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

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.

Clovis Point: Music and Wine 6/20/15

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with barrel chardonnay, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Clovis point arrowheads, Clovis Point Winery, gewurztraminer, Long Island, Malbec, Mattituck Strawberry Festival, North Fork, rose, Stainless Chardonnay, Vintner's Select Merlot, wine tasting June 24, 2015

http://www.clovispointwines.com/

A visit to a winery is a great way to brighten a rainy day.

We braved the crowds that had come to the North Fork for the Mattituck Strawberry Festival and the rain that had arrived that afternoon for an excursion to Clovis Point Wines. Now, if you Google Clovis point you will find yourself looking at arrowheads, and wondering what the connection is. In fact, Clovis point does refer to a type of arrowhead, examples of which have been found on the North Fork, hence the name.

The winery nods to the past of the area in another way, housing its tasting room in a converted potato barn, but the wines are thoroughly modern. The servers alternated between quite friendly and enthusiastic and rather pleasant but business-like. The bar area was fairly quiet because all the action was outside on the covered porch, where a country and western band was entertaining tables full of people sipping wine and eating snacks, some bought from the winery (a menu features cheeses, sausage, and other small snacks for about $10) and others brought in. (A sign permits outside food, but requests “no coolers.”) Once before we had come especially for a musical performance, which we had enjoyed. Clovis Point describes itself as a “boutique” winery, and a sign outside forbids all limos.

Pretty flowers line the pathway to the door.

The menu features five wines for $13 or the three whites for $7 and the two reds for $5. We opted to share one tasting of all five wines, not actually a bargain! Due to the tiny pour, we had to be quite judicious in our sharing. I found the small pour interesting in that the servers rinsed our glass with a bit of the wine we were about to taste each time, a nice touch but it seemed a shame to pour out almost as much as we tasted.

Through the window you can glimpse the porch where the music listeners are sitting.

2014 Stainless Chardonnay $21

Although it is called chardonnay, this is also 3% gewürztraminer, which we felt contributed a slightly funky note to what is otherwise a fairly typical clean, crisp, lemony steel chard. It was fine, but we felt would be better with food.

We’ve not yet tasted the wine.

Rosé $21

In general, we compare all rosés to Croteaux, and find them wanting, but we quite liked this one. It spends three days on the skins, and so has a deeper red and more intense flavor than many rosés. This is made from 97% cabernet franc and 3% merlot. The aroma is typically strawberry and watermelon, with a nice minerality. The taste also recalls strawberry, and is a touch on the sweet side, but the minerality makes the sweetness work.

2013 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay $27

After ten months in French oak, this wine smells like vanilla and Werther’s candies, but is happily not as sweet as the smell would indicate. A hint of lemon juice makes this a sippable wine, not as oaky as a California chard. My tasting pal opines that this is not a challenge to drink.

New glass for the reds

2013 Cabernet Franc $35

A blend of 94% cabernet franc, 3% cabernet sauvignon, and 3% merlot, this wine has a somewhat smoky, almost coffee aroma. The taste has some smokiness to it too, but not obnoxiously so. Though it is dry and brambly, we think it might do better with more age.

2010 Vintner’s Select Merlot $45

A Right Bank Bordeaux-style wine, this is a blend of 86% merlot, 7% cabernet sauvignon, 4.5 % cabernet franc, and 3% malbec, says the menu. If you can add, you’ll note that that adds up to 100.5—and actually, the menu lists the percentage of cab franc as 45%! Oops. I’m a liberal arts major, says our server as an excuse, and promises to fix the menu right away. Regardless, this is also a wine that may need more time, as we find it a bit on the thin side, with lots of tannins and some blackberry taste. It might do well with a cheese platter, however.

Reasons to visit: a nice place to listen to music; the rosé; the 2013 Barrel Chardonnay if you like oaked chards; pleasant quiet tasting room.

How cool to quote Horace!

