Anthony Nappa Wines 2010 “Spezia” — Wine Blogging Wednesday #73 “Spark”

Posted on January 18, 2012 by

You need a spark to start an engine.  You need a spark to light a fire.  You need a spark to keep a relationship going.  You need a spark to get things in motion and keep them moving.

I had originally thought that this edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday topic, “Spark” was supposed to be what sparked us into blogging.  I had a whole concept and draft written.  Then I re-read the original post and realized it was about a wine, not an event.  If it were an “event” it would have been an event such as this.  Wine Blogging Wednesday was made me want to get into wine blogging.  And for that post, you will have to wait.  Lets talk about what wine “sparked” my interest.

This time for Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by The Corkdork, we were given the task of going back to the start and find that spark that started it all for us.  This one was easy for me, because not only did it get my juices flowing and totally sparked my interest in wine; but to this day it still is my favorite white varietal.

Gewürztraminer

I was captivated the first time I tried this variety.  I can remember my very first bottle —  Fetzer’s Gewürztraminer.  The nose, that spicy, floral aromatic nose.  The zippy acidity, the lush mouth filling tropical fruit palate with hints of roses.  You either love it or hate it, there is almost no in between.

Gewürztraminer grows best in cool climates and it is a very temperamental grape.  It hates chalky soils.  Loves cool nights and warm days.  It buds early and is susceptible to frost.  Loves dry weather, and can rot with too much rain.  Too much heat will increase the sugar levels bringing you high alcohol along with great aroma and flavors, but then has no acidty to balance it out.  If you pick early to hold the acidity, you lose all of those wonderful aromatics.   When it is time to harvest, and i saw this first hand, it could be flat and have no flavor, when the next day it is ready for picking, it is a very erratic grape.  It has a pink to red colored skin which when pressed exhibits golden white juice.  It can be dry, to off dry to sweet in flavor thanks to its high amount of natural sugar.  Rose water, lychee and passion/tropical fruit flavors are very typical of Gewürztraminer.

So why do I love thee.  I don’t know.  I can’t put my finger on it.  Sure I love asian and spicy dishes and they say that it goes great with it.  Gewürztraminer is worldly known as and Alsatian wine and I love Alsatian/German food.  I love goulash and noodles with Gewürztraminer.  I have always wanted to try cochinita pibil with Gewürztraminer, I think they would go great together.  I love it as a late harvest wine, since it can develop alot of sugars it is perfect for a desert wine or a late harvest wine.  In the winter months, it is my favorite white varietal to drink.  There is just so many reasons I like it it’s to hard to pick one.  I also like to say Gewürztraminer

The one Gewürztraminer that received alot of attention around my house lately is Anthony Nappa Wines Spezia ($18).  Gewürztraminer translated means Spice Traminer. This wine is named Spezia because Specia is spice in Italian.  The origin of the  grape Traminer is from a  town in northern Italy called Tramin where German is the spoken as well as Italian.

Anthony Nappa, winemaker and co-owner of Anthony Nappa Wines, along with his new bride Sarah Nappa,  almost never got to make this wine.  Joe Riley, a grower in Cutchogue had some Gewürztraminer that was contracted out to some one else.  The grapes had developed some botrytis and the person walked away.  Long afer most had picked their reds in the grand 2010 vintage, Joe Riley still had the Gewürztraminer hanging.  Anthony went down to see it and decided to take it.  It was almost a late harvest Gewürztraminer and over 80 % of the grapes were affected with botrytis.  But thanks to it being a hot dry season, it had all dried out and it was full of noble rot.  When it came time to make the wine, Anthony had to decide what to do with it, go late harvest desert wine and make it sweet or go make a bone dry wine.  What Anthony came up with is like no other Gewürztraminer I have ever had before, and one I may never have again.

On the nose you pick up a ton of aromatics, rose petal, peach apricot, lychee, tropical fruit and spice.  THere is some mango, dried pineapple and dried ginger tucked in there as well.  If you love aromatic whites, you would want to go swimming in the glass.

