Sparkling Pointe August 25, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Blanc de Blancs, Brut, caviar, Champagne, chardonnay, chocolate, Cuvee Carnaval, gewurztraminer, merlot, North Fork wine, Pinot Meunier, pinot noir, Seduction, Sparkling Pointe, sparkling wine August 27, 2013

http://www.sparklingpointe.com/

It seemed appropriate on a sparkling August day, after several hours watching the sun sparkling on the water, to check out Sparkling Pointe winery, where they specialize in sparkling wine. And a good choice it was. Using the Méthode Champenoise to make authentic champagne-style wines (which can’t actually be called champagne because only wines from the Champagne region of France can legally bear that title), they have taken Long Island grapes into the realm of luxury wines.

The bright and airy tasting room leads out to a spacious patio area, which they need, since they often get van and busloads of visitors, as we have noted as we have driven by. Just as Croteaux evokes France and Diliberto evokes Italy, Sparkling Pointe evokes Brazil, featuring Bossa Nova nights and paintings of Rio in its tasting room. According to a server on a previous visit, the owners happen to “love the culture” of Brazil. The winery also tries to promote an air of elegance, with crystal chandeliers on the ceiling and caviar on the fairly extensive snack menu. Once, when we came on Halloween, all the servers were in fancy dress, either tuxedos or ball gowns. The snack menu, which needs to be somewhat extensive since they have a note on the door politely informing guests that they no longer allow outside food, also includes charcuterie, various cheeses, olives, and more, as well as iced tea, Pellegrino, and something called Vita Coco Coconut Water from Brazil. We have goodies waiting at home, so we decide to just do two tastings, one for our son and another we will share, at $17 for four tastes in pretty champagne flutes. Although they have more than four wines, they decide on the menu of tastings each day. Oh, and you can add a chocolate pairing for an additional $10.

Our server knows his stuff, and seems quite enthusiastic, but he is also taking care of a couple of larger parties out on the patio and seems somewhat distracted, rushing back and forth. Fortunately, we are not in a hurry.

2009 Brut $29

This is their “signature” wine, a blend of 59% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier, and 5% reserve wine. I want to ask the server what “reserve wine” means, though I assume it is wine left over from other years, but he has disappeared and I forget when he returns. We like the Brut better than on a past visit. It has a somewhat doughy smell, with some notes of not-ripe melon, or maybe pear. It is a light, dry champagne, with some residual sugar and a hint of grapefruit. While I wouldn’t want to drink it by itself, as in a toast, it would be a lovely aperitif wine with nuts or soft cheese.

2. 2008 Blanc de Blancs $42 (Magnum $93)

On the other hand, I would happily drink a toast with this wine. After a year on the lees, this 100% Chardonnay wine has a somewhat funky mineral aroma but is creamy to taste, and reminds me of a Granny Smith apple pie. Nicely dry, but with good fruit, I could also see this paired with some Crescent Farms duck breast. and my son agrees. It is better than most $20 champagnes one buys.

3. 2003 Brut Seduction $60

Another blend, this one is 51% Chardonnay and 49% Pinot Noir, and spent eight years on the lees, according to our server. One nicety—each taste is poured into a fresh glass. Here we smell dirt and mushrooms, but taste raspberry and lemon curd. One could definitely sip this on its own and be very happy. The tasting notes refer to its “organoleptic profile,” which occasions some hilarity in our little party. Look it up.

4. NV Cuvée Carnaval $27

Our server has poured our final taste before we finished the one before, and left, noting that he won’t be back, a fistful of glasses in one hand and a bottle in the other, so I miss whatever he said about this wine, as I was concentrating on the previous one and comparing notes with my son. This wine combines Merlot and Chardonnay, plus 4% Gewürztraminer, which probably accounts for some of its sweetness. We smell strawberry jam and taste mango and cherry. It wouldn’t be bad with a dessert like a flourless chocolate cake, and, for a sweet wine, has some nice minerality, so I like it better than I thought I would. If you didn’t have Chateau d’Yquem, my husband notes, you could substitute this. Well, maybe…

After we finish our last wine, we stand at the bar waiting to pay for our tastings, our server, as promised, having disappeared. A gentleman comes over and asks us if we are waiting to buy a bottle. No, we say, just waiting to pay for our tastings. He thanks us for our patience, and tells us the tastings are free! Nice gesture, which somewhat makes up for our harried server’s divided attentions.

