I have not been to Paumanok Vineyards, in Aquebogue, in some time, in fact I don’t remember the last time I was there. Bit after this tasting I will make sure I travel along route 25 the next time I go out tasting.

On the nose I was picking up loads of lime juice, granny smith apple and some pear. There was a minerality element that reminded me of rain-soaked rocks. There was also a floral note that rounded out the nose of this wine.

The taste was loaded with fresh squeezed lime and zesty citrus juice. It had a zippy uplifting acidity that made my mouth tingle. There was more apple and pear to round out the flavors.

I really enjoyed this wine. This was one of my favorite Riesling from Long Island. I highly recommend you pick this up the next time you see it.  I will be back to the shop to pickup and try the 2008 in the future.

We had this wine with chicken and steak fajita. It went well, the loads of lime elements really enhanced the food.

This is nothing like you have seen from Raphael Vineyards before.  It is a very simple bottle, with a very simple label, nothing old world about this label, just shot of two seats with spread of cheese, meats, fruits, breads and wine, overlooking a field or a vineyard, whatever you perceive it to be.

This bottle of wine, Raphael Vineyards 2007 La Tavola, ($13) is an enhancement to the table you place it on.  It is a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc.

On the nose I was picking up some dried cherry and blackberry.  There was also this earthy funkiness on the nose that reminded me of wet soil and mushrooms.  There was also some dried herbs and a touch of minerality like wet beach rocks.

The taste was more of the same, but I was picking up some grilled fig and plum as well.  There was also a minty note that carried onto the finish. 

The tannins were ripe and the acidity was perfect.  There was good harmony and balance to the wine and for this price, of $13, it cold be your every day table wine.

I would pick this up and bring this to  the next dinner party you go to or the next time you have friends over for laughs and good times.  You and your friends will enjoy this wine.  When I had this at our table,  I called our table, La Tavola Felice!  The Happy Table!

Let me again start off by saying that 2007, on Long Island was one of the hottest on record.  It was the ideal season for growing grapes and the ripening of grapes.  The wine’s that you taste from this vintage on Long Island will not be like any other.  This is a banner year yet at the same time it is considered an anomaly, by some.  I am leaning in that direction of the 2007 an anomaly year for Long Island wine, or  2007 is an  extraordinary vintage.

That being said, this is up in my top 5 for Merlot’s from the 2007 vintage.  I have tasted about a dozen, some from the barrel and some unreleased in bottle, but others, I am still waiting to try and some are not released yet.

On the nose, I was picking up some smoky, woodsy, and tobacco notes upon open.  It needed some time to awaken in the glass.  After a while I was picking up notes of cherry and plum with hints of cedar, vanilla and toffee that gave way to a freshly roasted coffee bean.

The taste was a bit tannic at first, and needed some time to open.  Once it did, I was picking up some blueberry cobbler, vanilla and cherry.  There were some deep dried herbal notes, like mint and some eucalyptus, that matched well with an earthy minerality that added to the multiple layers of this tasty wine.

This 2007 Merlot had alot of layers and kept unfold the longer it was in the glass.

I had this wine with lasagna that Melissa made.  Both were perfect together.

On the second day, there was more of a fruit note present and the tannic notes were diminished.

This has not been released yet, Pindar Vineyards is still selling their 2006 Reserve Merlot.  Pindar said it would be released soon, and when it is, make sure you pick up some and enjoy.

My parents Mike & Patty Gorton, Melissa’s parents, Dave & Edith Braun, and our siblings, Melissa’s sister Stacy and her husband Darren Hawkins and my brothers, Tim and Matt Gorton, get together for some laughs and great food and delicious wine.  This year was just as much fun as last, but maybe a little bit better.  

Here is what happens at the Shinn-Dig, if you have never been there before, shame on you!  You have an opportunity to taste the standard releases of wines that they produce, Coalescence, First Fruit, Chardonnay, Rose, Estate Merlot, Wild Boar Doe, Nine Barrels, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Yes there are other releases, but they are not complete yet. You taste them along side some very nice cheese and bread and some very good olives and some spicy nuts.  David also prepares a hearty stew to enjoy while you taste their red wines.   The cost of the evening is $95.  with $40 of that going to the purchase of wine.  It is a no brainer to get in on the action.  

We all arrive and we were hosted by David Page in the Kitchen, Barbara was in the tasting room and Anthony was in the barrel cellar.  Everyone bounced around talking about the wines and talking about the Shinn Philosophy.  