Croteaux: Still the Best Rosé May 9, 2015

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 181, 3, 314, Briermere, cabernet franc, case club, Chloe, Croteaux, Eight Hands Farm, Jolie, merlot, North Fork, Paul Croteaux, Paula, rose, Sauvage, sauvignon blanc, wine tasting May 12, 2015

http://www.croteaux.com/

If you only do one thing, it is best if you do that one thing well, and Croteaux does. All they make is rosé, and they make the best rosés on the North Fork. Paul and Paula Croteaux are likely to greet you as you walk through the small entry area and out into the lovely outdoor yard, where you are seated by a cheery hostess in one of the flowing tops they also sell in the charming boutique. Paul, slim and gray-haired, is often behind the bar, setting up tastings, while Paula, blonde and round-faced, operates the cash register and circulates throughout the yard to be sure all is going well. It is.

We have settled into comfortable Adirondack chairs, perused the menu, and decided we will each get a tasting of their six rosés (for $15). We could also have opted for three sparkling rosés for the same price. Their small menu of snacks is well chosen and homemade, but we’re planning an early dinner so we decide not to this time. The atmosphere is relaxed yet lively, with small groups clustered around the tables or in pairs of chairs (no limos or drop-offs allowed). A dog enters with his humans and is carefully vetted by Sergeant, the resident little pooch. At one point the hostess brings the visiting canine a doggie dish of water—and she’ll provide humans with bottles of water as well.

The three numbered rosé clones are each $19 per bottle, and the three named ones are $25, while the sparking rosés are $28 each. All vintages are the current year, as last year’s wines sold out!

Your entire tasting is delivered to your table.

Merlot 181

A sniff reveals aromas of flowers—honeysuckle—and fruit, possibly melon. The taste is quite tart, with even a bit of a tingle, and reminds me of pink grapefruit with a touch of minerality. At the end I get lemon. This, I say, would go well with goat cheese, like the one we picked up at Catapano this morning.

Merlot 314

In the past this has been our favorite, so we have our fingers crossed that it is as good this year. Yum! Happy taste buds. We smell strawberries and tangerines, taste apricot. Though the wine has lots of fruit, it is not sweet. “This would go with most everything,” opines my husband. We plan to buy a case.

Case Club benefits

Merlot 3

A blend of three clones—181, 314, and 3—this is also a good wine, though we still prefer the 314. It is a touch sweeter than the others, though still dry, with good fruit and also a fair amount of mineral taste and some saltiness. My tasting buddy says it is “not as bright” as the 314.

Sauvage

Now we’ve moved on to the slightly more expensive wines. Sauvage is also made from the 181 clone, but with wild yeast, which means the winemaker has given up a bit of control. The aroma reminds us of asparagus—which we also picked up this morning and plan to grill later—and the taste is quite different from the 181, though still quite good. It has more minerality and is quite light. We like it better than the 2014 Sauvage.

You can see that Chloe is so light that it looks like a white wine.

Chloe

This is “the white wine lover’s rosé,” suggest the tasting notes. Made from sauvignon blanc grapes that spend a short amount of time on the skins, this is so pale that it looks white. We smell lemon/lime and wet ferns. The taste is quite tart and lemony, which would make it a perfect foil for oysters (No, we’re not having any of those tonight!). It is a touch less crisp than the usual sauvignon blanc.

Jolie, on the other hand, is much darker than the other roses.

Jolie

So if Chloe is the white wine lover’s rosé, this is “the red wine lover’s rosé,” made from the cabernet franc grape in the Bordeaux style. Strawberry rhubarb pie aroma—just like the pie we got at Briermere this morning—and some strawberry taste, as well as a touch of espresso at the end and maybe red blackberries. Yet it is still tart, though fruitier than the others. Maybe it would go with the lamb steaks we bought at Eight Hands Farm today (new place—they sell pastured lamb, pork, and chicken, plus more).

They also have the prettiest bottles.

Reasons to visit: rosés that will make you fall in love with them, even if you thought you didn’t like rosés; a comfortable, pleasant outdoor tasting area; good snacks; the case club!—buy a case and you’re in the club, your first tasting is free, and you can get a free glass of wine every time you stop into the winery, plus discounts and other benefits.

Sergeant on guard!

Pretty setting for pretty wines.

