says my husband, “a fair amount going on.” Once we take a bite of the cheese, we note more vanilla and baked pear tastes, as well as a surprising amount of citrus for an oaked chard. On to the ’13.

Double cream brie on baguette. Yum.

2013 Steel Chardonnay $21

The aroma is faintly grassy, the taste good, with some fruit but fairly dry, maybe a touch of bitter orange. We don’t see as much change with this one after the bite of cheese as the other, but it is a good complement to the cheese. Usually I think of red wine with cheese, but with a soft rich cheese I will now consider whites as well.

2010 Chardonnay $21

Now we are asked to consider another pairing of the same grape, treated similarly (both lightly oaked, this one 20% oak and 80% steel fermented), but from very different years. 2010 is generally considered to have been a very good year on the North Fork, with warm dry weather which led to great ripening of the grapes. No surprise, this is a lovely rich chard, with great depth of flavor, the aroma grassy, fruity, and sweet. If we needed a white at the moment, we’d buy it.

2011 Chardonnay $21

In contrast, 2011 was a very rainy year, and so the grapes contain a lot of water. Wow—this wine is waterier! Although it is only 5% oaked, the taste has lots of oak in it, perhaps because there’s not as much chard taste to counteract it. We smell the expected woodsy vanilla aroma, and the taste is quite light, almost evanescent. Our server characterizes this as a sipping wine. I think if you put an ice cube in it on a hot day you could almost forget you were drinking wine.

Famiglia 2012 $21

Now we get to try two wines from the same vintage year, same grape, but treated differently. This is fun, we tell each other. 2012 was another good year. The Famiglia is 20% oaked, with aromas of vanilla, baked pear, and butterscotch. It is lighter than one might expect of an oaked chard (so for those of you who say “I don’t like chardonnay,” you need to try a bunch of differently treated chards), with some sweetness at first taste which then dissipates. Fine, but we like the 2010 better.

Reserve 2012 $28

This chardonnay has been 38% aged in French oak, and we have no trouble telling which is which just on appearance, since this wine has a darker gold color than the other. Mmm…smells good and tastes good, too. Lots of oak and fruit tastes, mouth-watering, “softer and sweeter,” opines my drinking pal. Very easy to drink. It would be good with spaghetti and fresh clam sauce or sautéed scallops, though you wouldn’t want it with anything too creamy.

2014 Rosé $20

Mrs. Tobin stops by to say hello and give us a bit of background on the rosé. It is 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc and chardonnay, she tells us; the merlot is a Pomerol, the 181 clone also used by Croteaux. The grapes are picked when they are still “crunchy.” We smell and taste strawberry, green apple, and a touch of lime. Very light.

The “fun, party” sparkling rose.

2014 Sparkling Rosé $27

We get a new glass for the sparkling rosé, a tall slim one. This is a fun wine, Mrs. T. tells us, not at all serious, and the syrah grape juice accidentally spent too long on the skins, hence its dark pink color. Lots of over-ripe strawberry smells and tastes, almost soda-pop-y, this is much too easy to drink. I decide to dub it the bachelorette party wine, and indeed I observe the young woman at the next table order a full glass of it, while her companion opts for a glass of sangria.

Red Flight

Famiglia Red $23

In 2012 we bought the Famiglia Red for $15, and last year it was $21, but prices do tend to rise, even on the non-vintage wines, though this is still a bargain compared to their other reds. This is a good everyday wine, and goes with pizza and pasta, as our server tells us. It spends a year in French oak, and then is put into steel to stop the aging. (By the way, Mattebella is one of the vineyards that uses the facilities at Premium Wine Group to produce their wines.) We smell leather and fruit, taste some cherry.

2008 Old World Blend $44

With this wine a small plate arrives with pairs of treats—fig jam and gorgonzola on baguette, bacon jam and grana cheese on baguette, and little bits of brownie—which we are advised to pair with our next wines. These are all Bordeaux blends, with varying percentages of the grapes. The ‘08 is 86% merlot, 7% cabernet franc, and 7% cabernet sauvignon (The petit verdot didn’t ripen in time, we hear.) We smell dark fruits, though the wine is on the light side. The taste improves after a bite of the yummy fig jam and gorgonzola, a combo I will definitely try at home.

More yummy snacks!

2009 Old World Blend $41

Since I asked about the percentages on the last wine, our intelligent server makes sure to tell me these: 93% merlot, 3% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot, 1% cabernet sauvignon. Remember, this was a cold, rainy year. The wine is fairly tannic, with aromas of earth and minty candy, not very complex. Having it with a bite of bacon jam and grana cheese does help. Then again, what wouldn’t be helped by bacon jam!?

