Martha Clara: Something for Everyone January 3, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Barrique Flight, cabernet sauvignon, Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Estate Reserve Merlot, Long Island, Martha Clara, merlot, North Fork, Northville Red, pinot noir, Reserve Flight, riesling, syrah, wine tasting January 5, 2015

http://www.marthaclaravineyards.com/

Winery entrance

The tasting menu offers four different flights, as well as sangria and wines by the taste or glass; the adjoining huge performance space features an array of lunch and snack items as well as live music; the gift shop carries all sorts of wine-related gifts, the outside area includes farm animals one can feed: Yes, there seems to be something for everyone here. There are even a few quite nice wines. It’s no wonder the front parking lot at Martha Clara is so often full, with overflow crowds for special events sent to lots further back. What will happen to the winery if the Entenmann family is able to sell it, no one seems to know, but according to our server it is a profitable business. So it you have a spare 25 million hanging around…

Lots of holiday lights

We walked into the tasting room on a chilly drizzly day to be greeted by a multitude of holiday lights and decorations. We came with friends who are wine club members, so our tastings were free, but if you’re not they are still reasonable. The Barrique flight, all reds, gives you five tastes for $13, and so does the Aromatic Flight. The Off Dry (Sweet) is just $12 for your five tastes, and the Reserve, of their more expensive wines, is $15 for five. We opted for the Barrique and the Reserve. The pour is fairly generous. Our server gave us a minimum of information about each wine, but when asked did have more to offer. I will give you the Reserve Flight information first, then the Barrique.

Reserve Flight

2010 Estate Reserve Riesling $45

The server described it as semi-dry, but we found it rather sweet. The aroma is nice—floral and apricot—but then the taste is rather simple, without any complexity or layers, and mostly just sweet. It might be okay as an aperitif at a party. I wondered why they start their flight with such a sweet wine.

Two of the wines we tasted

2012 Estate Reserve Chardonnay $26.99

My friend compared the taste of the chard to crème bruleé, as it features vanilla flavors—it is oak fermented—and a pleasant mouth feel. There’s even a bit of citrus at the end—perhaps lime. Quite nice.

Cabernet Sauvignon $25.99

The Cab Sauv is a blend of the 2010 and 2011 vintages, and is included in both tastings, so I’ll just write about it once. It is, our server noted, the wine of the month. It’s not bad, with tastes of red plum or dried prune and some minerality, but overall, not exciting. My husband theorized that perhaps the winemaker is too tame, not making each wine distinct and different. There’s some sweetness and almost no tannins.

The unanimous favorite of the day

2010 Northville Red $23.99

Winner of the day! The Northville Red is their Bordeaux blend—78% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Malbec—and is also included in both flights. We all agree this is our favorite, and quite buyable. It smells a bit like forest floor, just a touch funky, but the taste is quite delicious, with lots of dark fruit. It would be yummy with lamb chops, for example.

2012 Estate Reserve Merlot $32.99

Unlike all the other wines today, this one has a cork. Our server explains, giving several good reasons, why Martha Clara is changing to all screw tops—ecologically better, wine keeps better, less spoilage, etc. We smell some of that barnyard terroir Long Island merlots can have, and maybe wet forest floor. The taste includes black cherries and some tannin, but my husband theorizes that perhaps the wine is not quite ready to be poured. “It’s not fair to the poor wine,” he says. Maybe given more time…?

Barrique Flight

2011 Pinot Noir $29.99

We admire the pretty garnet color of the pinot, scents of cherry and oak—maybe a touch too much oak. This is a pleasant wine, a bit light and thin, but would be okay with roast chicken or for sipping.

2011 Merlot $22.99

This is a new release, our server tells us. We are not excited. We smell oak and mineral, not much fruit, and the wine itself seems to have no body or depth. It is dry, and could definitely use more fruit.

Cabernet Sauvignon (see above)
2010 Syrah $23.99

I often like syrahs, and this one is no exception. I smell pepper and black cherry, and taste lots of dark fruits. This wine is easy to drink, either just to sip or with food, and the price makes it quite buyable as well.

2010 Northville Red (see above)

This is the room where you find live entertainment and food for sale.

Reasons to visit: you’re with a group and everyone wants something different; you need entertainment for yourself or some children; you need to pick up a wine-related gift; you want a spot of lunch with your wine; the 2010 Northville Red, the 2010 Syrah, the 2012 Estate Reserve Chardonnay.

Dogs are allowed, as long as they are leashed.

Plenty of gift items are available.

100 bottles of wine on the wall, 100 bottles of wine…

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.