Macari Vineyards: Award Deserved? October 25, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Bergen Road, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay estate, Collina Chardonnay, Collina Merlot, Dos Aguas, Finger Lakes, Macari Vineyards, Malbec, Merlot Reserve, North Fork, petit verdot, riesling, rose, sauvignon blanc, Sette, wine tasting October 27, 2014

http://www.macariwines.com/

Macari had been named the “Winery of the Year” at the 2014 New York Wine & Food Classic, so we were curious to see why. According to the Classic website, the “award is presented to the winery with the best overall showing based on the level and number of awards in relation to entries.”

Macari has two tasting rooms, and on a previous try the one on Sound Avenue was too full to find a place at the tasting bar, so this time we tried the one on the Main Road. Since it was a beautiful October day and every winery we passed seemed to have a full parking lot, we thought we’d have to put off our visit until the winter, but we were pleasantly surprised—though as we left it seemed the crowds were arriving! Both tasting rooms are spacious and pleasant, with a nice selection of wine-related gifts and snack items. Our servers were kept busy, but were very efficient and observant, and we never had to wait more than a moment or two for our next taste. Also, as you will see, they noticed our seriousness about the wines and added a few extras, which turned out to be a great idea.

A view out the windows, with some of the gift items visible

The tasting menu features three options: a white flight of four wines for $8, a red flight of 4 wines for $15, and a Vintage flight of 5 wines for $20, with a combination of whites and reds. Since we noticed that three of the Vintage wines were included in the other two tastings, we decided to opt for one white and then one red, sharing as we went along.

The tasting bar was crowded, but the servers did a good job of taking care of everyone.

1. Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $23

As usual, the tasting started off with their lightest white, a lemony and tart sauvignon. The night before we had had an excellent Italian sauvignon, so we were making comparisons. The Macari had, we felt, too little fruit taste to balance the acidity. “Undistinguished,” said my husband, and I agreed. It might be better with food.

2. Chardonnay Estate 2011 $19

This is their 100% stainless steel chard, so no oakiness. We smell and taste ripe pear, though it doesn’t have tons of fruit taste. It’s a good chard, reasonably dry, and would go well with a Long Island clam chowder.

3. Collina Chardonnay $9.50

Noticing the price, we wonder whether this would be one to buy for everyday drinking. Nope. Though the aroma had pleasant notes of mineral and honeysuckle, the taste is actually bitter. It is fermented 25% in oak, and the rest in steel, but we taste none of the buttery or vanilla notes one would expect. We dump most of the taste!

4. Riesling 2011 $25 per carafe

The 2011 Riesling has not yet been bottled, so they’re serving from carafes. Made from Finger Lakes grapes, it has some of that upstate taste I find hard to describe. It smells like white grape juice! Taste is not overly sweet, with some mineral and gooseberry notes, though it is fairly monochromatic. My husband had recently been to a wine tasting of German and Long Island Rieslings, and felt this one did not measure up to the others he had had.

Our first “bonus” wine

5. Rosé 2013 $17

In the first indication that our seriousness has been observed, one server asks us if we like rosés, and then offers us a taste of theirs. A blend of cabernet franc, pinot noir, and merlot, it has the usual strawberry aroma and taste, with again a fair amount of minerality. There’s something flowery about it as well. Though not as good as Croteaux, it is a fine rosé.

6. Collina Merlot $9.50

New glass for the reds. Our server calls this a “pizza pasta burger” wine, which the price would surely indicate. “It’s not terrible,” says my tasting companion. Talk about damning with faint praise! But it is a very light red, with no depth or interest or finish. It’s just there. We were, however, intrigued by the aroma, which I characterized as a cherry-flavored cigar.

Sette. The size of the pour varied a bit.

7. Sette $19

This is their red blend, of 50/50 merlot and cabernet franc—not seven wines, as I thought based on the name. Sette actually refers to the town Settefrati, a small town south of Rome, which is the home town of the Macari family. Our server calls it their best seller, and I can see why. The aroma is of dark brambly fruits, and the wine itself is light but very drinkable, perhaps with “Sunday gravy.” By the way, it was served too cold, so we warmed the glass in our palms, which helped bring out the taste.