2010 Old World Blend $48

If you come here for a tasting, you will definitely understand the difference a year makes. We tend to forget that winemaking is farming, dependent on earth and weather, but this progression of vintages makes that clear. If their “biodynamic” farming methods are as effective in the fields as they are on the huge hydrangeas we are admiring, they must work amazingly well. The blend here is 88% merlot, 8% cabernet franc, 3% cabernet sauvignon, and 1% petit verdot, and we are also advised that this could be cellared for 4-5 years. We smell dark fruits, taste lots of cherry, a touch of chocolate, good tannins, though not a lot of complexity. It is good with the brownie!

2007 Old World Blend $63

84% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 2% cabernet sauvignon, 2% petit verdot. Of course, they saved the best for last—and also the costliest. The aroma is delicious and so is the taste, with a “nice mouth feel,” says my pal. It is very good, but we have had the privilege of tasting world-class Bordeaux, which this is not—on the other hand, it doesn’t cost as much as they do, either!

The herb garden near the tasting patio.

Reasons to visit: a beautiful outdoor setting with friendly table service; the fun of experimenting with tasting wine with and without food (and where else is food included in your tasting?); the fun of comparing vintages and methods of winemaking; a chance to learn about the influence of weather on grape crops and hence on the wines; the 2010 chardonnay; the 2012 Reserve Chardonnay; the 2014 Sparkling Rosé for a fun party drink; the Famiglia Red; the 2010 Old World Blend.

If you look carefully at this picture of the grape vines, you’ll notice that they don’t use herbicides.

Premium Wine Group A. K.A. Bridge Lane A.K.A. Lieb Cellars August 5, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Blanc de Blanc, Bridge Lane, chardonnay, Croteaux, Lieb Cellars, North Fork, Oregon Road, Pinot Blanc, Premium Wine Group, Red Blend, Reserve Cabernet Franc, Reserve Merlot, rose, Rumor Mill Cider, Russell Hearn, SuHru, White Blend, white merlot, wine tasting August 10, 2015

http://premiumwinegroup.com/

http://liebcellars.com/

http://bridgelanewine.com/

No, this winery has not entered the witness protection program or committed a crime; rather they have diversified their offerings to include both the lower priced options from Bridge Lane and their slightly higher end wines bearing the Lieb name. Premium Wine Group—which appears prominently on the sign outside the tasting room—designates the facility attached to it where various wine makers on the North Fork come to use the production facilities, rather than make the rather hefty investment in their own.

At the far end of the building you can see the entrance to the wine-making facility.

What’s unique about the Bridge Lane wines is that they are offered for sale by the bottle, the box, or the keg, giving a whole new dimension to the term “kegger.” A keg holds the equivalent of 26 bottles and, according to our server, is particularly popular for weddings and other large parties. Just to give you a sense of relative costs, a bottle of Bridge Lane Chardonnay is $15, while a box is $40 and a keg is $240. In the tasting room the Bridge Lane wines are poured from the tap, like beer, rather than the bottle. You might think that this all indicates a lesser quality of wine, but we would be perfectly happy to drink most of them. Busy Russell Hearn, who also has his own small label SuHru, is the winemaker for all the wines.

One view of the tasting room

The tasting room is small, set up like a lounge (or, as a certain four year old—non-drinking—visitor opined, “like a living room” ) with a bar on one side and banquettes around the walls. We were there late on a week day, and had the space mostly to ourselves. There are also picnic tables and comfortable Adirondack-style chairs outside. The menu offers five Bridge Lane wines for $12 or five “featured” wines (Lieb label) for $12. We opted for one tasting of each, so we could sample all of them. Packages of crisp skinny bread sticks are on the bar for palate cleansing, and the four-year-old quite approved of them.

I list the tastes here in the order we had them, with the Featured selections second, marked with an *.

2013 Bridge Lane White Merlot $16

White merlots have become more popular on the North Fork lately, and this one reminds us a bit of Anthony Nappa’s Anomaly, though it is lighter. It is tart and citrusy, a good summer quaff.

*NV Rumor Mill Hard Cider $9

Yes, that’s $9 per bottle! And you could serve this to wine lovers who would be quite happy to drink it. It is made, as our server informed us, “from ten different varieties of apples,” all grown on the North Fork. It does not taste particularly like a cider, and is tart, crisp and light, with a slight trace of bubbles.

2013 Bridge Lane Chardonnay $15

A steel-fermented chard, this has the fairly typical veggie aroma, and tastes citrusy and grassy and tart.

They can’t call it champagne…

*2010 Lieb Cellars Blanc de Blanc $30

Made from pinot blanc grapes in the Méthode Champenoise, this is their entry in the sparkling wine category. I smell a bit of yeasty bread, taste some green olive taste. It is very dry, and pretty good, though I’d probably get a Cava or Prosecco rather than spend $30 for this level of sparkle.