Southold Farm + Cellar: Something New

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, Carey Meader, Cast Your Fate to the Wind, chardonnay, Damn the Torpedoes, Grace Under Pressure, La Belle Fille, Lambrusco, Malbec, merlot, North Fork, Peconic, petit verdot, pinot noir, Regan Meader, Rex Farr, Southold Farm + Cellar, tasting, The Devil's Advocate October 22, 2014

https://www.southoldfarmandcellar.com/

Regan Meader, owner and winemaker and tasting room server!

“I like to experiment,” enthused Regan Meader, the owner, with his wife Carey, of Southold Farm + Cellar, one of the newest wineries on the North Fork, and a very promising one. Mr. Meader went on to discuss the fun and the intellectual challenges inherent in wine making. He came to the North Fork a number of years ago knowing very little about wine making, and apprenticed himself to a couple of wine makers. He has learned his lessons well.

Southold Farm + Cellar is a bit off the beaten track, and so are its wines. When you turn in off the back road, you find a lovingly restored rustic tasting shed (open only on weekends) with a view across the field to the vines. The vines are still too young to make wine, so “The birds get to eat most of the grapes.” (Though his one year old daughter also gets some.) Until next year, he’s sourcing his grapes and wine from other vineyards on the North Fork, then developing his wines in his own way. He intends to be an organic farm and to use all natural fermentation.

The tasting room

The tasting menu, written on a blackboard, features four wines for $15, poured into very attractive glasses.

La Belle Fille $36

The tasting starts with a lovely sparkling wine with an interesting back story. Peconic Winery closed last year, but they still had some wine, including this one, which had not yet been disgorged. So Mr. Meader bought it and disgorged it “with no dosage.” Alas, he had no bottles available, or we would have bought one—or two. A delicious aroma like yeast bread baking presaged a toasty caramel taste we really enjoyed. Made from pinot noir grapes.

The Devil’s Advocate Chardonnay $26

Made from a musque clone from Mudd’s vineyard, this is not your average Long Island chardonnay. Though it spent some time in oak, there is only a trace of oak in the flavor. The aroma is lightly lemony, and because the wine is not filtered it is a bit cloudy, with an almost viscous texture. We also liked this wine, with its touch of lemon but also tropical fruit. As we were discussing what it would go well with, Mr. Meader suggested duck breast pastrami! He also, in the tasting notes, suggested one of my favorite cheeses, Humboldt Fog, a California goat cheese, as an accompaniment. Oh, and the name references those who would dismiss chardonnay.

Damn the Torpedoes $28

Okay, I had to know—who named these wines? Blushing faintly, Mr. Meader admitted he did. I told him he was a poet. This wine is described as an “ode to dry Lambrusco.” A blend of merlot, petit verdot, and pinot noir, this is a slightly frizzante light red. He recommends having it lightly chilled in the summer as an alternative to rosé. I have to say this was not my favorite of the afternoon, though many would probably enjoy its tart strawberry flavor.

Nice legs

Cast Your Fate to the Wind $32

Love those names. This is his 2013 cabernet franc and is made from certified organic grapes. He fermented whole clusters for less than seven months in extra large oak casks. Why large casks? You get some oak taste, but less than with regular casks. Sweet aroma. Super dark color. Delicious taste. Lots of dark fruit. No dirt taste! Yum.

Grace Under Pressure 2013

Yes, there were four wines in the tasting, but Mr. Meader adds in one more (which he also gave to a group of young women who were here before us). This is a wine that is not quite ready to drink, but he’s pretty excited about it and wants to share. He told us this blend of cabernet franc, malbec, and merlot was an “ode to Rex Farr,” whose organic farm in Calverton supplies the grapes. The aroma is brambly blackberry, but the taste is very closed in, with some nice tannins. Even as we were discussing the wine, the taste in the glass improved. Given time, it should be quite good.

Reasons to visit: you want to get off the beaten track and try something new; Mr. Meader and his enthusiasm for his wines; La Belle Fille, The Devil’s Advocate, Cast Your Fate to the Wind. We can’t wait to see what Regan Meader does next year when he gets to harvest his own grapes!