8. Cabernet Franc 2008 $35

I’ve heard people refer to a brininess as an expression of the Long Island terroir, but I never experienced it quite as forcefully as with the aroma of this wine. Sea air! Fortunately it does not taste salty, but rather of dark plums, and is our favorite so far. Some tannins, a touch of oak.

9. Dos Aguas 2008 $27

Here the name refers to the two waters of the North Fork—Peconic Bay and Long Island Sound. This is Macari’s Bordeaux blend, a mixture of 70% merlot, 17% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, 8% malbec, and the rest petit verdot. Yes, I’d like this with steak frites, please. It is our server’s favorite. Not particularly complex, but good and quite drinkable, with plenty of fruit and spice aromas and flavors.

A line-up of reds.

10. 2007 Merlot Reserve $36

So if you’re counting you realize that our tasting should be over, but after asking us what we thought of the Dos Aguas, our server decides we should try two more wines. This is certainly better than most merlots, and 2007 was a good year. We taste lots of dark fruits, and the aroma is delicious.

11. 2010 Bergen Road $46

This one beats the bunch, as my grandmother used to say with the birth of each grandchild. Another Bordeaux blend, or a Meritage, of 56% merlot, 26% cabernet sauvignon, 13% cabernet franc, 3% malbec, and 2% petit verdot, this one has aromas of Belgian dark chocolate and dark fruits. OMG I say when I taste it. Complex, with lots of tannins and yummy fruit. We buy a bottle to put in the cellar!

Reasons to visit: you want an all-purpose winery with space for a large group or the intimacy of a conversation at the bar; you need to pick up a wine-related gift or buy a snack; the 2010 Bergen Road; the 07 Merlot Reserve, the 08 Dos Aguas, the 08 Cabernet Franc; did I mention the 2010 Bergen Road…

The Main Road building

What a beautiful day. In Greenport, every restaurant’s outside tables were filled, and plenty of people opted for an outdoor tasting.

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.

Croteaux: Voyage to Provence July 27, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with 181, 181 sauvage, cabernet franc, Chloe, Croteaux, French Pomerol, Jolie, merlot 3, Merlot 314, North Fork, rose, wine tasting July 31, 2014

http://www.croteaux.com/

The entrance to the tasting garden.

Croteaux is our favorite place for relaxed outdoor summer sipping of rosés. The pretty garden is surrounded by flowering bushes and studded with Adirondack chairs and wooden picnic tables with comfortable wire chairs around them. The winery’s practice of limiting groups to eight and banning buses and limos ensures that the atmosphere stays calm and peaceful.

One of the surprisingly comfortable chairs.

We know they practice good conservation techniques, since we ran into Paul Croteaux at the Southold dump, recycling a load of empty bottles, though the bottles are so pretty it seems a shame to throw them out. Paula Croteaux presides over the tasting garden with charm and grace, and the service is always excellent. The wines are quite good, too. I thought I disliked rosés until I tried theirs, and on this trip my cousin underwent a similar conversion, as we convinced him and his wife and my brother and sister-in-law to accompany us to Croteaux (well, we were driving, so they didn’t have that much choice).

We all opted for the rosé tasting, six rosés for $15. We could also have had three sparkling rosés for the same price or a glass for $10-13, depending on variety. The first three wines on the list are each $19 a bottle, and the last three are $25, with 10% off if you buy a case. Buying a case means you are automatically a member of the case club, which gets you several benefits—not least of which is plenty of rosé, perfect for summer meals. After you order, the waitress brings you a round flower pot bottom with the first three wines, and then another with the next three, each round-bottomed glass sitting on a label so you know in which order to drink them. A request for water brought a bottle and fresh glasses.

One round

The Croteaux web site describes their wines as “dry, crisp, and fruit-filled,” and I agree.

1) 181 French Pomerol

Alas, this wine is already sold out, so you can taste it but not take it home, which is too bad as it is a lovely strawberry-scented light rosé, with notes of lemon and perhaps walnut at the end.