2013 Bridge Lane White Blend $16

A mixture of 29% chardonnay, 26% pinot blanc, 16% riesling, 14% viognier, 9% sauvignon blanc, and 4% gewürztraminer—everything except the kitchen sink, observes my husband—this is a quite pleasant drink, with a good balance of sweet and tart. When I came here with a group, this one was very popular. The aroma has a bit of the forest floor funk, but the taste is not at all funky.

*2014 Lieb Pinot Blanc $22

Our server proudly informs us that Lieb has the largest planting of pinot blanc in the United States, which they started in 1983. In any event, this is a delicious wine, with some baked pear aromas and flowery, pineapple-y tastes.

The rose sure looks pretty.

2013 Bridge Lane Rosé $18

They make their rosé from a blend of cabernet franc and merlot, and we smell the typical strawberry aroma, taste some fruit. Not complex, no finish, still no competition for Croteaux, but certainly drinkable.

*2013 Reserve Merlot $24

This is also very drinkable, a dry soft, very cherry merlot. It spends 10 months in Hungarian oak, which, our server notes, is milder than French oak. No tannins.

The pour for the Bridge Lane wines is fairly generous.

2013 Bridge Lane Red Blend $16

For $16, this is quite a good everyday red, which I could see enjoying with spaghetti and meatballs any night of the week. It is a Bordeaux-style blend of 46% merlot, 37% cabernet sauvignon, 12% petit verdot, and 5% malbec, with a touch of earth and forest floor as well as dark fruit aromas and good fruit tastes, not sweet. We notice that if one buys three bottles of any wine one tasting is free, and decide three bottles of the Red Blend would be a worthwhile investment. Unfortunately, the red is served a bit too cold, perhaps a result of the tap system.

*2013 Lieb Reserve Cabernet Franc $40

By the way, calling a wine “reserve” means whatever the winery wants it to mean, but usually means they think this is a particularly good wine. They would be correct with this one, which we would buy for our cellar if we had room at the moment. Lots of dark fruit, interesting tannins, it’s a delicious dry red that could stand up to steak.

Reasons to visit: you can buy a keg of wine, how cool is that?; wine on tap; a pleasant calm tasting room (or go to their Oregon Road room if you want to get further off the beaten track); almost all the wines, but for fun the Rumor Mill Cider; more seriously the Reserve Cabernet Franc; for an inexpensive everyday red, the Red Blend or white, the White Blend.

Here you can see the taps from which they dispense the Bridge Lane wines.

Roanoke Vineyards: Satellite Spot July 26, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with "Round Trip, Bond, Brio, Brooklyn Oenology, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Malvese, Marco Tulio, merlot, muscat canelli, North Fork, Pearl River oysters, petit verdot, Roanoke Vineyards, rose, sauvignon blanc, South Fork, The Wild, Vines and Branches, viognier, wine bar, wine tasting, Wolffer Estate July 30, 2015

http://www.roanokevineyards.net/

Roanoke’s main tasting room and vineyard are located on the western edge of the North Fork, but their satellite spot, which they call their “wine bar,” is in the heart of wine country, on Love Lane in Mattituck. As I found out, their main room will close this winter to all except wine club members, so you might as well plan to go to their Love Lane place—especially since Love Lane itself is worth a visit for the Village Cheese Shop, Lombardi’s Italian market, and Love Lane Kitchen restaurant, among others.

One view of the tasting room

The wine bar is a small room, but it is well laid out, with a bar along one side and comfy chairs around tables, as well as a small piazza out the back, overlooking the Love Lane parking lot. We happened by on a Sunday afternoon, when local Pearl River oysters were on offer, so we decided to partake of some after our tasting ($20 for a dozen). In addition to their own wines, they also carry bottles by Wölffer Estate (on the South Fork) and Brooklyn Oenology. In fact, the last time we were there they were doing a side-by-side tasting with Brooklyn Oenology, which we quite enjoyed. They also carry their own verjus, a non-alcoholic drink people sometimes use in salad dressing or cooking.

We didn’t get to try this Wolffer Estate wine, but we really liked the bottle.

Their menu offers three options, the “Round Trip,” featuring a white, a rosé, and two reds for $12; Whites, four whites for $12; or Reds, four reds for $14. We opted for one each of the white and the red, so we could try all their wines. The pour is fairly generous. Our server was enthusiastic and friendly, fairly well-informed. In addition, she did a very nice job gift-wrapping a pretty bottle of a Wölffer wine for another customer.

The server helping another couple choose some wines to bring as gifts.

2014 Sauvignon Blanc $19

This is a bit tarter than the usual North Fork sauvignon blanc, with a bit of a woodsy aroma and some tastes of kumquat and lemon. My husband immediately plans to have this when he gets his oysters, but I’m not sure I like this. I think I like the Jamesport sauvignon better.

2014 Rosé $19

The server informs another couple at the bar that this is their top seller, at least this summer, and I can see why. It is a very light rosé, a blend of 75% merlot and 25% “wild” chardonnay (about which more in a moment), with an initial “rush of sweetness,” according to my tasting buddy. I taste not fully ripe cantaloupe, which is in my mind because that’s what we got at a farm stand this week. Good, but we still prefer Croteaux.