The palate brings more of the nose aromas but with a more intense dried tropical fruit and spice note.  Here is where I picked up the botrytis.  It’s noticeable and enjoyable.  Dried pineapple, dried apple, lychee, mango, dried coconut, ginger, citrus and floral notes all appear on the palate.

The palate is lush and oily, thanks mainly to the botrytis.  You can pick up the heat of the wine, there is 14.6% abv.  But it is well-balanced and well-integrated.  Great acidity makes this viscus wine most enjoyable.

The finish brings more rose petal, herbs and a candied ginger lemon zesty end that lingers for a while.

But were I found this to be absolutely delicious is with food.  Spezia needs food and goes great with it.  To have it alone with out food is an injustice.  I had this with a goulash and noodles and it sang.  The wine cut the richness of the gravy.

I have tasted this wine in multiple stages, at the bottle line, at release, a while after release, at Thanksgiving and just recently as this weekend.  I think that it is hitting its stride and is really starting to open up and become the wine it was intended to be.

Anthony hopes to make Spezia again, but it may not be anything like the 2010 Spezia.  Everything was just right for this wine and it is only starting to come together now.

Well, my spark has been revealed, while some of you may have known it, others may not have.  The wine that started it all for me is one that still captures my attention.  So what sparks you in the wine world.  I would love to know.

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Posted in 2010, Anthony Nappa Wines, Gewürztraminer, Long Island | Leave a comment

Roanoke Vineyards 2009 Rhyme and Meter

Posted on January 16, 2012 by

Roanoke Vineyards in Riverhead has produced Chardonnay for years now.  Mainly from vines planted by long time Long Island wine grower Steve Mudd and Roanoke Vineyards co-owner  Rich Pisacano.  Roman Roth, Roanoke Vineyards winemaker, has always made wonderful steel fermented Chardonnay that maybe had a small percentage of barrel fermented chardonnay mixed in to round it out.

The 2009 vintage changed things up a bit for Roanoke Vineyards.  With the extended fall that carried some summer like sun, Roanoke Vineyards hooked up with Sam McCullough and his vineyard in Aquebogue to pull in fruit at 23.5 brix in November 2009.  Once again the put it in the hands of Roman Roth.

Roanoke Vineyards 2009 “Rhyme and Meter” Chardonnay ($30) is the vineyards first barrel fermented chardonnay.  And my response to that is — what took you so long ;)

The nose brought elements of peach apple, spice, pineapple, subtle citrus and nice minerality.  Floral notes appear as the wine warms along with tea leaf notes, pear and fresh-cut cedar and some butter scotch candies.

The palate brings notes of Apple, vanilla, brioche and peach.  Tropical notes and dried pineapple round out the palate with hints of hazelnuts, flint and cedar box.

Rhyme and Meter — poetry in a bottle?  For a first release oaked chardonnay, it does give poetic justice to chardonnay.

Sláinte!

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Posted in Long Island | 1 Comment

Raphael Vineyards 2010 Riesling

Posted on January 13, 2012 by

This is the sophomore vintage for Raphael Vineyards Riesling and the first under their winemaker Les Howard.  These are young vines that still need time to develop and as they do I am sure the wine will as well

Raphael 2010 Riesling ($28) is a citrus packed mineral driven wine that you don’t see alot of on Long Island.  It is now sold out at the tasting room, but you may find some in local wine shops.

On the nose I was hit with aroma’s of lime, grapefruit, granny smith apple, lemon and a hint of tangerine.  Floral and grassy there is a salty beach rock aroma in there too.  If you can reserve some for day two, which I did, you will pick up more of the apple and lime notes.

The palate carried over the citrus that I was picking up on the nose with hints of peach and more salinity.

Bright zippy acidity dances on your tongue.    I found that the wine improved with some time open.  The finish delivered some lime and lemon grass notes.

Sláinte!

*I received this bottle as a sample from the vineyard
Posted in 2010, Raphael, Riesling | 2 Comments

What I Did On My Blogger Hiatus

Posted on January 12, 2012 by

So you might be wondering what I was up to while I was away from regular blogging.  The long and short answer is I started to get into craft beer.