The attractively rustic tasting room

Sherwood House: Just a Touch Funky September 20, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 2008 Merlot, Jamesport, Mattituck, merlot, North Fork, Oregon Road, Oregon Road Chardonnay, Sherwood House, wine tasting, XO Brandy September 22, 2014

http://www.sherwoodhousevineyards.com/

The 1860s farmhouse that houses Sherwood House’s tasting room

Located on the Main Road in Jamesport in an 1860s farmhouse, Sherwood House’s tasting room has a homey, slightly funky atmosphere, enhanced by the fireplace in the main room, the outdoor deck areas, and the adjacent Material Objects shop which features antique and found objects of all sorts. They also have an outdoor tasting area in their vineyard in Mattituck, which may or may not be open. As we pulled into the parking lot we noticed an exciting sign: raw bar. Oh goody! We have become enamored of the local Peconic Bay oysters.

The main room is homey and cozy, with soft couches in front of the fireplace (which actually has a fire in the winter), bunches of flowers, and a wooden bar along one side. You can also opt to go outside, either to a back deck or to a front seating area with picnic tables. On this Saturday afternoon the room also contains a singer/guitar player, strumming folk-ish songs. As we stand at the bar we see a huge party bus pull into the parking lot, but they are clearly headed for the tasting barn out back, where we went last winter for a very enjoyable music performance.

Fireplace seating area

The tasting menu offers three flights: Estate, four tastes for $10; Premium, four for $12; or Top Reds, four for $15. They also offer a taste of their brandy, $10 for a one-ounce pour. There is some overlap amongst the offerings, so they don’t actually have 12 wines. They also offer a cheese platter for $20, and wines by the glass for $6-12.

We decide to share a tasting of the Premium flight, and then decide whether to get another tasting or go for a glass of wine to have with a plate of oysters.

2012 Oregon Road Chardonnay $18

Oregon Road is the pretty back road on which their vineyard is located, where you can also find Shinn and Lieb’s tasting rooms. This is their steel fermented chard, a pleasant but rather soft and not-crisp quaff, with tastes of sweet ripe pineapple and an aroma of sweet orange.

2011 Chardonnay $30

Of course this smells like vanilla and ripe pear, as it is an oaked chard, with tastes of tangerine on the front, then butterscotch and vanilla. It is surprisingly tart for an oaked chard, though it is mellow enough to make it a pleasant sipping wine. We quite like it.

2007 Merlot $26

Since 07 was a very good year on the North Fork, we have high hopes for this merlot, but our server warns us not to get our hopes up too high. “The 07 is at the end of its development,” he notes, “and the 08 has more growth potential.” Sniff. Earth, tobacco, and something organic. Taste. Some dark fruit, tobacco, dry but not tannic, and not much of a finish. I would say, if you have a bottle of this, drink it now.

2008 Merlot $34

Much better! The tasting menu notes this scored an 87 in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and we can see why. “The aroma just jumped out at me,” says my husband. Not sure what he means, but it smells delicious. No earth, lots of fruit, and then we taste dark fruit and chocolate. Actually, that wouldn’t be a bad pairing—this wine and some dark chocolate, maybe with a bit of raspberry in the chocolate. This is our favorite of the day, and if we come here during the winter for a concert, I would get a glass of this.

Oysters!

However, we are headed for the oysters. Though we feel it wouldn’t be the best pairing, we opt for glasses of the 2011 Chardonnay, though I would prefer a sauvignon blanc to go with oysters. The oysters are delicious, sweet and briny and full of liquid, fresh from Peconic Bay, to the west of Robins Island, as we are told. We spend a pleasant half hour sitting outside, enjoying our wine and bivalves and listening to the music from inside, which we appreciate much more now that it is not quite so loud.

Front porch and oyster bar

Reasons to visit: a very pleasant tasting room; an intimate setting that also can accommodate groups; the chance to browse the collection at Material Objects; the 2011 Chardonnay and the 2008 Merlot.

Back deck

Pellegrini Vineyards: One of Our Favorites September 6, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with gewurztraminer, Medley White, merlot, North Fork, oyster crackers, Pellegrini Vineyards, petit verdot, rose, Steakhouse Red, Vintner's Pride Encore, wine tasting September 8, 2014

http://www.pellegrinivineyards.com/

Going with a group? Have kids in tow? Want to sit quietly at a table and ponder your tasting? Like whites? Like reds? Pellegrini is good for all these conditions! On this visit we saw a large bachelorette party enjoying their tasting in the tented courtyard, a couple—he wearing a t-shirt that said Brooklyn—at a table under the pergola, and a family with kids who ran around on the lawn, among others.