2) Merlot 314

Named for the clone of merlot that is used to make it, this is our favorite of their wines. Though it has less scent than the 181, it has more body and is fruitier, though still dry. We decide it would be perfect with lobster, a theory we prove later that night over lobsters my cousin buys at Braun’s. We buy a case and a half…

3) Merlot 3

Why 3? Because it is a blend of 181, 314, and 3. We taste more citrus in this lighter wine, and would pair it with goat cheese (a crock of which you can get at the winery, with slices of baguette). A bit too light, I think. “I wouldn’t kick it out of bed,” notes my brother, though he also characterizes it as a “crowd pleaser.”

We sip and chat.

4) 181 Sauvage

Fermented using wild yeasts, this is a wine that will vary year to year, and I liked last year’s version better. We smell lots of strawberry (“The technical term is schnozz,” jokes my husband), but the wine itself tastes a bit thin and unfinished. One person tastes melon, my cousin suggests celery, I offer minerality. It would be better paired with food. This is the first of the more expensive set of three.

5) Chloe

A blend of sauvignon blanc and cabernet franc, this wine is, one of us offers, “a white wine lover’s rosé.” I smell burnt pear and fresh cut grass. I’d like this with oysters, as the dryness and fruit would complement the salinity of the bivalves.

6) Jolie

This wine is also sold out. In fact, if you want some of Croteaux’s rosés I suggest you get over there quickly, as they typically are sold out by the end of the season. True to its name, this is a pretty wine, both in looks and taste, sweet at the beginning with a dry finish and a wonderful aroma of roses. Unlike Chloe, this is a wine I’d be happy sipping, maybe even in a spritzer on a hot day. My cousin, getting into the spirit of the day, suggests serving it with Velveeta. Maybe not.

Pretty bottles

Reasons to visit: a beautiful garden setting with a peaceful atmosphere; rosés that will change your mind about rosés; the 314, the Chloe, and the Jolie; oh, and I forgot to mention, they have a lovely boutique with interesting items my cousin’s wife wanted to explore.

This may not be true for roses, but it is for friends.

Flowers line the garden

Mattebella Vineyards: It’s a Family Affair June 16, 2014

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Christine Tobin, Famiglia, Isabella, Long Island, Mark Tobin, Matt, Mattebella, merlot, North Fork, Old World Blend, petit verdot, rose, Tobin June 18, 2014

http://www.mattebellavineyards.com/welcomemattebella/

The labels feature this charming picture of Matt and Isabella.

The warm greeting you get as you enter Mattebella Vineyards’ pretty patio is only one aspect of the family feeling this winery exudes, starting with the name. Matt and Isabella are the children of owners Christine and Mark Tobin, and you are likely to see the whole family helping out with tastings and other chores around the property. You’ll recognize the kids by their portraits on the bottles, though they have grown older since the pictures were drawn.

Regulars are greeted with a kiss by Chris, but even newcomers soon feel at home. On our visit, we overheard Mark giving excellent advice about places to eat and sights to see to a young couple on their first trip to the North Fork. She, by the way, was enjoying their home made organic lemonade, as she was in that interesting condition in which women are encouraged not to drink.

The patio has been improved in the two years since our last visit, with plenty of comfortable seating and a combination of sunny and shaded areas, including under a lovely pergola, with pleasant music playing in the background. The tasting menu is divided into a “Light” flight and a red flight, with tastes also available individually for about $2 for the lights and $4-5 for the reds, or by the glass or bottle. A Light Flight is $12 for 6 of their whites and rosés (4 chardonnays and 2 rosés), and a Red Flight is $18 for 5 reds. We opted to share one Red Flight plus two individual wines from the Lights. They also sell their attractive round-bottomed glasses for $3.50.

1) 2013 Rosé $19

If you like sweet rosés, this one is not for you, but if you appreciate a delicate and refreshing rosé with a citrus tang and plenty of minerality, then head to Mattebella forthwith. We decided it would go well with soft shell crab, a delicious sample of which we had had the night before at the North Fork Table and Inn, where we went to celebrate our anniversary.

The rose and the chardonnay.