Sure, I was tasting and drinking wine on occasion, but I found myself reaching for a bottle opener more often than a cork screw.

I tasted and enjoyed alot of beers and while exploring I believe I found my beer  of choice.  Regular readers know how I go had over heels for Cabernet franc.  In the beer world I really started to become a stout fan.  I have always been a fan of the traditional pint of Guinness Stout or Murphy’s Irish Stout.  But it was not until I started to get into craft beers that i realized what a really REALLY good stout is.  And now, I don’t think there is anything that will satisfy me more than a glass of craft stout.

For starters, I have become a craft beer fan of SixPoint’s stuff.  Sweet Action, might be my favorite of their nano-keg lineup, but I also fell in love with Bengali Tiger.  The Crisp, which was in heavy rotation in my fridge over the summer and into the early fall was a nice thirst quenched.  This winter they released a stout called Diesel.

I also tried a few red ales or “sour beers”.  I thought I would find them easy to get into and I thought they would be my new go to beer.  I did like them alot, I just found it difficult to have without food.  I could see some of them with a burger.  For those not in the know, sour beers are brewed with bacteria.  Sound gross.  Brettanomyces, which is a bad thing in wine,  is what helps add to the flavor and kick starts this long ferment.

Like I said earlier,  I really fell in love with were craft stouts.  If you consider yourself a stout lover, you had better make sure you try Sixpoints stout,  Diesel.  Or how about trying Long Ireland‘s Black Friday Imperial Stout under cork and cage.  Even better yet is Brooklyn Brewery‘s Black Opus.  But my favorite stout that I have had thus far is hands down Spider Bite Brewery‘s Boris the Spider Russian Imperial Stout.

Now, I never took tasting notes on them, I just enjoyed them.  It seems that finally after all these years of trying to get into beers, I finally did.  But do I really want to take notes, or should I just enjoy them in my easy chair and slowly but surely become a stout master.   Maybe you will soon find out.

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Posted in Beer, Craft Beer, New York | Leave a comment

Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc

Posted on January 10, 2012 by

2008 was a tough and challenging vintage.  2009 was the same but it was longer, therefore most vineyards were able to hang their fruit and let it ripen longer in hopes that they could extract the most out of their clusters.

Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead never produced a 2008 Cabernet Franc.  It went into other blends.  It just was not good enough to stand out on its own.

Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc ($22) brings a well mixed bag of fruit, spice and earthy herbs, with dried herbs taking the lead.

The nose brings your traditional Cabernet Franc aroma’s raspberry, cherry, and earthy spice.  The cherry stands out bit more at first.  Then a dried mix of herbs stands out with some smoke and a hint of brown sugar to round out the nose.

The palate brings more earthy, spice notes with more dried herbal notes.  Cherry and raspberry take a back seat on the palate.  Bright acidity with smooth tannins that are well-integrated into the wine.  It was balanced with a finish of coca powder, mint and subtle cherry.

Sláinte!

*I received this bottle as a sample from the vineyard
Posted in 2009, Cabernet Franc, Long Island, Martha Clara | Leave a comment

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay

Posted on January 6, 2012 by

You have all heard me mention how great the 2010 vintage was, no need to bring it up again.  It has also been mentioned that the 2010 vintage may have been a bit too hot for the Sauvignon Blanc grape.  I did mention on and off here that the 2010′s, save a few Sauvignon Blanc’s , were a bit out of whack.

In my opinion the one white wine grape that has done very well in 2010 was chardonnay.

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay ($19) is a 100% steel fermented chardonnay.  It did see extended contact with the lees following fermentation, which always brings an added depth and dimension to steel fermented chardonnay.

On the nose I picked up classic chardonnay notes, apple, pear and spice.  Floral with a bread like or even croissant like nose with a hint of baking spice , fresh hazelnut and stoney minerality.