A view to the courtyard and pergola

Their tasting menu offers several different options, including a flight they bring to your table of three two-ounce pours of wines of your choice from a menu of 12, plus a complimentary one-ounce taste of their merlot, for $12, or a tasting of their Vintner’s Pride wines for $14. Tastings include a packet of oyster crackers to clear the palate. When you get your tray of tastes, sample them from left to right and top to bottom, as they are arranged on a labeled placemat. If you’re not sure in which order to taste (order matters, as a delicate wine will be lost if you taste it after a more forceful one), ask your server. They also offer a cheese plate or a chocolate and wine pairing, but they don’t seem to mind if you bring your own snacks. All wines are made from grapes grown on their estate. We belong to their wine club, so our tastings are free. We got two tastings, one of their whites and the other of the reds, and shared.

East End Select Rosé $14.99

This is a steel-fermented blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and cabernet franc with a pleasantly herbal—rosemary?—aroma. We decided we would like it as an accompaniment to fish, as it is nice and dry with lemony tastes, but it is not a sipper. If you want some, go now, as it is on an end-of-season sale of three bottles for $33 (we bought three). Not as good as Croteaux 314, however.

The tray of whites and rose, plus the merlot.

2013 Gewürztraminer $19.99

We’ve been on a bit of a gewürzt kick lately, for no real reason, so we can compare this to others of its ilk. We find it a bit too sweet for us, though the finish is rather tart. Still, it’s a pleasant wine, with aromas of honeysuckle and tangerine, and would make a nice aperitif.

2013 Medley White $21.99

A blend (hence the name Medley) of 60% chardonnay and 40% sauvignon blanc, steel-fermented, this wine has mineral and lemon aromas and a refreshing taste—not too tart, not too sweet, with tastes of gooseberry and citrus and mineral. “Hmmm,” I say, “I think this would pair well with tuna-noodle casserole. I’m not kidding!”

2007 Merlot $19.99

Merlot is their signature wine, and they make a lot of it. The 07 is actually a bit of a blend; though it is 90% merlot it also includes 6% cabernet sauvignon, 3% cabernet franc, and 2% petit verdot, giving it some complexity. This is an easy wine to drink, soft, with tasty blackberry notes.

The tray of reds.

Steakhouse Red $16.99

I think I’d rather have this with lamb chops than with steak, but that’s just me. A 50/50 blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon, this has a bit of that forest smell that merlots sometimes have, and is quite dry, with some tannins. This and the other reds are all aged in oak.

2010 Petit Verdot $49.99

Yum. “Good from start to finish,” says my husband, and I agree. The color is very dark, and we sense lots of ripe fruit aromas and tastes. This one I would have with a good steak, for sure.

It was very humid outside, so we opted to stay inside in the air conditioning.

2010 Vintner’s Pride Encore $49.99

A Bordeaux blend—60% merlot, 25% cabernet sauvignon, 15% petit verdot—one would expect this wine to be better than the previous one, but it is not. We smell spice and dark tea leaves, but are underwhelmed by the taste. For the price, it is disappointing. “It never opens up,” says my husband. Maybe if it sat in the glass longer? But it is the last of our tastes, so it has been there for a while. Oh, well.

One part of the tasting room.

Reasons to visit: you’re with a group; you’re not with a group; you have kids in tow who need room to run; you like reds; you like whites; the 2013 Medley White; the 2013 Gewürztraminer; the 2010 Petit Verdot; the Steakhouse Red.

Beautiful grapes.

One Woman Wines and Vineyards: A One-Woman Show? August 31, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Claudia Purita, D'latte, Dessert Wine, gewurztraminer, gruner veltliner, merlot, North Fork, One Woman Wines and Vineyards, wine tasting September 2, 2014

http://www.onewomanwines.com/

Busses actually means kisses, but my guess is they’re referring to the vehicles.

It seems One Woman has been discovered. Last year we basically had the place to ourselves, but this year it was fairly full, including hipsters in straw fedoras stepping up to the bar in the tiny tasting barn. Yet the youthful servers managed everyone with aplomb, including our server, a young man who kept careful track of where we were and managed to share observations on each wine while also taking care of several other groups. (For comments on the one woman whose winery this is, see my entry from last August.)

One Woman has expanded its list of offerings, but they still have the only Grüner Veltliner around, and that alone is worth the trip. Large signs outside warn that buses (spelled busses, which actually means kisses!) and limos are verboten, as well as groups of more than six. They really don’t have the facilities for large groups, but if you are a small group this is a good place to taste some lovely wines. The menu offers two tastes for $6, three for $8, or four for $10, out of a list of eight wines. You can also sample the Reserve wines, a menu of four for $14 (or one for $4). What does Reserve mean? Here it means the grapes have spent about another two weeks on the vines for a fuller flavor and that the grapes have also been hand-picked one by one with a tweezer-like implement by Claudia Purita (the One Woman) herself. We decided to share four from the regular menu plus the four Reserves.