Reasons to visit: you like champagne—um, I mean, sparkling wine; you want to see what a North Fork winery can do with sparkling wines; you want caviar with your champ…sparkling wine; the Blanc de Blancs (my favorite); Bossa Nova nights.

One Woman Winery August 5, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with chardonnay, D'latte, Dessert Wine, gewurztraminer, Greenport, gruner veltliner, merlot, North Fork, One Woman Tribute, One Woman Winery, rose, sauvignon blanc August 8, 2013

http://www.onewomanwines.com/

Apparently, one woman is all it takes to make some terrific wines; at least, if that one woman is Claudia Purita, the woman behind One Woman Wines. As her daughter proudly told us on a previous visit, Ms. Purita tends the vines by hand, picks the grapes, and makes the wine. The results are a pleasure to drink. Oh, and she even picks and arranges the gorgeous bouquets of wildflowers that grace the tasting room.

Flowers in the tasting room

We came to the winery this time on a breezy sunny Monday afternoon, when, until two other parties arrived, we were the only people in the tiny tasting room and on the only slightly larger deck area, where we drank our wines. If you are in a party larger than six or in a limo, you’d better have a reservation! The pleasant young women behind the bar were cheery and helpful, and guided us as we decided on what to pick from the menu of nine wines. Tastings are $6 for two tastes, $8 for three, or $10 for four, plus there are three reserve wines one can try for $4 for one or $12 for all three. Since there were four adults, we decided to share two tastings of four choices each, plus some reserves, while the two-year-old distraction ran races on the lawn. Because we were going back and forth between two tastings, the wines might not be in the absolute perfect tasting order.

2011 One Woman Tribute $23

Created to mark Ms. Purita’s five-year anniversary as a winemaker, this is a blend of all their whites. As a result, it has an unsurprisingly complicated aroma with peach and minerality dominating followed by a delicious taste that combines apricots (my favorite fruit) with a long citrusy finish. Dry yet fruity, this is a wine one could happily sip by itself or pair with almost any food.

2. 2012 Sauvignon Blanc $25

Another goodie! This one has a spicy aroma and flavor, with lots of lemon. It would be great with oysters. Very buyable.

3. 2011 Grüner Veltliner $20

Hmmm…what’s that smell? Eucalyptus! This wine also has plenty of fruit, with a nice tartness that makes us think of gooseberries. This is good, but…

4. 2012 Grüner Veltliner $20

…the 2012 is even better. Despite a slightly musty aroma under the eucalyptus, this is delicious, with a surprisingly sweet ending and a bit of a bubbly feeling on the tongue. As this is the only Grüner on the North Fork, it is worth coming here just to taste it.

5. 2011 Gewürztraminer $23

We smell pineapple and mango, then find the taste surprisingly dry, though with lots of tropical fruit. This one is rather delicate, so you’d want to pair it with a dish that wouldn’t be overwhelmed by it. Maybe scallops?

6. 2012 Gewürztraminer $23

As the servers noted, the 2012s are more flavorful than the 2011s, and that holds true for both the Gewürztraminer and the Grüner. Aromas and tastes of pineapple, and also spice and honey make this our favorite of the day, and we buy some to take home, thinking of Peconic Bay scallops on the barbecue.

7. 2012 Chardonnay $20

This is our least favorite of the day, a half oaked, half steel fermented chard with some vanilla and pine sap aromas and some oak and tropical fruit flavors.

The deck

8. 2012 Rosé $19

We get the usual notes of strawberry, with perhaps, as they say, some pomegranate. This is a dry, merlot-based rosé, with some earthiness and funkiness, though ultimately it is refreshing.