2) 2010 Reserve Chardonnay $25

Our knowledgeable and efficient server explained that the term “reserve” actually has no established meaning, but at Mattebella it indicates a wine from one of their best years. This is a 50% oak barrel, 50% steel fermented chard, which means it should not be overly oaky, but we found it pretty oaky, with lots of vanilla and roasted pear aromas and tastes. For the price, it is quite good, with some nice complexity. It might go with a seafood in cream sauce dish.

3) Famiglia $21

No vintage here, this is a blend, trying for consistency across the years, and, said our server, is a “good pizza wine.” We agree. It is a pleasant, soft drink, not complex, but with nice fruit and none of the earthy flavor reds sometimes have out here. It’s a blend of merlot and cabernet franc, so sort of Bordeaux-ish. Oh, and we get a clean glass for the transition to the reds.

4) 08 Old World Blend $40

In this instance, Old World Blend means merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and cabernet franc—a Bordeaux. This, says our server, is the lightest of the OWBs, because there was a lot of rain at the end of the season. Along with our glass of wine we get a little snack (I remember Chris saying the last time that we were there that she felt wine should always go with food.) of a piece of baguette topped with fig jam and blue cheese. We like the snack better than the wine, which is just okay.

Snack

5) 2009 Old World Blend $35

This time the snack is bacon jam and Parmeggiano Reggiano on a baguette—very yummy—and so is the wine, our favorite of the day (and not just because it came with bacon jam, though maybe…). A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and “the grape no one knows,” petit verdot, the wine has good tannins and lots of dark fruits, and is interestingly complex.

6) 2010 Old World Blend $43

Our server says this is his favorite of the reds, and talks about a certain “brininess,” which he feels expresses the Long Island terroir, its closeness to the sea. We get it—there is a hint of a sea salt taste. This would work well with a nice dinner, maybe of boeuf bourguignon. The tasting notes suggest this will age well.

7) 2007 Old World Blend $48

A blend of the same grapes as the 08, this is the wine that won a Wine Spectator 91 points. 07 was a particularly good—and warm—year on Long Island, and this one has lots of big bold fruity tastes, more like a Napa Valley red. We smell leather and spice, and maybe, strangely enough, a hint of cat pee. Since the Tobins have decided that this wine would go well with chocolate, we get a tiny square of homemade chocolate brownie. Lovely way to end our tasting!

The brownie went well with the red wine.

Reasons to Visit: Snacks!; pleasant outdoor space for sipping; warm welcoming family atmosphere; the 2013 Rosé, the Famiglia, the 09 and 07 Old World Blends; homemade lemonade for the non-drinkers in the group. We go home with two bottles of the Famiglia and one of the 09 OWB.

An old water tower adds charm to the scene.

A bit of the pergola

Clovis Point Winery: A Touch of History 4/19/14

Posted by nofowineaux in Tasting and tagged with Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, cabernet franc, Clovis Point; North Fork, gewurztraminer, Long Island, merlot, petit verdot, rose, Stainless Chardonnay, Vintner's Select Merlot, wine tasting April 23, 2014

Party bus in the parking lot.

http://www.clovispointwines.com/

Clovis Point Winery touches history in two very different ways: it is named for a prehistoric type of arrow head that was used on Long Island, and the tasting room is in a converted 1920s potato barn. The former provides an attractive design for their bottles, and the latter a comfortably rustic space. There is a long tasting bar plus barrel-based tables with stools, and then an outside semi-sheltered porch and an area of outdoor tables, both of which seem to be filled with groups. Though a sign at the end of the driveway says “No Buses No Limos No Exceptions,” there are two party buses in the parking lot, so I assume the no’s apply only to those without reservations.

There was quite a crowd at the bar…

…but plenty of room on the porch.