2014 The Wild! $20

What is wild here is the yeast, meaning that the wine is fermented using only naturally occurring yeasts, a process I find fascinating, since the winemaker gives up a bit of control over the process by doing this. I quite like this one, though the aroma is a touch musty, with maybe a hint of pencil shavings. The taste is a little sweet, with some honey and citrus, but not too sweet. I decide I’ll have this with my oysters, even though the sauvignon is actually a better fit.

I really liked their label designs.

2014 Brio $24

Since brio means vivacity or verve, I’m interested to see whether this wine has these qualities. It is a blend of 66% chardonnay, 14%viognier, 8% malvese, and 20% muscat canelli, according to the menu. That doesn’t quite compute, according to my math-challenged mind, but the result is interesting. The aroma is complex, with a touch of toffee, a bit of funk, plus more. “Lots going on,” says my husband, who doesn’t particularly like the wine. I disagree. I taste apricot and gooseberry, and like it. I also like that the whites are not served too cold.

Nice size pour

2012 Merlot $24

Now we switch to reds, and get a fresh glass. According to the menu, this merlot is “blousy,” and after some hilarity with clothing puns, we decide we have no idea what that means in terms of this wine. The wine spends 20 months in French oak. Aroma has a touch of barnyard, but also cherry, and the taste is the typical cherry taste of North Fork merlots, with a bit of tannin at the end.

Another view of the room, featuring bags of Vines and Branches’ very popular truffle popcorn.

2012 Marco Tulio $24

I figure there must be a story behind this name, and indeed there is. The wine is named for the owner’s father, who recently passed away at the age of 99. “He drank wine every day!” our server informs us. Sounds like quite an endorsement for wine drinking. This is a wine one could easily drink every day, with an aroma of cherry and dark fruit and a light delicate taste. It is a blend of 59% merlot, 39% cabernet franc, and 9% petit verdot, and spends 14 months in French oak.

2012 Cabernet Franc $34

Although this is labeled cab franc, the menu informs us that this too is a blend, of 79% cab franc, 20% merlot, and 1% petit verdot. There’s some cherry in the aroma, thanks to the merlot, but also plums and spices, perhaps allspice. This is very good, and I could see drinking it with boeuf bourguignon—soft, with lots of fruit and a bit of woodiness.

Another cool label design

2013 Bond $20

One more blend—63% cabernet franc, 22% cabernet sauvignon, 9% petit verdot, and 6% merlot—and the fact that it is a blend and the choice of the name are both appropriate. They called it “Bond” to commemorate their opening on Love Lane, as a thank you to the other local merchants and how welcoming and friendly they were. We actually saw that friendliness in action when we ordered the oysters. The owner of Pearl River asked my husband if he wanted lemon, and then offered a squeeze of “Realemon,” which my husband declined. Before we had a chance to eat any, he reappeared with some lemons which Lombardi’s had given him and which he quickly sliced for us. How nice. And so were the oysters—oh, and so is Bond! I really liked it, though our server opined that it would be even better in a year or two. The aroma is quite fruity and the taste has a good balance of fruit and tartness.

Pearl River oysters for sale on Love Lane

Reasons to visit: a convenient location on Love Lane—you can buy a bottle and then stop in to the cheese shop and put together a picnic (I recommend Bond to go with your cheese.); The Wild!, Brio, Marco Tulio, Cabernet Franc, and Bond; oysters on Sunday afternoons; you can buy bottles of Wölffer Estate and Brooklyn Oenology wines as well.

Our oysters, waiting for the lemon to arrive. I had The Wild!, but I have to admit that my husband’s choice of the Sauvignon Blanc was a better match.

Stroll Love Lane in Mattituck and you can visit some cute shops for gifts, food, cheese, and wine.

Coffee Pot Cellars: How to Grade Wine July 12, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Adam Suprenant, Beasley's Blend, Blossom Meadow, chardonnay, Coffee Pot Cellars, gewurztraminer, Laura Klahre, Meritage, merlot, North Fork wine tasting, Pipes Cove oysters, sauvignon blanc July 15, 2015

http://www.coffeepotcellars.com/

The cozy building that houses Coffee Pot Cellars–where they do not sell coffee.

“So, the way to grade a wine is this: you bring the bottle to a party. At the end of the night you look to see—if the bottle is empty, it was good. But if it is still half or three quarters full…” All of us gathered at the bar of the Coffee Pot Cellars tasting room chuckled at Adam Suprenant’s joke, one of a number of humorous comments with which he entertained the small group. No joke, however—if you bring one of his bottles of wine to a party, don’t expect to take home any leftover wine!