The palate brought more apple and pear and spice followed by a ripe tropical fruit note like mango and papaya.  Some dried pineapples make  an appearance.  A lush and creamy mouth feel is brought to you in part to the 8 months it sat on the lees.  There is a bit of heat on the palate, something you can expect from a vintage like 2010.

Bright clean acidity made me keep coming back for another sip.  The finish was moderate with some baked apple notes.

When I was done tasting this bottle, I went back to look at my notes when I tasted this at Shinn Estate Vineyards “Shinn-Dig” — their annual wine futures dinner event.  Here is what I thought of this same chardonnay in February 2011:

2010 Chardonnay:  Stainless steel fermented, this is the wine that captured all of our attention.  It was my favorite of the night.  A cloudy glass was poured for us — this happens to be the only “unfinished wine” as the lees are still be stirred — it did not distract from aroma and flavors.  Apple, pear, white almonds and hazelnuts with hints of mango, peach and spice filled the glass.  There was a richness that I was picking up on the nose, buttery and creamy like, but I could just not pinpoint it.  When tasted, there was bright acidity, with apple and spice showing through.  Then came elements of fresh tropical fruit, pineapple, mango, star fruit and warm spice notes.  There was a bit of heat I was picking up on the finish, but remember, it is still not finished.  I think our group bought a case or two of this, and we never buy a case of Chardonnay.  This is one to watch.

Sláinte!

Posted in 2010, Chardonnay, Long Island, Shinn Estate Vieyard | 2 Comments

WTF Is Going On With This Blog?!?!

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

That’s what I am asking myself today.  I am sure some of you who have read this and continue to read this blog are asking as well.  And rightfully so.  It has been over a month since I posted and I think I posted 3 times in 2 months.  This blog fell off the deep end and I never threw a life preserver.  Is there still a chance to save it?  I think so.

There is bullet list of reason for my blog tanking.  But lets face it, after May, it got real empty here.  Sure, I could blame running around after a one year old.  Or  how about the fact that my duties as President of the Medford Chamber of Commerce started to take its toll.  Another reason, the loss of my grandfather is one that I still struggle with.  Could I blame the secrete society of unnamed wine tasters that I run, it has consumed alot of my time.  Or how about my work, we have had one of the busiest years in over 3 years.  Pick one, any one, they all work.

One of the many reasons I started to tread water with blogging was due to the fact that I was just not delivering the goods.  My writing sucked ( I am not a writer at all, and I don’t pretend to be).  The more I wrote, the worse my posts seemed to be.  I got bored writing about what I was tasting.  But I never got bored tasting.

Another reason that weighted heavy on me is the fact that maybe I was too honest.  There is not an evil bone in my body and I always look for the good in everything and by doing that I try to pump things up and make them bigger than what they are.  That sometimes can cloud ones view.  I thought to myself, maybe if I was just honest instead of trying to coax something out of nothing.  That is one thing I think I will always struggle with.

However, one of the main problems that came into play this year was a story I could have written, a negative story about trials and tribulations of a vineyard.  It would have been about neglect and ultimately loss.  I had some inside scoop and I could have been a real reporter and reported about things from the inside.  It would have fit in to my thoughts of bringing you my adventures in wine country.  But because I am a cheerleader of the Long Island wine country, this story would not have fit me, it would have changed me and who I am on this blog.  It could have hurt people and it could have excelled me as a reporter.  I chose not to write about it and take the high road.  I even thought of writing it as a ghost writer and publishing it elsewhere, in the end I chose not to.  It ate at me all year-long.  Since it ate at me, I pushed myself further and further away from my blog.  And it hurt my blog.  That one story I could have written and did not write  weighed on me and hurt the stories I tried to write and never got to write.