Part of the outside area.

2013 Grüner Veltliner $20

“I’ll start you off with the 2013,” says our server, “since it is the lightest of your choices.” And he is right. We scent a bit of honeysuckle, taste some roast pear. Tart and light. Though this is purely steel fermented, we could swear we taste oak. Our server chuckles and says that is common.

2012 Grüner Veltliner $20

What a difference a year makes! I love this one! Our server calls it “a white for red wine lovers,” and I can see why. It is deep and full of flavor, with some toasted caramel notes. Again, hard to believe this is all steel fermented. This is also a great pairing to show people why the year and how the wines were handled matters.

2012 Gewürztraminer $23

Very floral aromas, including some lavender, introduce a rather tart gewurzt. 0% residual sugar, notes our server, who also suggests this would pair well with Thai food. My husband compares it to sour apple candy, and I get it.

2013 Gewürztraminer $23

“Claudia says this is the most typical Gewürztraminer she’s ever made,” says our server. “It has 3% residual sugar.” It is certainly sweeter than the 2012, with an aroma of thyme honey and lavender and some gooseberry tastes. A bit too sweet for us, though not unpleasantly so.

2011 Estate Reserve Chardonnay $32

Very oaky, which is not surprising given that it is completely oak-fermented. We smell vanilla and those scented pine cones you can sometimes buy in the fall. We taste a touch of citrus, but then the oak takes over. If you like a California-style oaky chardonnay, this is for you.

The pour is about average in size.

2010 Estate Reserve Merlot $48

Our first red of the tasting, the merlot is nice but not all that interesting. A bit of forest scent, blackberry tastes, fairly soft, and the end is a bit too oaky and tart.

Dessert wine

2008 Estate Reserve Merlot $48

The smell reminds me of a cabin on a lake—that slightly damp smell of exposed wood. This has more to it than the ’10, with nice legs. The server describes the scent as smoked paprika, but I don’t get that.

Estate Reserve Dessert Wine $39

Okay, so it’s not as good as Chateau D’Yquem, but it’s pretty nice. I would drink this with paté de foie gras any day! Or even a chocolate mousse. It is quite delicious, made with late harvest Gewürztraminer grapes.

We decide to buy two bottles of the 2012 Grüner Veltliner. Because at the crucial moment of the end of our tasting our server was distracted, and took a little while to get back to us, he doesn’t charge us for the tastings, a nice courtesy.

Reasons to Visit: Long Island’s first, and possibly still only, Grüner Veltliner; tasting some nice wines in a peacefully bucolic setting; the Gewürztraminers; the dessert wine; oh, and you can buy D’Latte gelato from a little freezer case.

We’ve been told in the past that Claudia Purita even arranges the flowers.

Coffee Pot Cellars: Wine Country’s Cutest Couple 8/23/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Adam Suprenant, bees, Blossom Meadow, Bordeaux, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Coffee Pot Cellars, gewurztraminer, honey, Laura Klahre, Meritage, merlot, North Fork, petit verdot, sauvignon blanc August 26, 2014

http://www.coffeepotcellars.com/

http://blossommeadow.com/

No, they don’t serve coffee here!

“Perhaps a sign that says ‘Live Bees!’ is not the best way to get people into a winery,” I suggest to winemaker Adam Suprenant, owner of Coffee Pot Cellars. He chuckles, and notes that when people ask if he has live music he says no, but they have live…bees. Never fear, however, the bees are behind glass, and you can observe their activity while you sip Mr. Suprenant’s lovely wines and visit with him and his charmingly chatty wife, Laura Klahre, the beekeeping owner of Blossom Meadow.

A year ago when we stopped into the tasting room it had just recently opened, and we were the only ones there. This time there were several other couples, including some who were clearly regulars, and much of the discussion centered around the award Mr. Suprenant was to receive that night from Governor Andrew Cuomo for producing the best oaked chardonnay in New York State, his 2013 vintage (not available for tasting). “And I didn’t even want to make a chardonnay!” he confessed to us, but more about that later.

The tasting room is a small but pleasant space that had previously housed an antique store and after that a real estate agency. Now the simple yellow-painted space has a tasting bar and shelves filled with Blossom Meadow goods—honey, beeswax candles and crayons in various shapes, and bee-related beauty products. Last year we bought cat-shaped candles as a gift for cat lovers we were about to visit.

Some of the gift items available

Both Mr. Suprenant and Ms. Klahre are enthusiastic and passionate about their fields, and it is fun to chat with them both about the intricacies of bee-keeping and wine making. Did you know a bee has to visit two million flowers to make one pound of honey?