Melissa and I

One big announcement was that starting this year, Barbara Shinn will begin the process of becoming a certified Organic and Biodynamic vineyard. The first on the east coast!  This has been a huge undertaking, no pun intended, by Barbara and David since they first started Shinn Estate Vineyards.  Barbara has worked endlessly to make the vineyard self sustainable and you can taste the labor and love in their wines.  This is the start of a 3 year process so hopefully in 2013 there will be something special to celebrate at Shinn Estate Vineyards.  

Now on to the tasting; the table’s are set up family style with bread and cheese and olives and spiced nuts and most importantly family and friends!  

We first tasted from the 2009 vintage, Shinn Estate Vineyards Coalescence ($14).  This is a white table wine that has some Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot Blanc and some Riesling from the Finger Lakes.  On the nose you could definitely pick up the Riesling with some pineapple and apple and a little pear.  There was a hint of salty beach rock.  The taste was even better; the apple and pear combination was front and center with a zinging acidity.  It was palate cleansing and a great way to start off the evening.  

We then were offered Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 “First Fruit” Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon ($22).  There was plenty of Grapefruit, lemon and citrus.  There was the sent of slate on the nose as well, something that I tend to find in Shinn Estate Wines.  The taste had great acidity and was balanced with the fruit aspect of the wine that carried over onto the palate.  It was clean and crisp, and it called for a summer evening.  

Edith and Dave, my In-Laws

Next up was Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay ($17).  This is steel fermented, no oak touches this wine.  In the glass it was still cloudy, it is not finished yet, it still needed some time in the tank.  But right up front you can taste the wonderful lemony citrus on the nose.  There was a nice creaminess to this chardonnay with out it being buttery, as you would find in an oaked chardonnay.  The taste was a bit acidic, but remember it was not complete yet.  

We then were getting ready for our dinner, so we moved onto Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Rose($15).   This is not your typical Rose.  It is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc juice.  The wine does have some contact with skin, but only briefly.  It picks up some of there color and a touch of the tannins when it is in contact with the skins.  It is an ultra dry style rose that just screams summer BBQ.  On the nose I was getting some Strawberry and raspberry with a little fresh herbal notes.  There was a little cranberry developing on the taste along with  nice peppery finish.  It was a clean wine and very refreshing.  

Melissa, sis-in-law Stacy & Husband Darren and my brother Tim

We then moved onto the highlights of the evening, the red wines from the 2008 vintage (which is a special vintage since Melissa and I were married on that soil in that year!)  

First up was Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Estate Merlot ($26).  This Merlot in moving in the direction of their 2007 Merlot release “Rebellion” which is wild fermented with indigenous yeast.  This is the direction that they are moving on based on the success of the “Rebellion”, and the way Shinn Estate feels this grape is best shown.  You will not see Rebellion on the label, but you will know that this was fermented without the use of outside yeast.  On the nose there was alot of fruit.  Some cherry, currant and a bit of dried herbs and a hint of floral elements.  The taste was more of the same with some peppery spice and a touch of sour cherry and an earthy minerality that has Shinn written all over it.  It was a well balance and structured wine.  The finish was nice, I was getting a little toasty vanilla.  

We then were served a hearty bowl of Duck and Lentil Stew.  There was some wonderful flavors of orange peel and cardamom.  The duck was tender and flavorful.  It truly warmed our soul. IT was preparing us and paired perfectly with the next wine, maybe my favorite of the night…  

My sis-in-law Stacy and her Husband Darren

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Wild Boar Doe ($29).  This is a classic Bordeaux style wine with blends of the classic Bordeaux varietals, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot and Malbec.  Immediately on the nose I knew this was going to be an awesome wine.  There were wonderful floral elements and exotic spice, with some wonderful plum and blackberry and dried cherry.  With each sip, you could almost taste each varietal in the glass.  The wonderful thing about this Wild Boar Doe was the spice element.  There was some exotic, cardamom and coriander on the nose, but on the palate I was picking up some classic Chinese 5 spice flavors, anise, cinnamon and nutmeg along other.  These spices were soft and approachable, no ware near harsh.  This may be my favorite of the night and in my opinion, the best Wild Boar Doe to date!  I also have to say that David could not stop talking about it.  I don’t know who was digging it more!  

Melissa and Stacy

 Up next was the wonderful and distinctive 2008 Cabernet Franc from Shinn Estate Vineyards ($38).  Loads of berries right up front on the nose; Raspberry, cherry, boysenberries and currant.  It was spicy and herbal with some mint and dried basil.  The spice elements of the wine were exotic and arousing, some cinnamon, anise, cardamom and coriander with a  fresh black pepper kick.  It was earthy and tasty.  It was the first wine that I needed a second glass during the tasting and it went perfectly with my second helping of the Duck and lentil stew.  This showed very traditional Shinn elements and is a great follow-up to the current release, the 2007 Cabernet Franc.  