9. 2008 Estate Reserve Merlot $48

Lots of aromas to this wine, including wet forest and cinnamon. We taste spice and dark fruit, and all agree that it is an excellent merlot with all sorts of interesting flavors. This is part of the Reserve tasting, as are the next two.

10. 2010 Estate Reserve Chardonnay $38

Again, not a favorite. It has that cat pee smell some wines seem to get, and is too oaky for our taste, with lots of butterscotch.

11. 2010 Dessert Wine $39

Smells like the Gewürztraminer. It is sweet, but not just sweet, with some nice structure.

If you are counting, you will realize we skipped one wine—the sparkling wine. Perhaps next time we’ll try that. Meanwhile we buy the Gewürztraminer and the Sauvignon Blanc, and as a result the tastings of the standard wines, but not the reserves, are free. We also almost bought some gelato on sale in the tasting room, before we remembered that we had a Briermere pie for dessert. Gelato? Not surprising when you know that her husband owns D’Latte in Greenport. Later that night we have Peconic Bay scallops, barbecued on skewers with plum tomatoes and zucchini, along with roasted new potatoes and corn and sautéed zucchini, and the Gewürztraminer goes perfectly with it all.

Reasons to visit: you would like to drink some excellent white wines; you like peace and quiet among the vines (though they do have some evening events which might be livelier); you want to try Grüner Veltliner on Long Island; you like a nice dry Gewürztraminer; the Sauvignon Blanc.

Osprey’s Dominion April 6, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Flight Edelzwicker, gewurztraminer, Meritage, merlot, North Fork, Osprey's Dominion, Richmond Creek Merlot, sauvignon blanc, Unwooded April 8, 2013

http://www.ospreysdominion.com/

http://ospreysdominion.olhblogspace.com

Having a bachelorette party? Then this may just be the perfect spot for you. We saw at least five during our tasting at Osprey’s Dominion, and our server noted, “I need a drink. I just served three bachelorette parties in a row.” The first part of the long curving bar in the large, airy tasting room is reserved for limo parties, and they get a “special” menu with four tastes, with choices winnowed to two in each category. One group we noted had a rather extensive cheese and cracker platter, but we weren’t sure if they were served it or brought it. A guitar player in one corner varied his somewhat folksy play list to accommodate one group of women who danced in front of him.

On the other hand, we liked many of the wines, and our server had his spiel on each wine well memorized, with useful notes on each, and was happy to make suggestions as to choices and the order in which to drink them. However, another server who took over for him when yet another group of gigglers demanded his attention just poured, with hardly any commentary. We felt somewhat abandoned at that point.

A quick look at the gift items revealed a small assortment of not very creative choices, except for one neat idea: they will let you order a personalized label for some of their wines, though you have to order at least a case.

The menu for those not from a limo offers two options (aside, of course, from buying a whole glass): $8.00 for any five from the menu, or $5 for three choices. A blackboard outside also offered a special of $20 for two tastings and a serving of sausage, cheese and crackers. The “serving” consisted of a small sleeve of Ritz-type crackers, and a pre-packaged box with slices of mild pepperoni and fairly flavorless processed cheese. Not worth it, but we were hungry after a shopping trip to Greenport and a quick stop at our marina to look at our slip for the coming summer (where we spotted two ospreys on their nest, which may have subconsciously influenced our choice of winery). As we frequently do, we ordered different wines so we could taste ten of their offerings, and so tried many of their wines (their website says they have 23, but not all are on the tasting menu). We did not try their sparkling wine, their port, or their spiced wine (served warm).

2011 Sauvignon Blanc $15

Our server notes that this is a good place to start, as it is a fairly neutral wine. The aroma is somewhat flowery, and we note tastes of green apple and lemon. Good, and would be nice with oysters or lobster.

2. 2010 Unwooded Chardonnay $15

“This one is more like a pinot gris than a typical chardonnay,” says our server, and we can see his point. Like other steel-fermented chards it has a mineral aroma and tastes of citrus, especially lime. The first taste on your tongue is a bit sweet, but it quickly turns tart.