More gifts!

The tasting menu offers all six of their wines for $10, four for $8, or individual tastes for $2.50. We opted for two complete tastings.

Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $17.99

We sniff, and detect aromas of citrus and mineral or wet rock. The taste is tart, almost grassy, with lots of lemon. Not a wine to sip by itself, it would go well with a seafood in cream sauce dish.

The labels feature the Coffee Pot light house.

Chardonnay 2012 $15.99

As we enjoy this very lightly oaked chardonnay, Mr. Suprenant tells us why he didn’t plan to make a chard. “Like a cliché?” I ask (ever the English teacher), and he agrees. But a grower from whom he buys his grapes asked him to buy some chardonnay grapes due to an oversupply, and so he gave in. Using older oak barrels, he fermented tow clones of chardonnay for only five months, and then arrested the malolactic fermentation with sulfites. “Butter cookies!” I say of the aroma, and then sip. Pineapple and what Mr. Suprenant confesses he compares to Juicy Fruit gum compose the actually very good taste. Sippable.

Gewürztraminer 2012 $21.99

The grapes for this wine come from Osprey’s Dominion, where Mr. Suprenant is the winemaker (He’s been a winemaker on the North Fork for 17 years.). Nice flowery honeysuckle aroma, not too sweet, with some tangerine flavor, this is also a sippable wine.

Merlot 2009 $17.99

A nice touch—he rinses the glasses with a bit of the merlot before we taste it. The gewürtz would overpower anything else in the glass, he notes, but I also think that sometimes when wineries rinse with water you get a taste of chlorine! Like all his wines, this is made with grapes purchased from North Fork growers, and 2009 was a notoriously bad year, with an excess of rain. However, this wine has turned out pretty good, with aromas of berry and no earthiness. Though I think I scent wet rags, my husband says pine forest. Wine tasting is not an exact science!

Meritage 2008 $21.99

A Bordeaux blend, this version is 69% merlot, 19% cabernet sauvignon, and 6% each petit verdot and cabernet franc, according to the tasting menu which, Ms. Klahre points out, she is proud they finally have. Complex aromas of berry, flint and a bit of smoky forest precede tastes of blackberry and herbs. Very nice, but the next is better.

Meritage 2010 $25.99

2010 is known to be a good year, and this wine proves it. 59& merlot, 23% petit verdot, 14% cabernet franc, and 4% cabernet sauvignon, this Bordeaux blend really does taste like a Bordeaux. The aroma is brambly, with a hint of earth that is not present in the taste. We taste blueberry and some spice and like it so much we decide to buy two bottles for the cellar, marking them 2016.

Adam Suprenant

Reasons to visit: you like bees and honey and beeswax products; you enjoy talking with people about their passions; the 2012 chardonnay (and maybe the 2013), the gewürztraminer, the 2010 Meritage; Adam and Laura.

P.S. The name refers to the lighthouse at Orient Point, which is said to resemble a coffee pot. They do not, in fact, serve coffee at the winery!

The building was originally a house, and Adam and Laura will make you feel right at home.

Roanoke Vineyards and Brooklyn Oenology: Face Off! August 9, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Alie Shaper, Bond, Brooklyn Oenology, Cabernet Franc Rose, Corot noir, Derosa Rose, Finger Lakes, Grapes of Roth, merlot, North Fork, petit verdot, Roanoke Vineyards, Social Club Red, Social Club White, The Wild, Vidal blanc, wine tasting, Wolffer August 12, 2014

http://www.roanokevineyards.net/

http://www.brooklynoenology.com/

One corner of the tasting room

“Wow, that was fun,” we agreed, as we left the Roanoke Vineyards Tasting Bar on Love Lane in Mattituck. We had arrived about 3:30, not knowing that a pop-up event was about to happen, pairing Roanoke wines with wines made by Brooklyn Oenology (BOE). Though the event was due to start at 4, we were able to do the tasting early, and, because the room was fairly calm at the moment, we had lots of attention from Roanoke’s Robin and BOE winemaker Alie Shaper.

Normally, Roanoke features wine from Grapes of Roth and Wölffer Estates (on the South Fork) as well as their own, and they offer a menu of choices from each. I would have liked to taste some of the Wölffer wines, as it had been years since I’d tried them, but the only Wölffer selections on offer were hard ciders. However, once we realized we could do the Roanoke vs. BOE face-off, we knew what we had to do. For $20 we got to taste eight wines, four from each, paired for similarity of grape and type. I love tasting two wines made from the same grape, grown in the same region, and seeing how they differ.