I never got to write about the great tasting I had with Raphael’s new wine maker Les Howard and how his 2010′s were doing and the interesting direction he was taking his wines.  I never got to write about Anthony Nappa’s Winemaker Studio’s grand opening.  I never got to write about the opening of Empire State Cellars either.  I never got to talk about Evan Dawson’s great book “Summer in a Glass” which I found so inspiring.  I was never able to write about the 2008 Merlot Tasting I held for my tasting group ( I may try to resuscitate that one) .  I never got to visit with Kelly at Macari, or Patrick at Shinn, or visit with Jake at Jamesport. The barrel tastings I did with Edward at Pindar and the tastings at Channing Daughters never saw the light of day.  I never got to talk about the Cabernet Franc Tasting for HARVEST at Clovis Point and more importantly, I never got to work an hour of harvest this 2011 season.

I am not beating my self up here, I am just trying to be honest and let you know what is going on in my head.  What inspired me to “rant” about this were two blogs.  The first one, The Passionate Foodie, Richard Auffrey’s well done adventures in wine, food and sake his rant, “Wine Bloggers, I Call You Out Once Again” put all bloggers up to a challenge.  And another, Evil Bottle’s post, “The Wine Blogger Dilemma”, both made me think and reassess what I am doing here on my blog.  Last year, Richard put all bloggers up to a challenge and I failed at it.  This year he called us out once again and I am going to try to redirect this blog.  The Evil Bottle is a new blog for me, one I found when reading Richards post.  Both of them made me stop and think and now I am in the process of refining things here on my blog.

So where is this going to go, what am I going to bring you in 2012.  I think I have the answer.  Honest wine reviews.  Interviews with the people in wine country.  And the occasional barrel tasting, wine country events I attend and some random thoughts of mine.  Nothing less than that and if you happen to get something more, then we both will win.

I am not a wine expert, I hold no credentials.  I have a nose, a plate and an enjoyment for wine.  What I would like to do with this blog is bring you along with me on this educational journey.  I will let you know what I am tasting, what I thought of it and hopefully a little about what went into the bottle.  I am not going to score the wine, I am not going to recommend the wine and I am not going to tell you not to try it.  You should be able to pick them up from my posts.

I am also not a writer, like I said earlier.  My grammar will suck and there will be some run on sentences and spelling errors.  I will do my best to make it perfect, but after all, this dyslexic wine taster is “editing and publishing” my own stories.

One thing I would like to bring you, but I am not sure I will deliver it acutely is wine from other regions.  As my palate has expanded and I believe I have fine tuned it, I have tasted wines from around the world.  Some good, some eh and some bad.  This is important as my palate grows and as yours should as well.

So expect some subtle changes in the posts, maybe they will not be that noticeable.  I hope to post as often as I did in the past, three post per week, there were some weeks when I had as many as five.  No matter what happens on UndertakingWine.com, I want it to be productive and inspiring.  I want you to want to go out and buy that bottle of wine or visit that winery I talk about.  Let’s enjoy this ride again, I am looking forward to 2012 in wine country.  I hope you are too.

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Influence Wines 2010 Riesling

Posted on November 21, 2011 by

Erik Bilka has made wine for some time for many people on Long Island.  As a production wine maker at Premium Wine group, he probably had his hands on some of your favorite wines.  But you did not know it.

In 2009, Erik, a Buffalo, NY native took the opportunity to make wine under his own label and put his name on the bottle.  So Influence Wines was born.  I really liked Erik’s 2009 release and I was looking forward to the 2010 release.

In 2010 Erik continued to make wine, this time he purchased grapes from Dalrymple farms in the Finger Lakes on Seneca Lake.  His Influence was found for sure in the winemaking.  No added sugar, no added acid, it shows true essence of the Riesling grape and the region it was planted in, the Finger Lakes.

Here you can read from Influence Wines website what happened to the grapes at harvest and how they arrived on Long Island:

Once harvested, Influence Riesling is delivered to White Springs Winery in Geneva, NY on Seneca Lake, where the experienced staff led by Derek Wilber crush, press, and cold settle the juice, which is then shipped to Premium Wine Group on the North Fork of Long Island. Upon arrival, winemaker Erik P. Bilka begins the winemaking process. The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks. Before completion fermentation is halted in order to maintain the natural residual sugars found in this semi-dry vintage. The refining process which involves separating natural occurring sediment from the final product is done delicately in order to preserve the fruits integrity.