3. 2010 Gewürztraminer $20

“This one just jumps out of the glass at you,” said our server, who will soon be moving to North Carolina to take a teaching job. This is certainly a Gewürztraminer that does its own thing, and does not taste like a standard wine from this grape. The aroma combines fermented pear juice and some cat pee (or like the smell of water that flowers have stood in for too long), but is not unpleasant. The flavor is both sweet and somewhat nutty, with a tart finish.

4. 2010 “Flight” Edelzwicker $24

It was interesting to taste this German-style wine next to the Gewürztraminer, since it has some of that grape, as well as Pinot Gris and Riesling in it. We really liked it, and it is an unusual wine for Long Island, which is always fun. The aroma is somewhat mineral, with a slight trace of cat pee, and it tastes like ripe green plums with some sweetness and complexity. It is certainly buyable, though we don’t opt to do so.

5. 2007 Merlot $20

Now we switch to reds, and our server rinses our glasses once again. A lovely aroma of berry and ripe plum, with none of the dirt that one often finds in Long Island merlots meets our noses, followed by good fruit flavors of ripe cherry with hints of chocolate. This is a prize winner, and we agree, and are especially interested to see that it is on sale, for $39 for three bottles, so we plan to buy it. (The last time we were here, a couple of years ago, there was no charge for the tasting when we bought several bottles of wine. Not so this time.)

6. Richmond Creek Merlot $14

It’s so fascinating to find that two wines from the same grape and the same vineyard can be so different. As much as we like the 07 Merlot, that’s how much we dislike this thin, sour, very dry wine. It has no finish, which is fortunate, and I’d hate to have that taste linger on my palate.

7. 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon $20

This one’s just okay, with mineral aroma and a whiff of earth, not much fruit and few tannins.

8. 2008 Cabernet Franc $20

2008 was a very rainy year, and the cab franc suffers accordingly. Though we smell leather and plums, the wine itself is thin, with only a little fruit and not much finish.

9. 2007 Meritage $24

Somewhat of a Bordeaux blend, the Meritage has 67% Merlot, 17% Carmenere, 10% Petit Verdot, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. We like its aromas of dark cocoa and fruit, and it tastes good, too, with all the ripe fruit flavors lacking in the previous two wines. Our substitute server has to consult a notebook to give us the varietal breakdown.

10. 2007 Reserve Merlot $35

Really good! Lots of ripe berry aroma and plenty of fruit with no dirt make this a better than average Merlot—and they’ve priced it accordingly.

Reasons to visit: Good for a large group, and very accommodating to bachelorette parties; they encourage picnickers in the summer to buy a bottle of wine and use the outside terrace while listening to music; the Flight Edelzwicker (called flight because the owner is also a pilot) and the 07 Merlot; good prices for most of their wines. But this is not the place if you like individual attention and a quiet atmosphere!

Laurel Lake Vineyards December 2, 2012

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, gewurztraminer, Laurel Lake. Syrah, North Fork, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc, winter December 6, 2012

http://www.llwines.com/

In the winter, the North Fork is even more laid back than in the summer. (In fact, the only intense season is October, when the pumpkin-pickers and maze-wanderers coincide with the harvest-season wine-tasters to actually cause traffic on Main Road and Sound Avenue.) However, the wineries are still open, though for some only on the weekends; most of the restaurants are still open, though some close for the season; and a few farm stands are still open, featuring Brussels sprouts and winter squash. On an unseasonably warm December afternoon, with fog shrouding the vineyards, we decided to head to Laurel Lake Vineyards, on Main Road near Laurel Lake Park.

The tasting room is housed in a pretty building that looks like an old-fashioned Colonial farm house, with a wide veranda and stained glass windows. On one side of the veranda there is a large seating area, screened at this time of year by plastic sheeting from the elements. Inside, the tasting bar is attractively designed to look like a saloon bar, with a large mirror behind it. They have a small selection of wine-related gifts—t-shirts, stoppers, etc.—and some local art for sale.