We then were poured Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Nine Barrels Reserve Merlot ($42).  This really got my wheels going.  It has just a touch of Petite Verdot in it, to round out the best 9 barrels of the 2008 Merlot Vintage.  Right up front there was big fruit; cherry, blackberry, fig and plum.  There was some chocolate and some wonderful soft exotic spice.  This was a big wine, and when I say that I wanted to go for a swim in the glass, you know it was a knock out!  The finish was even better with a kick of mint and vanilla.  Probably my runner up of the evening, but very close to finishing first.  

We then moved onto the last wine of the night, Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($40).  Let me first start off by saying, I am not a Cab Sauv fan.  I just cannot get into it.  But this wine was complex, approachable and distinctive.  There was aroma of Blackberry, coffee, chocolate and tobacco with a nice plum component.  The taste carried over some of the fruit along with some menthol and eucalyptus.  There was a little tobacco and some tart chocolate covered cherries with a smoky finish.  

Dad, me, Mom, Tim and Matt, the Gorton's

Sadly, this was the end of the night and now it was time to narrow down the winners and buy some wine.  I re tasted the Wild Boar Doe, Cabernet Franc and Nine Barrels.  It was  a close call, but the majority of the our family loved the Cabernet Franc.  Even my brother who loves his Merlot, was blown away by this cabernet franc.  The overall winner was the 2009 First Fruit, we walked away with a total of 2 ½ cases (no surprise there because I help with the harvest on that one).  

If you want to get in on wine at a 20% discount, you can, even if you did not attend the Shinn-Dig, you can visit their website and place your order by March 31.  Keep in mind that some of the wine will not be available till later in the year, but when it is you will enjoy your wine at this special savings.  

Well, I hate that I have to wait another year for the next Shinn Dig, but it will be alot of fun and hopefully some of you will be able to be there as well.  

Come to think of it, looking at my list, I think I need to add some Cabernet Franc and Wild Board Doe…I think I made a miss calculation on the order.  

Shinn on a Snow filled dark night!

Photo from Lenn Thompson, I lost my picture.

The other day while walking around a wine shop near my office, I noticed this bottle and I had to look twice.  Did it really say 2008?  Was that a typo? How could a 2008 Red wine be out already when some places did not release some of their 2007’s yet. 

After doing a quick search on my blackberry, I found out that it is not a misprint it is on Bedell Cellars’ Website. 

So then my next question came up; How does a 2008 red get released when there are still some 2007 reds that have not been released?  I needed to take this home and taste and do some undertaking. 

According to Bedell Cellars website, this wine goes through carbonic maceration. 

Huh? 

Carbonic Maceration is a processes that is very common is some young vines.  AS is the case here.  The process is started when who grape clusters are fermented in a carbon dioxide environment before they are pressed and or crushed.  In other words, the juice is fermented inside the berry.  The result is a very fruity wine with little or no tannins.  A perfect example would be Beaujolais Nouveau. 

This Bedell Cellars 2008 First Crush is a blend of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc.  It was fermented in stainless steel.  Retail is $18. 

Now on to the tasting; on the nose I was picking up loads of cherry, raspberry, plumb, cedar and dried herbs.  I was also picking up a bit of fermenting grapes in the glass when I first opened.  Something that reminded me of walking through a wine cellar.  I like that part of the wine the best. 

The taste was more of the same.  Cherry, Raspberry and plum.  I was picking up some grape skin and a little smoke.  There was lot of acidity and I found this to be palate cleansing. 

The finish was nice, though short I was picking up some dark chocolate at the end. 

In conclusion, I loved this wine.  It had feelings of being in a vineyard at harvest season, tasting the grapes off the vine and the smell of the juice being crushed and fermented, aroma’s I love.  It was alot of fun and went perfectly with he hamburgers I was grilling that night.  It was a great value at $12.95 too!  I recommend you pick this up at your wine shop if you see it, if not pick up some the next time you are out on the east end.

More information will come when it will be rescheduled, most likely in the spring.

So, stay safe in this winter storm with something from your cellar.  Remember, we just have to get past February and spring will be around the corner.

This month we have been presented this challenge, and I say challenge for a couple of reasons; first though here is the deal:

“Most meals end with dessert and coffee or a glass of liqueur. The focus on the meal is long since gone, as is the wine. Guests are getting sleepy, hosts are getting antsy about the clean-up ahead of them and no one is paying attention to what they’re eating or drinking anymore. I think this is shameful. Every once in a while, dessert deserves the attention given to a main course…
 

The proper pairing of a sugary confection with a good wine is a difficult thing to maneuver. I have seen it done a few times in restaurants, once or twice at dinner parties and maybe done it once myself – and I almost certainly managed it by accident. Do you go sweeter with the wine than the dessert or match it? Do you go red or white or ice? Do you try to harmonize regions or go completely off the map (so to speak) with your choice…?