On the nose aroma’s of fresh sliced peach, tropical pineapple and stoney minerality jump out at you.  Lime, more tropical fruit and some dried fruits rise up as the wine warms to room temperature.

On the palate lime, citrus, melon, pear and peach mix beautifully with bright acidity and just a hint of residual sugar.

On day two there were some tea leaf elements and some tropical notes with a hint of wet slate.

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Posted in 2010, Finger Lake Region, Influence Wines, Long Island, Riesling | Leave a comment

Bedell Cellars 2009 Cabernet Franc

Posted on November 19, 2011 by

Most of the 2007 red wines are gone from the tasting rooms, but some have still some they are holding on to.  Some wineries are rolling out the 2008 reds at this point and some are even rolling out 2009′s.  2008 was a challenging year, but the 2008′s that I tasted remind me of some of the 2006′s.  2008 will not go down as a great vintage,  non-the-less, with a little time in the bottle, you can find some diamonds in the rough.

Rich Olsen Harbich, winemaker at Bedell Cellars did not make this wine, Kelly Urbanik started it, Rich finished it.

The Bedell Cellars 2009 Cabernet Franc ($30) is a beautiful wine that shows why Cabernet Franc when in the right hands, is perfect for the Long Island Region no matter the vintage.

On the nose, loads of cherry, raspberry, dried strawberry and cedar lead the way with notes of dried herbs like sage and thyme are in the back ground.  Earthy spice notes emerge with a hint of vanilla bean.

The palate brings more cherry and raspberry with a hint of bay leaf and more earthy aroma’s.  Some smoky, sweet tobacco/cedar box flavors also develop with time in the glass.

Unfortunately, this wine is sold out at the winery, however, I have noticed it at a few local wine shops.

Sláinte!

*I received this bottle as a sample from the vineyard
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Posted in 2009, Bedell, Cabernet Franc, Long Island | Leave a comment

Clovis Point 2005 Merlot

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

Clovis Point Vineyards in Jamesport on Route 25 was always a vineyard that we would either hit or miss.  It has nothing to do with their wines, for some reason we would drive right past it.

We have had great times in their tasting room and have always found very nice wines when we visited.  Our visits and experiences at Clovis Point were always memorable, however, there was something that just did not make it a destination for us and I really have no answer as to why.

That all changed with a bottle of Merlot.

Clovis Point Winery 2005 Merlot ($25) was a memorable wine from a memorable vintage.  John Leo, the wine maker at Clovis Point as well as production wine maker at Premium Wine Group, made a fantastic Merlot in 2005 at Clovis Point.  A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, it reminds us how great the 2005 vintage was.

On the nose aroma‘s of cherry, black cherry, raspberry and juicy plum lead the way with hints of Tobacco, earthy spice like cardamom and clove.  Smoky cedar notes are around on this almost sweet-smelling wine, without a hint of sugar.  It’s hard to explain, but you just have to trust me (or try it yourself).

The juicy ripe fruit that I found on the palate is there, but what leads the way on the palate are some great smoky, earthy flavors with a hint of sweet vanilla, chocolate and cigar box notes.  Great vibrant acidity with biting tannins round out this wine.

This Merlot was a beautiful wine that had an old world feel to it.  If there is any left, make sure to get some, if not, you missed out on a fantastic local wine.

Sláinte!

Posted in 2005, Clovis Point, Long Island, Merlot | Leave a comment

It’s Drink Regional Wine Week!

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

Just in case you did not know, On Sunday October 9th kicked off the 4th annual Drink Regional Wine.  It runs through OCtober 15th.

What’s”Drink Regional Wine Week” you ask?  Well this sums it up best.  It was started 4 years ago by the site, drinklocalwine.com in an effort to get wine writers, bloggers and enthusiast to talk about something other than California, Oregon and Washington.

You won’t find that problem here on undertakingwine.com, but around the country people forget about the other 47 states that grow and produce wine.