The tasting menu is divided into whites and reds, and a standard tasting is any three for $7, with a fairly generous pour (plus the usual wines by the glass or bottle). Since there are eight reds and nine whites to choose from, we will have to return! Unfortunately, I was suffering from a sore throat (but not yet the stuffy nose that arrived the next morning, thank goodness) so we opted not to share, and I took three reds and my husband took three whites. The server was candid in his recommendations on which to choose, and I liked his choices for the reds.

Whites

2012 Sauvignon Blanc $19.99

A pleasant grassy aroma forecasts a clean grapefruit-y taste, with some sweet notes, almost as if it had been in oak, though it is a steel-fermented wine. This would be good with seafood or for sipping.

2012 Gewurztraminer $21.99

He finds this one too sweet, so much so that it is not a good capture of the varietal. Rather than fruit, it tastes more like honey, so I suppose this could function as a dessert wine. We also note that the whites are being held in a wine refrigerator set at 44 degrees, which seems a bit too cold to us. We mention this to the server, who laughs and notes that some people actually ask them for ice to put in the wine, which they do not have. “Room temperature” in the past meant chillier than room temperature now, but we find we prefer our wines warmer than they are often served.

2010 Riesling $19.99

This one is also sweet, but “not unbearably so,” and would be good with spicy food. Though it starts sweet with some buttery notes it ends with a bit of a tang.

Reds

2009 Pinot Noir Reserve $29.99

So there is a school of thought that sees the “reserve” moniker as a bit of a scam, but I’m willing to allow it! Though there’s not much aroma to this wine, it has a nice dry berry taste. It’s good, though a bit thin on the finish.

2008 Cabernet Franc $21.99

I really like this one! There’s some eucalyptus aroma, and red berry tastes, with what their tasting notes call a “smooth velvety finish.” They also say it’s good with steak, and I agree. Buyable!

2009 Syrah $19,99

This, as my grandma said with each new grandchild and then great-grandchild, “beats the bunch.” There’s lots of fruit on the nose, with yummy blackberry and some green pepper tastes. Since it is not as heavy as some Australian syrahs, I could see this as cutting the fattiness of a lamb dinner. They also suggest having it with pastas and smoked ham. This is a slightly unusual grape for Long Island, but I happen to like syrahs (and shirazes) in general. Very buyable, and we do, buying one of this and one of the cab franc.

We have heard that some of the owners and winemakers are Chilean, and wonder if this explains the sweetness of the whites. The tasting menu also includes a list of restaurants where you can find their wines, and I can see why a number of places would feature these pleasant, well-priced wines.

Reasons to visit: pretty tasting room, generous pour, lots of different wines to taste, very reasonable prices, 08 Syrah and 08 Cab Franc, sweet whites if you like them!

One Woman Winery September 2, 2012

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Biere, chardonnay, gewurztraminer, gruner veltliner, merlot, One Woman Wines, sauvignon blanc September 4, 2012

The Gruner Veltliner!

http://www.onewomanwines.com/

On the way home from a boat ride with our son and two of his friends, we stop at One Woman Wines and Vineyard for a tasting. The tiny tasting shack seems crowded at first, but the three lovely young women behind the counter–including Claudia Purita’s (the one woman behind One Woman) daughter Gabrielle–soon sort everyone out, and we all embark on tastings. There are seven wines on the list, and one can have two for $6, three for $8, or four for $10. We decide to share a three and a four, and thus taste all seven. Our son and his friends each opt for tastings of four. The pour is generous, and we all are feeling good after boating and swimming and enjoying this last summer weekend. As we sip and ponder, we also enjoy the lovely wildflower arrangements in the shack–also by Claudia! Several parties have taken their tastings to the outside tables, and a small group seems to be having their own impromptu jam session. We decide to start with a comparative tasting of their three chardonnays.

1) 08 Chardonnay $20

This is a pleasant chardonnay, with flavors of pear and vanilla, with a nice fruity aroma and a long finish. Definitely buyable.

2) 07 Chardonnay $20

Surprisingly, this has that barnyard aroma we usually find in Long Island merlots. Fortunately, it tastes better than it smells,with lots of vanilla and some sweetness. Nice legs.