Adam Suprenant in action

Since he first opened three years ago, Adam has expanded his list from four wines to six, all made from grapes which he sources locally (since he doesn’t have his own vineyard). The winemaker for Osprey’s Dominion, he notes that they pay him to make their wines, and then he pays them to use their facilities to make his wines. Making his own wines gives him a chance to express his own taste and creativity, and he does very well. We liked all six.

The small, cheerful yellow tasting room is in a small building on the Main Road, and consists of a bar and some stools, plus shelves featuring wine-related items but also many honey products from the bee-keeping business Blossom Meadow run by his wife, Laura Klahre, who is also a very likeable presence behind the bar. On one wall you can see a beehive behind glass, and Laura will happily explain to you what exactly is going on in it. She is also in the process of creating a “Wineosaur,” a wire sculpture on the front lawn which she is creating using corks. Some day she hopes to attach it to some skateboards and join a local parade.

Laura Klahre explains the “Wineosaur.”

Adam also points out the music series, named “The Buzz,” which they are running this year featuring local singer/songwriters performing their own music, rather than the covers they have to sing at other wineries. The series runs Saturday nights from 7-10, and you can check out their web site for details. (http://www.coffeepotcellars.com/ )

Tasting options include one for $2.50, four for $8, or all six for $10. A glass is $8. We decide we will each get our own tasting.

2012 Sauvignon Blanc $17.99

This is a fairly typical sauvignon blanc, steel-fermented, with lots of citrus flavor. I also feel as though I smell some honey or honeysuckle. It would go great with some Pipes Cove oysters. Apropos of grades, we are informed this scored an 89 in Wine Advocate. We like it.

2012 Chardonnay $15.99

This is the chardonnay he didn’t plan to make, which ended up being a prizewinner. The 2012 is almost sold out, and the 2013 will be released this week. Adam apologizes that they are not yet serving it, because he thinks it is a terrific wine. The 2012 is not so bad! Because he uses ten-year-old oak barrels, it is not heavily oaked at all, with only a slight butterscotch aroma and taste. We taste LOTS of ripe pineapple, and though there is some sweetness it is not at all cloying. Good.

2013 Gewürztraminer $21.99

Gewürztraminer can be too sweet or not sweet enough, but this one is just right. It is fairly refined, with aromas of honeysuckle and lychee and tangerine, reminding me of dessert in a Chinese restaurant. Yet it is also dry. Also good.

Beasley standing guard

Beasley’s Blend $14.99

Now we move to the reds, and Adam rinses our glasses with a quick swirl of the red wine. Who is Beasley? Their black pug, a photo of whom recently graced the pages of Wine Press, a local wine magazine. And why is the wine named for him? Laura and Adam joked that Beasley often joins them for dinner, and this is the type of wine he likes. The label features a drawing of him standing on a deck of the Coffee Pot Lighthouse, and Adam says that he stands watch there, so if you go by on the ferry to New London, listen for his bark. Anyway…Beasley has good taste. This blend of 63% merlot, 19% cabernet franc, 12% cabernet sauvignon, and 6 % petit verdot is better than your usual everyday red blend, especially given the price. We scent lots of berry and spice aromas, with a touch of woods. It is soft and easy to drink, with plenty of berry taste as well. A good wine to bring to that party…

2009 Merlot $17.99

Adam notes that he sources all the merlot grapes for this wine from McCullough’s vineyard, so that it can express the terroir. We smell smoke and cherry, and taste cherry. This is nice and dry, and would complement pasta really well.

2010 Meritage $25.99

A blend of 59% merlot, 23% petit verdot, 14% cabernet franc, and 4% cabernet sauvignon, this wine also got a high grade—a 90—from Wine Advocate. And, Adam adds, he feels it is yet 3-5 years from its peak, so this may be a good wine to store in the cellar for a while. We like this one, too, as it is dry with good dark fruit tastes, but my notes are a bit sketchy because at this point we were the only people left in the room and Adam revealed that he likes my blog. Outed! Nice to know I have a reader aside from my nearest and dearest.

We decide to buy a bottle of the Beasley’s Blend because we are always looking for everyday reds—we eat a lot of pasta—and a bottle of the 2013 Chardonnay so we can try it. We have it with some spicy stir-fried chicken and eggplant I make, and it is delicious. Quite different from the 2012, though it also has a slight butterscotch aroma and flavor, this is much more balanced, with less of a pineapple taste and a touch more citrus—maybe Meyer lemon? I think I’d really like it with some grilled salmon.

Don’t worry, the bees are behind glass.

Bees!

Reasons to visit: Adam and Laura, still wine-country’s cutest couple; all of the wines, but especially the Sauvignon Blanc, the 2013 Chardonnay, the Beasley’s Blend and the Meritage; honey and honey-related items, including beeswax candles in all shapes and sizes; a nice small room where you can really talk to the owner/wine-maker and learn about wine (and bees–which got me wondering, should they try their hand at making mead?).