This is your week Long Island.  Let it shine.  If you are tasting, drinking and enjoying a Long Island Wine, let me know.  Post it here.  And if you can come up with an essay in 47 words or less, send it to drinklocalwine.com and they will enter you into a contest.

To get better acquainted with why local wine is important and why Regional Wine Matters.

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Posted in Event, Long Island, Thoughts, Wine | Leave a comment

Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Clusters

Posted on October 6, 2011 by

Martha Clara Vineyards introduced us to a new dessert, port style wine.  Ciel has been around for years, but with the ripe highly regarded 2007 vintage, winemaker Juan E. Micieli-Martinez wanted to make a port style wine with some of the estate grown grapes.

Port wine is a style of wine.  To be more specific it is a fortified wine that is produced in Portugal, hence the term Port wine. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties.  Long Island makes plenty of fortified wines, but to use the word Port, is technically a no-no.  The word port does not appear anywhere on the label of this bottle.

This Martha Clara Vineyards 2007 Clusters ($29) is an perfectly balanced blend of Estate Grown grapes; 34% Merlot, 33%Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc.  The grapes were hand harvested in November 2007, fermented in stainless steel and aged for 3 years in neutral oak barrels.

On the nose I was picking up notes of dried strawberry, blueberry and cherry.  Jamy for sure with hints of alcohol.  Chocolate cover cherry drops, tobacco , cedar and vanilla round out the nose with some hints of spice Cassis and liquor as the wine is open for a while.

When first tasted there are notes of baked fruit compote, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry.  Clover honey, brown sugar and baking spices also appear at the back-end of the taste.  Stewed plum, chocolate and vanilla caramel and roasted nuts also emerge with time open and in the glass.

The wine showed some heat, thanks in part the hot 2007 vintage and the high alcohol (19%).  I enjoyed this wine, the acidity was just right that it kept me coming back for another sip.

The wine did change over the course of 5 days time and I found it more enjoyable on days two, three and four.  The flavors developed more and the wine developed a complexity.

Sláinte!

*I received this bottle as a sample from the vineyard
Posted in 2007, Desert Wine, Long Island, Martha Clara | Leave a comment

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Wild Boar Doe

Posted on October 3, 2011 by

Year in and year out this is one, if not my favorite offering’s from Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck.  A play on words, it pays homage to the Bordeaux varieties. In this offering it brings 40% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec, 15% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.

You will hear, or read for that matter, me say that the 2008 vintage was a tough one for grape growing, but here, Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Wild Boar Doe ($30) shows how hard work in the vineyard will bring in great fruit for a winemaker to blend together and make a delicious wine.

On the nose I was picking up notes of blackberry, raspberry, plum, cherry and hints of blueberry.  Earthy and spicy — you pick up notes of clove, nutmeg, dried herb and fresh cracked peppercorns.  There are some floral notes, like dried lavender and violets.  It was hard for me to take my nose from the glass.

On the palate a mélange of berries leads the way, some dried and some baked.  There is an element of cassis, earth and spice with a hint of cedar and tobacco.

The wine is packed with chewy tannins and delicious, mouth-watering acidity.  A food friendly wine that works perfectly with grilled meats and grilled veggies.

The finish brings a bit more spice than fruit and the fruit element is along the lines of cassis.

Back in March of last year when I went to the Annual Shinn-Dig Futures dinner, I had declared this to be the best Wild Boar Doe to date.  I think my notes from then still stand up.  You can read more about it and the event here.

Sláinte!

Posted in Blended Wine, Long Island, Red Wine, Shinn Estate Vieyard | Leave a comment

Raphael Vineyards 2010 “First Label’ Sauvignon Blanc

Posted on September 26, 2011 by

A few weeks back I talked about Raphael Vineyards 2010 estate Sauvignon Blanc.  This time I want to talk about their other Sauvignon blanc.  The one made from older vines that were planted when Raphael began in 1998 from the 3 acre founding vineyard.  This label is reserved for the older vines.

2010 was one of the best vintages to date.  It might be the best one in fact.  Raphael Vineyards 2010 First Label Sauvignon Blanc ($26) shows just how good the vintage was.