3) 08 Estate Reserve Chardonnay $40

This spends 8 months in French oak, and has an orange blossom aroma with again plenty of vanilla and a taste somewhat like caramel candy.Though it is mellow, my husband feels it is too oaked for him, though I like it.

Now we move on to the rest of their wines.

4) 2010 Gewurztraminer $20

Lovely honeysuckle/floral aroma and flowery/sweet taste make this a nice sipping wine, though not to my taste particularly.

5) 2010 Sauvignon Blanc $ $24

Their tasting notes say flavors of lemon grass and green apple, and I have to agree. Though they say it is a Sancerre style, we’re not so sure. However, we do agree that it is a very good wine that would pair well with local oysters.

6) 2010 Gruner Veltliner $26

Wow–the star of the day! I don’t know if any other wineries are trying this grape, but it is certainly rare. It is light and tart, but with plenty of fruit flavors, mostly grapefruit. Crisp. Good. We all buy bottles of it! Nice bonus–on this day, there is a special offer of a free tasting if one pays cash for a bottle of wine, which we do. We also knew we’d like the gruner since we had tried it at Biere, Claudia’s husband’s restaurant in Greenport, which in its current iteration features Belgian-style fare including excellent mussels and frites, a delicious cheese tray, and interesting beers on tap.

7) 08 Merlot $28

This is One Woman’s only red, and it is a good standard L.I. merlot, with blackberry flavors and aromas, but not in the same league as her whites, which are really good.

As we get ready to leave, Gabrielle says they are about to release two new wines, and we promise to be back.

Reasons to visit: Pretty rustic location a bit off the beaten track; nice whites, especially the Gruner Veltliner.

Lenz Winery 8/25/12

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, gewurztraminer, Lenz, merlot, NoFo, Old Vines, Winery August 30, 2012

The first round at Lenz

http://www.lenzwine.com/

After a 28-mile morning bike ride, we are ready for some refreshment, and so we head to the Lenz Winery, on the main road, one of a row of wineries. They have an attractive barn-like tasting room, as well as some outside tables, and they sell some of the art that is on their walls as well as a small selection of wine-related tchatchkas. A chalk board suggests one ask about their cheese tray, but we don’t. There are two tasting menus, the Estate wines, 6 for $10, and the Premium wines, 5 for $14. Being good at sharing, we order one of each, and our well-informed and bright server asks if we would like him to coordinate them so we can taste the wines in groups. We do!

The first round consists of three wines, the 2010 Blanc de Noir ($15), the 2006 Cuvee ($30) and the 2008 Gewurztraminer ($20).

1) The Blanc de Noir is a rose, with a sweet beginning and a tart finish, and a taste of green tomatoes. It would work with oysters.

2) Champagne! The 06 Cuvee is a methode champagnoise sparking wine that is quite good. They use pinot noir grapes. Although the aroma reminds us of cut grass that has been left in a pile for too long, the flavor is dry and good, with notes of green apple. This wine, the server tells us, is aged for 6 months.

3) In the past we have liked their gewurz, but this one does not thrill us. Neither here nor there, is one comment. Some sweetness, some spice, a bit of ginger.

The second grouping lets us compare three chardonnays. I love this type of tasting, since it is always so fascinating to see how the same grape can be so different depending on how it is treated.

4) 08 White Label Chardonnay $12

This mostly steel fermented chard has a honeysuckle aroma, and though it is a bit sweet is is nicely balanced and not too citrusy. Very buyable!

5) Gold Label Chardonnay $20

This is an oak-aged chard, and has the expected vanilla/caramel notes with a roast pear aroma. It starts tart and ends a bit acidic. Though it has a bit too much flavor for simple foods, it might be really good with a seafood in cream sauce dish.

6) Old Vines Chardonnay $25

“Old vines” because the vines are 25 years old, this variety is “only made when we have good grapes,” we are told. This is in the tradition of a white Burgundy, with flavors of spice, pears, and some vanilla. Excellent!

Now we move on to the reds, with a grouping of two cabernet sauvignons and a merlot/cab sauv blend, again facilitating fascinating comparisons.