The last time we were at Clovis Point was in November of 2012, so it was time for a return visit. That’s one great feature of reviewing wineries—every year they have new vintages, so you never run out of material! This time we opted for two tastings: the “Cold” menu, which includes two Chardonnays and a Rosé for $8, and the Red, which features four reds for $10. We could also have chosen the Premium, which we had last time (check my entry for November 17, 2012), and which also has four reds, their more expensive options, for $15. The pour, by the way, is officially one ounce according to the measured pourer, but our server was generous with us, as she saw us sharing tastes and carefully evaluating each one. They also offer a small menu of snacks—mainly cheeses and meats and hummus—but, according to what we heard the server say to a nearby group, they are also open to people bringing in their own, as long as it’s not a whole huge meal.

She was talking to a group which included wine club members there to pick up their shipment, and we saw a number of other wine clubbers doing the same. Surprisingly, one member of that group was chewing bubble gum throughout the tasting! Not sure what that was about, but personally I don’t recommend it.

1) 2013 Stainless Chardonnay $20

This continues to be an appealing wine, with 3% Gewürztraminer added to the Chardonnay for a bit of added complexity and depth. The aroma combines honey (I say) with some citric and grassy notes, and has a tart but nice flavor that reminds me of gooseberries, with some citric flavor. Very buyable, which we do.

2) 2012 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay $25

The menu would have us taste the Rosé next, but our server suggests that we might like to taste the two Chardonnays side by side. According to the tasting menu, this is made with 89% French oak fermented Chardonnay, 10% unoaked Chardonnay, and 1% Gewürztraminer, and it does provide an interesting contrast with the Stainless Chard. Butterscotch and nutmeg “on the nose,” as they say, and definitely butterscotch on the tongue, ending with a touch of welcome lemon, so that it has a mixture of sweet and sour. One could sip this if one liked oaked Chardonnays. What to eat with it? You’d need something assertive, like a well-flavored lobster or salmon dish.

The rose is a pretty color.

3) Rosé $20

Again, this is a bit of a blend, which seems to be the house style: 97% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot. My husband insists the aroma reminds him of wassail, that spiced warm red wine drink from Scandinavia. Maybe. The taste is pleasant, with typical Rosé strawberry flavor, tart, with a touch of sourness at the end. A white pizza—no red sauce—would complement it.

4) 2006 Merlot $18

76% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot are blended together to make an undistinguished typical Long Island Merlot. Despite the blend, it lacks depth, but would be okay to drink with a burger.

Generous pour!

5) 2012 Cabernet Franc $28.50

This wine is also on the premium list, and our server is very enthusiastic about it—as she is about all the wines, I have to say. She says this is a wine that “makes you want to have more.” And indeed, the smell is lovely—cedar, blackberries, a touch of earthiness—but the taste? Hmmm…not much to it, we say. I guess it would be easy to drink. The Cab Franc is blended with 4% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.

6) 2007 Merlot $25

As we’ve heard frequently, 07 was a great year for North Fork grapes, and this one certainly proves that observation, as it is noticeably better than the 06. Our server notes that she’s bringing a bottle or two of this to a friend’s house tonight! We could bring this to a friend, too, though we’re not as happy with it as she is. There are other Long Island Merlots, like Lenz’s, for example, that we prefer. Nice fruit—cherries and blueberries.

Clovis Point on label…

…with explanation.

7) 2006 Vintner’s Select Merlot $30

Though this is a wine they “only make in good years,” we find it to be just pretty good—not a knockout. The server describes it as “smooth,” and my drinking companion notes “the barnyard has been tamed.” Spice and fruit aromas precede tastes of brambly fruit. The Merlot is blended with 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.

Reasons to visit: Pleasant tasting room, often with live music (we just happened to leave before it started today); the Stainless Chardonnay.

Pellegrini Vineyards September 7, 2013

Posted by nofowineaux in Uncategorized and tagged with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Catapano Farms goat cheese, chardonnay, gewurztraminer, Medley White, merlot, North Fork, pellegrini, petit verdot, rose, Vintner's Pride September 11, 2013

http://www.pellegrinivineyards.com/

Friends often ask me, “What’s the best vineyard on the North Fork?” My general answer is, “It depends on what you like.” However, probably the best all-around vineyard is Pellegrini, for several reasons. It is large enough so that if you go with a group you will be able to find a table where you can all sit together. It is small enough so that you can stand at the bar and have a good conversation about the wines with the servers. Both the whites and the reds are good, though we tend to prefer their reds, which we feel are better than the general run of reds. It does lack the somewhat frenetic party atmosphere of some places, however, and they tend to focus on the wines rather than agritainment. Oh, and many of the wines are reasonably priced for the North Fork.