The “Wineosaur”!

Sannino Bella Vita: Small Place, Big List June 27, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 2nd Bottle Red, Bianca Dolce, Bianca White Merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Chilly Day Chardonnay, Crescent Farms duck, Croteaux, Greenport, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Long Island, merlot, North Fork, Prima Rossa, riesling, Sannino Bella Vita, sauvignon blanc, Spotlight Petit Verdot, Vines and Branches, wine tasting June 30, 2015

This used to be the Ackerly Pond Vineyard, and, though none of the wines are labeled Ackerly, the sign is still there.

http://www.sanninovineyard.com/

The sign outside Sannino Bella Vita says no groups of over six without a reservation, and that’s a good idea, because this small venue really can’t handle a big influx, as we saw when a group with a Groupon and another group there for Anthony Sannino’s wine tour arrived at the same time. However, the cheerful and hard-working tasting room staff did their best to compensate, and we were in no hurry anyway. Our youthful server was new to the winery, and actually learned a few facts from us, but she was so charming we didn’t mind at all.

Anthony Sannino off to give a tour.

This is a great spot if you hope to interact with an owner, as Anthony Sannino is usually on site. In addition, for a small winery they have an interesting range of choices, with a menu of eleven different wines to choose from for a tasting. Since their standard tasting is six wines for $18, we decided to share two tastings, thus getting to sample all the wines (except one that is off the menu). They generally set up all of your tastes on a tray, but with the influx of the groups they asked if we would mind getting our tastes one at a time, since they were worried they would run out of glasses! No problem. We also could have ordered a cheese and meat tray for $18.

One side of the room

We opted to sit on stools at the bar, but most other people sat outside on the side patio. The room has, according to one of the servers, “a certain rustic charm,” and we agree. There’s also a small selection of amusing wine-related gifts, and the Sanninos run a B and B next door to the winery. They are just down the street from Greenport Harbor Brewery’s Peconic location, where mass quantities of people were flocking for a barbeque cook off. We decided to give it a miss.

Some gift items

2014 Chilly Day Chardonnay $18

There’s an interesting vegetable aroma which we note in several other of their wines. Maybe asparagus? Also a touch of baked pear, even though this is a steel-fermented chard. The taste is a touch sweet for a steel chard, but ends with a tart lemony flavor. Nice, and quite buyable. We also note that the whites are served at a good temperature—not too cold.

2013 Off-Dry Riesling $17

“Bronze Medal in the FLI,” says the menu, which we later learn stands for Finger Lakes International. We’re somewhat iffy on rieslings, but this one is quite nice, with green plum aromas and tastes, plus a touch of citrus. It’s not too sweet, and would be a nice chilled summer sipper or an accompaniment to Thai food.

2014 Sauvignon Blanc $22

“I’d definitely have this with oysters,” I say. Lots of not-overly-ripe pineapple taste, tart, lemon at end, with a touch of cabbage in the aroma. Also worth buying, I think.

2014 Chardonnay $20

The menu says this is “fermented in steel and accented in oak,” and though at the moment there was no one to tell us exactly what this meant, we can figure it out, as this is an only lightly oaked chard. We smell honey and almond butter, but the taste is dry and crisp. If you find steel chards a bit too crisp and oaked chards too buttery, you’d probably like this one.

Pretty color

Bianca White Merlot $16

This is a rosé, of course, so, as always, we compare it to Croteaux. The color is a pretty dark pink, with sweet strawberry aromas with again a touch of that vegetable scent. It’s good, though sweeter than Croteaux’s 314, and with less going on.

2014 Bianca Dolce $15

Our server confidently informs us that this is their sweetest wine, and notes that “people come in just for it.” I get that. This has a lighter color than the Bianca, and is quite sweet, almost enough to be a dessert wine. However, it is light and not cloying. Might be nice over ice.

2^nd Bottle Red $20

Why 2^nd Bottle? Because this is a wine you serve second, because “nobody cares by the second bottle.” A non-vintage blend of varietals, this is a fine barbeque wine, with no depth and not a lot of fruit, but quite drinkable. Something in the aroma reminds me of a black olive tapenade, like the one we sampled earlier in the day at Vines and Branches in Greenport.

2012 Merlot $25

Another FLI Bronze Medal winner, this 100% merlot spends 22 months in French and Hungarian oak. We smell plums and a hint of smoke and taste cherry. Neither sweet nor dry, this is a passable merlot, though my husband says he “would not go out of my way for it.”

2012 Prima Rossa $34

50% cabernet sauvignon, 33% cabernet franc, 17% merlot, we inform our eager-to-learn server, means this is a Left Bank Bordeaux-type blend. It’s also quite good, with aromas of coffee, cigars, and grape juice and lots of dark fruit tastes. This one is also aged for 22 months in French and Hungarian oak.