7) 08 Cabernet Sauvignon $23

The aroma reminds us of one of our favorite NoFo treats: Briermere blackberry pie! Soft, simple, and uncomplicated, this would make a pleasant sipping wine. Good!

8) 08 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (plus other grapes) blend $17

Another right bank Bordeaux. We feel this could use more time to age, as it is very soft and dry, with no aroma. Not bad for an everyday Bordeaux, however.

9) 2002 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon $40

Yum! The server tells us this wine has had 10 years in the bottle to “calm down,” an interesting way to put it. He also says it could sit another 10-15 years, but we doubt that. We go on to have a discussion of the cabernet sauvignon grape, which, he says, has thicker skins than other grapes, and so needs more time to ripen, meaning that it is also more subject to the vagaries of weather and thus more difficult to work with. They’ve done a good job with this one, which has lots of fruit, an interestingly complicated aroma, but not much tannin. Though expensive, this could be worth the price.

The last grouping pairs two merlots.

10) 07 Estate Select Merlot $23

How can a wine smell like coconut suntan lotion? I don’t know, but this one does! Though it is dry, we taste lots of fruit and sense plenty of tannins. We like this one, and buy two bottles, one for a friend and one for us.

11) 02 Old Vines Merlot $55

We sense some of the earthy terroir aroma of the Long Island merlot, but only a little. Again, this is dry, with tastes of black cherry and chocolate. Though good, we don’t think it is worth the price.

Reasons to visit: some good reds, especially the Old Vines Cab and the Estate Select Merlot; the chance to do some comparative tastings across grape types; the Old Vines Chard.

Pellegrini Vineyard

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with chardonnay, gewurztraminer, pellegrini July 8, 2012

June 16, 2012

http://www.pellegrinivineyards.com/site/

We belong to Pellegrini’s wine club (a story I will tell some time), so we are here to pick up our latest shipment. It is a beautiful warm, sunny day. Judy, the diminutive doyenne of the tasting room, remembers us and that we prefer their reds. Pellegrini seems to strike a good balance between being a venue for limo crowds and a place for serious tasters, with a nice-sized tasting room with a few tables and chairs, plus a bar, and lots of outdoor space both under the pergola and out on the lawn. One time when we stopped here with friends and their little boys, the boys played happily on the lawn while we brought our flights to a table where we could watch them. As wine club members, our tastings are free, but we opt for just 4 tastes to check out the new vintages, with a bit of guidance from Judy, who is always very well-informed and passionate about the wines. (They have different levels of tastings, including three one-ounce pours for $4.)

1) 2009 Select Chardonnay $14.99

This is an 85% steel, 15% oak aged blend, a pleasant combination which avoids the hazards of over-oaking while still picking up that slight vanilla/woodsy aroma from the oak. The aroma has notes of mineral and vegetables as well as oak. This is not a sipping wine, with a tart sour-apple taste, but it would be good with, for example, seafood in a cream sauce.

2) 2010 Gewürztraminer $19.99

This is not our favorite gewurtz—too sweet, always a hazard with this grape. The aroma reminds me of the water in a flower vase when you have left the flowers in too long.

3) 2008 Steakhouse Red $16.99

This is a blend of 71% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, and 3% cabernet franc. Though this is called Steakhouse, we feel it is too light to stand up to steak, though it would be fine with pork or lamb chops, as it has enough acidity to complement these meats. The aroma combines blackberry and wood, as does the taste.

4) 2007 Vintner’s Pride Encore $39.99

Another blend—47% merlot, 32% cab franc, 13% cab sauv, 8% petit verdot—or in other words, a Bordeaux. The aroma is not assertive, but has some berry in it. The flavor is delicious, with lots of ripe berry, but not too sweet. If we wanted to add a somewhat pricey red to our cellar, we would have bought it, but we don’t need any right now. I bet it will age very nicely.

Reasons to visit: really good all-around winery that strikes a balance between big and small; good wines, especially the reds (rare for Long Island); good servers; pretty setting.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

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