The Tasting Bar is a small storefront, augmented by tables on a petite patio in the back and some tables for two along the side of the building, and includes the tasting bar and some small tables and a few comfortable chairs where it would be nice to sit and sip a glass.

As we tasted each selection, Robin and Alie alternated telling us about each wine, how it was made, and so on.

The whites

Roanoke Vineyards (RV) 2013 The Wild $20

Why “The Wild”? This is made with, said Robin, “indigenous yeast,” or in other words naturally occurring yeast, using chardonnay grapes from a Mudd vineyard which was originally planted in 1982. They’re not sure which clone it was, but it may have been a muscat, which would account for some of the sweetness in the wine. We detect an aroma of cedar shavings with tastes of pineapple and mango. It reminds me a bit of Channing Daughter’s L’Enfant Sauvage, which is also made with wild yeasts. Yum, in any event! I could happily sip this wine on the deck on a summer night.

2. BOE 2013 Social Club White $18

I guess this is paired with the wild because it is a similar weight white, but this is a blend of grapes from Upstate and the North Fork (Alie joked that she would love to have permission to plant vines in a park in Brooklyn, but that’s, alas, not likely.) The blend is 60% chardonnay, with smaller amounts of pinot gris, pinot blanc, Vidal blanc, riesling, and gewürztraminer. I hadn’t heard of Vidal blanc before, and Alie noted that it is a Finger Lakes grape, as are the riesling and the gewürztraminer and the pinot gris. With all those Finger Lakes grapes I was expecting sweet, but this is a lovely dry wine with some citrus aromas and a bit of a taste of tangerine.

The roses–note the pretty label and pretty colors

3. RV 2013 Derosa Rosé $19

Poetically, my husband compares the aroma to a “forest after the rain,” and I do agree that it has some flowery sweetness—in the taste as well as the aroma. It’s not a bad rosé, and many people would probably like it, but we prefer it drier. The name, by the way, is after the family’s Grandma Rose.

4. BOE 2013 Cabernet Franc Rosé $18

I have to give the prize in this comparison to the BOE wine, which is made with wild yeast and uses Finger Lakes grapes. The color is very pretty, the aroma is very strawberry, and the taste is a bit reminiscent of a berry sorbet—so, too sweet for us, but more complex and interesting than the Roanoke. I admire the beautiful label, and Alie enthusiastically tells us that all her labels are designed by Brooklyn artists, with a special peel-off feature if you want to save the pretty pictures. This particular one was designed by Patricia Fabricant, and after they chose her design they learned that she is the daughter of Florence Fabricant, who writes about food and wine for The New York Times.

5. RV 2010 Bond $19

We get fresh glasses for the reds, a nice touch. Their Bordeaux blend, this wine varies its composition from year to year, depending on the qualities of the grapes. This one is mainly merlot, and spends 10 months in neutral oak casks, then stainless steel. We smell cedar and berries, and taste blackberry. Though not a bad wine, it is a bit thin, and lacks depth.

6. BOE 2012 Social Club Red $20

So I had to ask, “Why Social Club?” Alie explains that when she moved to Brooklyn (the winery’s tasting room is located in Williamsburg, of course) she noticed all the immigrant social clubs, and decided to name her wines for them. She liked the idea of wines that were casual and friendly. Also a Bordeaux blend, Alie’s wine is 77%merlot, 18%, cabernet sauvignon, and 5% Corot noir. Corot noir? The grape is a hybrid created at Cornell, and adds a dark color to the wine, without the use of chemicals. We like it very much, tasting plenty of fruit with a bit of side of the tongue sweetness yet dry at the end.

7. RV 2010 Merlot $45

2010 was a great year on the North Fork, but we’re not crazy about this wine. We smell cinnamon, plus some of that local earthiness, and taste some fruit and some smoke. Perhaps it needs more time.

On to the reds

8. BOE 2010 Merlot $25

Okay, same grape, same year, though BOE adds 4% petit verdot, sourced from Onabay’s vineyard in Cutchogue. Again, we smell cinnamon, some earthiness, but the taste differs. It has more fruit , a dry finish, and is softer, with no smoke. We like it!

We buy a bottle each of the BOE Merlot and the RV The Wild and browse the small selection of gifts. They have the Govino glasses, which we have bought as gifts in the past. They’re a high quality plastic, nice on a picnic or a boat. Oh, and as to who won the face off? I’d have to say we did, because we got to sample wines from two wineries and only had to travel to one!