2012 Cabernet Franc $34

Ooh, this wine won a Silver Medal in the FLI. The menu describes it as “elegant.” Well, there is something restrained about it. Quite dry, with a bit of a woody aroma, it would be okay with lamb, but we liked the Prima Rossa much better.

Our favorite of the reds

2012 Spotlight Petit Verdot $42

We opt to get two tastes of this one, to complete our twelve, and decide that was a good choice, as we like this the best of the reds. A blend of 85% petit verdot and 15% cabernet sauvignon, aged 22 months in French and Hungarian oak, this wine has lots of dark fruit aromas with just a touch of smoke, and tastes very good. Lots of fruit, maybe some jam—I could see this with the Crescent Farm duck breasts I served with a strawberry-rhubarb sauce last week. It certainly merited its Silver Medal in the FLI.

This serious-looking canine statue stands guard over the parking lot.

Reasons to visit: you like an intimate setting, with the chance to chat with an owner (if he’s not giving a tour—or you could sign up for the tour!); the Chilly Day Chardonnay, the Sauvignon Blanc, the Prima Rossa, the Spotlight Petit Verdot; a cute selection of gifts.

The vines are in full leaf now.

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.

McCall’s Winery: Vintage Matters 5/2/2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 2012 Pinot Noir, Ben's Blend 2010, cabernet franc, Cabernet Franc Reserve, cabernet sauvignon, Cellar Master, chardonnay, Chardonnay Reserve, Cuvee Nicola Sauvignon Blanc, Estate Flight, Marjorie's Rose, McCall's winery, merlot, North Fork, Pinot Noir Hillside, Premium Flight, White Flight, wine tasting May 4, 2015

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.

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.

Diliberto Winery: Intimate and Friendly, Plus Pizza 12/13/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet sauvignon, Cantina, chardonnay, Diliberto Winery, Long Island, Maryann Diliberto, merlot, North Fork, Sal Diliberto, sauvignon blanc, Tre, wine tasting December 15, 2014

http://www.dilibertowinery.com/

The entrance to the tasting room

The strains of Italian opera waft out into the cold December air as we open the door to Diliberto Winery. A trompe l’oeil street scene of an Italian village greets our eyes as we are warmly welcomed to the small tasting room (expanded in summer by a wrap-around patio). We had been here fairly frequently in the past, but even though it’s now been over a year, Sal Diliberto remembers us and stops by our table to chat. He’s been sitting at another table with a couple of friends who have been eating one of his thin-crust pizzas for lunch. A man who loves cooking and good food as much as he loves making wine, Sal Diliberto is fun to talk to. We share stories of eating in Italy.

Christmas decorations, and bags of home made Italian food to prepare at home

At our table, we contemplate the menu of tastings. There are two choices: The Regular Tasting, of four wines for $12 or the Premium Tasting, of three wines for $15. There is also a menu of pizzas ($17 each), cheese trays, or olives. (No outside food is allowed—and no children, either. When Sal and Maryann’s grandchildren run in for a moment, they are affectionately but quickly shooed out.) We opt to do one tasting of each, alternating as we go. I’ll indicate the Premium wines with a *.

2009 Chardonnay $26

We like the aroma—of sugar cookies and cinnamon—better than the taste, which has quite a lot of acidity and lemon flavor. Although we don’t find it appealing, it might be better with food.

*2003 Sauvignon Blanc $29

On the other hand, we like this, the only other white on the menus, very much. The wine appears a bit hazy in the glass, so I’m not sure whether or not it has been filtered. We get layers of flavor—the oak it was aged in, but also traces of sweetness. Gooseberry pie flavored with vanilla, I say, at which my husband challenges me to say when I ever had a gooseberry. No really, I did, once. It would be lovely with salmon, or with somewhat spicy chicken. We buy two bottles and get a bit of a discount, since we had done the tastings.

Art on the label–at first, I thought they were looking at cell phones!

*2013 Cantina $27

This is a new release, a 50/50 blend of merlot and cabernet franc. We scent spice and berries, with some earthiness, though not that barnyard flavor. It is a good pasta or pizza wine.

2012 Merlot $27

Aroma of cherry and a taste of not really ripe cherry make this just an average Long Island merlot.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon $29

Up to now we’ve been served our wines in pairs—with a fresh glass each time, always a nice touch—but this time we opt to just take one, since our next two tastes will be the two vintages of Tre. We like the cab sauv, though it lacks depth. It has lots of fruit smells, and tastes of plums that are not quite ripe. I could see this with lamb chops, hot from the grill.

The pour is fairly generous.

2012 Tre $34

Here is their Bordeaux blend, a Right Bank style, because it is primarily merlot. It is 65% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon, and 15% cabernet franc. A sniff reveals aromas of wood and fruit, perhaps pine and berries. Though there aren’t many layers of taste it is very nice, with some tannins.