On the nose, tropical notes lead the way with some kiwi, grapefruit, and a lemon lime mix.  Notes of sweet herb, like basil and hints of green grass round out the nose with hints of salinity as the wine warms in the glass.

On the palate, fresh-cut grass leads the way with all the fruit that I picked up on the nose carry over on to the palate – grapefruit, lemon, lime and some tropical flavors.

Bright, crisp clean acidity that carried for a while then gently balanced out to give the wine some heft on the palate.

The finish brought some herbal notes with hints of gooseberry with a moderately long finish.

Sláinte!

*I received this bottle as a sample from the vineyard
Posted in 2010, Raphael, Sauvignon Blanc | 2 Comments

Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Posted on September 21, 2011 by

I know what you are thinking — It’s September, why am I talking Sauvignon Blanc?

Well, I got a little backlogged and since we are in a bit of an Indian Summer, I still felt this was perfect for this time of year.  To be honest, I love Sauvignon Blanc any time of the year, but the summer is the perfect time to drink this.

Martha Clara Vineyards got alot of Press for their 2 Riesling offerings from 2010 and some of their wines may have fallen under the radar.  This might have and it should not be overlooked in my opinion.

In the past, Martha Clara Vineyards, in Riverhead, has made Sauvignon Blanc’s with a nod to New Zealand, a bit more grassy.  This one is no different, but with a bigger bolder nose and palate than I recall.

The Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Sauvignon Blanc ($19) has 10% Semillion in it, which I think enhances and really makes this wine sing.

On the nose the wine gives off some musky notes with notes of fresh grass, some salinity and peperoncini notes.  Then as you swirl the glass some more, more tropical aroma’s like kiwi, pineapple, papaya mix with lemon and grapefruit.

The palate brings more tropical notes with kiwi, lime grapefruit, sweet herbs and grass.  There is a bit of a floral element as the wine comes closer to room temperature.

The wine has a great balance with a lightning bolt of acidity that is palate cleansing and keep the glass coming back to your mouth.

A fruit forward finish of grapefruit and lemon with a hint of grass lingers for a while.

Sláinte!

*I received this bottle as a sample from the vineyard
Posted in 2010, Long Island, Martha Clara, Sauvignon Blanc | Leave a comment

Waters Crest Winery 2009 Late Harvest Night Watch

Posted on September 20, 2011 by

Last week I talked about how sparkling wine does not get its due respect here.  The same can be said for dessert wines here on my blog.  It’s not that I don’t like them, I just don’t seem to drink them.  Unless there is some kinds of desert involved.

The very first time I visited Waters Crest Winery in Cutchogue, I walked away with a bottle of Jim Waters late harvest Desert wine.  When I recently attended a wine dinner at The Melting Pot and Jim’s wines were paired perfectly with 4 courses, the only thing missing was his Late Harvest.  However, Jim knew better and brought some for all to taste.

Year in and year out, this is one of our favorite dessert wines.  Here’s why Waters Crest Winery 2009 Late Harvest Night Watch ($45) is one to seek out and why it was a finalist on the NY Cork Report’s Wine of the Year for Long Island Desert Wines.

On the nose this golden-colored wine was bursting with apple, apricot, melon, peach and clover honey.  Notes of baking spice, candied ginger, orange blossom and orange peel rounded out the nose.  As the wine warmed the notes of fresh peeled oranges dominated.

On the palate, this viscous, honey like wine brought notes of dried apricot and peach with hints of spice, clove, almonds and more clover honey.

The wine showed great balance between the acidity and sugar.  There is a lot of sugar here and the key is to bring enough acidity to make it balance, this wine delivers.

The finish is delicious with notes of honey, apricot and baking spice.

Make sure you stop in and have a taste, you won’t be sorry and you will probably walk out with a bottle.  There is not much left, this was a very limited production wine, so don’t miss out.

Sláinte!

*I received this bottle as a sample from the vineyard

Posted in 2009, Desert Wine, Long Island, Waters Crest Winery | 1 Comment