Reasons to visit: convenient tasting room in the middle of the North Fork on Love Lane, which is itself a destination with its cheese shop, Bookhampton book store, Love Lane Country Kitchen, and more; The Wild; the chance to taste wines from other vineyards as well.

The back patio

The Old Field: In Touch with History June 28, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Barrel Fermented, Blush de Noir, cabernet franc, Cacklin Rose, chardonnay, Commodore Perry, Long Island, merlot, North Fork, rooster tail, The Old Field, Winery June 30, 2014

http://www.theoldfield.com/

The Old Field is a great place for photos, with lots of scenic farm buildings.

Appropriately, The Old Field’s history matches its appealingly rustic look. It can trace its roots as a farm back to the mid-1600s, when the land was bought from the Native Americans, according to its web site, and that’s not its only connection to history, about which more later. We particularly enjoy coming here in the warm weather, when you can stand outside at the tasting bar or sit at a picnic table and enjoy the sight of ducks and chickens running around (the pair of ducks, by the way, are named Fred and Ethel, but I don’t know if their last name is Mertz), scenic old farm buildings, and the vineyards. One of the owners is usually on hand as well, if you want to get into a deep discussion of the wines. The overall vibe is relaxed and congenial, and we’ve often found ourselves conversing amiably with strangers as we sip.

The tasting bar, with its charmingly mismatched tablecloths.

The tasting menu offers three options: A tasting of whites, four for $6; reds, three for $5; or a mixed group, four for $6. They also offer wines by the glass—in which case you get an actual glass, rather than the somewhat unfortunate little plastic cup used for tastings—and the bottle, which we noted a group of picnickers enjoying. We decide to share a white and a red, so as to sample all their wares.

The only thing we don’t like here: the plastic cups.

1) 2012 Blush de Noir $18

Our youthful and enthusiastic server informs us that this is a new release, a very light pink rosé made from pinot noir grapes. It is so light that it looks like a white wine in the glass. The aroma is mineral, with a touch of cut grass. Very summery and pleasant, with only a little strawberry flavor, this is a nice summer drink I’d serve well iced. $1 of the purchase price of every bottle sold goes to support an animal shelter.

2) 2011 Chardonnay $20

Although this is primarily a steel-fermented chardonnay, a short time in oak gives it a bit of a vanilla aroma, along with what they describe as a “wet slate” smell. If you’ve ever walked around Manhattan while the doormen are hosing off the warm concrete in front of their buildings you know the smell. This is also a light wine, quite tart, with lots of lemon and grapefruit. It would pair nicely with a tarragon chicken salad.

3) 2012 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay $25

After six months in oak, this Chard has definite vanilla and burnt caramel aromas, and lots of pineapple taste, but is not too oaky. Good picnic wine.

4) 2011 Cacklin’ Rosé $18

If you wanted to show someone how different two rosés can be, you could give them a taste of this and of the Blush de Noir, and they’d get the point right away. Made from merlot grapes, with 24 hours on the skins, the Cacklin’ Rosé has a dark color and a distinctive smell that reminds me of cranberry juice. Though the taste is a tad sweet for me, it is good and would make a hit as an aperitif on the porch in the summer. I’d like it better if it had a little lemon or citrus taste. (If you’re wondering about the name, Google Neil Diamond.)

5) Rooster Tail $18

A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this is their everyday pasta and pizza wine, and it is a good member of that club, dry, with some dark fruit tastes. Their ‘09 Cabernet Franc, by the way, has sold out.

6) 2008 Merlot $25

Not much aroma, berry and cinnamon tastes, fairly light for a red: we decide the Merlot is just okay.

7) 2007 Commodore Perry $40

Really? Commodore Perry? What’s that about? Wasn’t he the guy who opened up trade with Japan? And why is there a somewhat Japanese-looking sea under that ship on the label? Here’s the other link to history I mentioned earlier. Commodore Perry is indeed an ancestor of the family who owns the vineyard, and so they honor him by only naming their best vintages after him. ’07 was a great year, and this Merlot shows it, with lots of flavors of dark fruit and ripe figs plus good tannins. We buy a bottle, planning to cellar it. We are also entertained to learn that this wine is famous in Japan, due to the name, and that Japanese tourists get very excited when they come to Old Field and see it. In fact, one was so intrigued that he offered to design the label!

Reasons to visit: pleasant rustic setting, with picnic tables and roaming fowl; the 2012 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay; the Cacklin’ Rosé; the ’07 Commodore Perry; the chance to hear stories about the history of the farm (including one cold winter day when we heard all about the resident ghosts).

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

Tag Archives: merlot