*2013 Tre $37

This blends the same wines in the same proportions as the 2012, but what a difference! It is clearly our favorite of the day, with yummy fruit and a beautiful balance of flavors. It is not at all tannic, so I’m not sure how long it would last, but at the moment it is delicious.

The piano is used for live music–which sometimes includes Sal, a true Renaissance man, singing opera.

Reasons to Visit: the best-looking tasting room, especially if, like us, you love Italy; the 03 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2013 Tre; the warmth and friendliness of Sal and Maryann; Sal’s pizza (we didn’t have it this time, but we’ve sampled it in the past). Oh, and they have a little apartment they rent for $250 per night.

Squint and you can pretend you’re sitting in a piazza in Italy.

Paumanok Vineyards: Inspired by Walt… 11/2/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Apollo Drive Petit Verdot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot, North Fork, Paumanok Vineyard, Petulant Wino, riesling, Tuthills Lane, Walt Whitman, wine tasting November 7, 2014

https://www.paumanok.com/

Whitman, that is, who liked to use the Native American name for Long Island—Paumanok—in his poems. The Massoud family owns and runs the vineyard, with all three sons playing active roles, as we discovered when we chatted with our server, Salim Massoud, who agreed that he very much resembles a cartoon image of his father we noticed on the wall. The tasting room is pleasant and a comfortable size—not too big, not too small (they require large or limo parties to reserve in advance)—plus there is an outdoor deck. The last time we were here, just before Superstorm Sandy, we sat out on the deck and had oysters with a glass of wine, but this time it is too chilly. They also offer a menu of local cheeses (from Catapano and Mecox), charcuterie, and dishes from The Petulant Wino, and do not allow outside food or drinks.

View of the deck–the day was sunny but quite blustery.

The tasting menu offers a number of options: the Festival Flight of 4 wines for $6, two of which are sweet; the Paumanok Flight of 5 wines for $15; the Single Vineyard flight of 2 wines for $10, and the Sweets Flight of 3 sweet wines for $10. We decide we will each get a Paumanok flight, and then share a Single Vineyard flight. All their wines, by the way, come in screw top bottles, which some feel is the future of all wines.

As we carefully sniff and sip and I take notes, another couple at the tasting bar becomes interested. This is their first time at a tasting, and their server does a great job of gently introducing them to the mores of this rather ritualized activity. He asks carefully about their preferences, and customizes a tasting for them. We explain that smelling the wine adds another element of appreciation, and agree with their server that how wine tastes is both a subjective and an objective matter.

2012 Chardonnay $24

This is a slightly oaked chard, so we sniff and note butterscotch. Taste? Oak, melon, maybe kiwi, with tart citrus at the end. Not too buttery, and also not a sipper, but we could see having this with chicken fajitas or grilled tuna.

2013 Dry Riesling $22

When my husband asks if these grapes come from upstate, Salim proudly notes that all of their wines are made from their own grapes. We smell honeysuckle, and the wine is fairly dry, with some complexity. Layers of fruit and tart, I think, with some tastes of Seville oranges. Not long ago I made turkey Weiner Schnitzel, and I think this would have gone very well with that.

2012 Cabernet Franc $24

Because of the difficulties of the 2012 harvest, Salim notes, this has ended up being a very light cabernet franc. In fact, if he hadn’t told us this, we might not have guessed it was a cab franc at all. It has a strawberry aroma, like a rosé, no depth and little fruit. I suggest if one had a bottle of this on one’s hands one could make sangria.

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon $24

Although it is also a 2012, the cab sauv is much better, with slight berry aroma and ripe plum taste, dry, with nice tannins. I decide it would go well with Swedish meatballs, which I recently made for a party.

We liked the merlot.

2010 Merlot $28

Clearly the menu saved the best for last. This is a good example of a typical Long Island merlot, with a woodsy and cherry aroma and a cherry taste. No dirt!

Nice glasses, too.

2010 Merlot Tuthills Lane $75

Believe it or not, I think this smells like a bandaid. On the other hand, it tastes really good, with lots of cherry flavors, dry, but, despite what they describe as “voluminous tannins,” we don’t sense much in the way of tannins. The pour, by the way, is generous enough that we are happy to each get half of it in our glasses, so we can share this tasting. This time my husband had the cold…

2010 Petit Verdot Apollo Drive $75

This is the second of our Single Vineyard flight, and is also quite good. “This is aged 16 months in French oak,” notes Salim. Sniff. M&Ms? Maybe also nutmeg. Lots of dark berry tastes and nice tannins, dry, but with plenty of fruit tastes. We like this one, but not at $75 per bottle!

Part of the tasting room

Reasons to visit: the 2010 Petit Verdot Apollo Drive, the 2013 Dry Riesling, the nice menu of snacks, a pleasant setting, oysters on Saturdays during the summer, helpful servers if you are a newbie.

The vines in fall, when most of the grapes have been picked.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

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