Pellegrini is also good for a group because if you like you can mark your selections on a clearly laid out menu that is also a map telling you in what order to drink the wines (top to bottom, left to right) and take the tray to a table outside overlooking the vineyards, which we did. One of the friends in our group of eight had brought along bread and cheese and hummus, so we had a lovely afternoon tasting, laughing, and snacking.

The tasting menu has a variety of options. The Bar Tasting is $6 and gives you three one-ounce pours which you can choose from a menu of ten wines to be drunk at the bar. The Flight Tasting is $12, and gives you three two-ounce pours, plus a one-ounce “complimentary” pour of their rosé, chosen from 13 options, which you then take to a table. There’s also a Vintner’s Flight for $14, four one-ounce pours of higher-priced wines, and a Wine and Chocolate Flight for $16 for four reds plus chocolates.

As wine club members, we were entitled to four free Flight tastings, which worked perfectly, since all the couples were happy to share. Since we belong to the only-red-wine category of the club, we decided to taste some of their whites. Amongst the group, we tried quite a few wines, so I’ll be adding in some notes from other people as well.

A tray of whites, with one rose.

East End Select Rosé $14.99

This is the “complimentary” taste, a steel-fermented blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. As usual, we compared it to Croteaux’s rosés, and it is good, but not as good. It has lots of the strawberry aroma and taste one expects in a rosé, but not much else. Our friend characterized it as a “meet and greet” wine, nice to have at a barbeque on a sunny day.

2. 2012 Pellegrini Vineyards Gewürztraminer $19.99

I detect some of that cat pee smell which Gewürztraminer often has. We taste honey, but it is not too sweet, with some nice fruity notes.

3, 2012 Pellegrini Vineyards Stainless Steel Chardonnay $19.99

Nice crisp apple taste, but a bit too sweet is the word on this one. We still prefer the Channing Daughters Scuttlehole Chardonnay.

4. 2012 Pellegrini Vineyards Medley White $21.99

Another steel-fermented wine, this one is a blend of 59% Sauvignon Blanc and 41% Chardonnay. I get a mineral aroma, perhaps of wet rock. It tastes fine, however, with a balance of sweet and acid, with perhaps too much sourness at the end.

I have a few notes on other wines from my friends. Meanwhile, the non-drinker in the group had this to say, as he watched us carefully sip and discuss each taste, “If people chose their mates as carefully as they taste wine, there would be fewer divorces.”

Some red tastings plus a view of the vineyard.

5. 2007 Pellegrini Vineyards Petit Verdot $39.99

As I’ve said, we like their reds, and this, as Rod Serling used to say, is a case in point. A blend of 93% Petit Verdot, 6$ Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in French oak for 20 months, this is a lovely wine, and the favorite of the group. It is somewhat earthy and leathery, but quite richly fruited.

6. 2007 Pellegrini Vineyards Cabernet Franc $23.99

My friend sniffs and says, “Coffee, chocolate, pepper!” Those elements are in the taste as well, plus lots of cherry. She’d like it with pizza which, since she makes her own, is high praise.

7. 2007 Pellegrini Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon $24.99

This one, according to the group, is a bit too acidic to drink on its own, but would be good with food. Nice berry flavors with some peppery notes at the end.

8. 2010 Vintner’s Pride Encore $49.99

Another blend, this one is 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. Light and fruity, everyone says, and dry, with basically no finish.

After the tastes, one friend buys a bottle of the Petit Verdot, which we happily share as we munch on Catapano Farms goat cheese and enjoy the cool and sunny late summer afternoon.

Inside the tasting room.

Reasons to visit: good all-around winery, good reds, pleasant atmosphere, good for a group or for just a couple, the Petit Verdot.

NoFo Wineaux

Wine notes from Long Island's North Fork

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