 

I say challenge because I suck at baking and I suck at wine pairings.  I usually go with what first comes to my head, and since, baking requires measuring…I just don’t bother.

But, when I first found about this from Lenn at the New York Cork Report, a bulb went off in my head, something like this: February…Valentines day…sweets…wine…Melissa…Shinn…butterscotch pudding…Wölffer Estate Late Harvest Chardonnay.

Now to decipher…Valentines day falls in February, Melissa, my wife, is an excellent baker and sweets maker, David Paige from Shinn Estate Vineyards had a wine makers dinner recently and made butterscotch pudding, I have that recipe from their book, and I remember the taste of Wolffer’s Late harvest Chardonnay.  I have no clue If I can bring them together, but here we go!

First the Recipe for the pudding.  This is taken from “Recipes from Home” by David Page and Barbara Shinn, Proprietors of Shinn Estate Vineyards

6 large egg yolks

1 cup whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup (firmly packed) dark brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and lightly whisk them together.

Whisk together the milk cream and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until small bubbles form around the edge. Remove from the heat.

Dissolve the granulated sugar in the water in a large heavy saucepan over low heat.  Increase the heat to high and cook the sugar without stirring until it is golden amber in color.  Carefully and slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the caramel and still with a long wooden spoon or whisk; the caramel will bubble up and steam as you begin to combine them.  Gently and slowly whisk the caramel cream into the egg yolks.  Stir in the salt and vanilla.  Strain the pudding and refrigerate it until cooled, about 30 minuets.  Skim off any air bubbles.

Per heat the oven to 300° F

Pour the pudding into six 6oz ramekins .  Place them ins a deep baking pan and put the pan in the oven.  Add enough hot water to the pan to reach halfway up the side of the ramekins, then cover the pan with aluminum foil.  Bake the puddings for about 50 minuets.  When gently shaken, they should look set around the edges but not quiet set in a quarter size area in the center.

Remove the Ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, serve chilled.

The pudding came out from the fridge and it looked silky soft and perfect.  The coloring was spot on, as you can see from the picture.

It tasted perfect.  It was soft and velvety.  Tasted like a sophisticated butterscotch candy, not one that is overly sweet.  This pudding is not like how my mom made it, from a box.  My father in law who was over that night for dinner, was looking for more, said, in so many words, that he could eat a tub of this.  I might have to agree with him.

Now, my wife is a fantastic baker and cook too, but one day I hope to try David’s version.

On to the wine pairing.  The first thing I am thinking that maybe this Late Harvest Chardonnay may be buttery to go with this Butterscotch pudding.  Maybe it will be too sweet, maybe I should have gone with a chocolate port…but this is what I thought of first and this is how it went…in my opinion, perfectly!

First a little technical information about the wine from Wolffer’s website.  Wolffer Estate Vineyard 2007 Late Harvest (Ice Wine) Chardonnay ($37). 

The wine is a blend of 75% Chardonnay, 12% Vignoles, 10% Gewürztraminer and 3% Trebbiano.  All the grapes were hand picked from special selected lots starting on September 21st for the Gewürztraminer and finishing on October 20st with the Vignole. 2007 was one of the best growing seasons Long Island has ever had, resulting in healthy rich and ripe fruit. The grapes were immediately transported in their 30Lbs picking boxes into a commercial freezer and stored at 11° Fahrenheit until December 3rd. The frozen grapes were pressed, yielding a very concentrated and lush grape juice at 40 Brix, a fabulous acidity of 10 gr/liter Total Acidity and a pH of 3.39. The juice was fined and well settled; the fermentation was done in stainless steel and took 28 days at a cool temperature of 63°. Chilling and racking the wine stopped the fermentation resulting in 9.5% Alc. by Volume and a residual Sugar of 252 gr/Ltr. Malolactic fermentation was strictly avoided to keep the acidity and the pure fruit characters. The wine was filtered and bottled beginning of June 2008 resulting in 835 cases of 375ml

On the nose, there was a done of dried apricot, pineapple a little dried peach and some lychee juice.  There is a little Gewürztraminer in this Late harvest. 

The taste was in perfect balance.  There was some tropical notes and a very nice dried sweet fruit like I was picking up on the nose.  There was also a touch of some citrus.  It was viscous and lush with a honey like syrupy mouth feel.  There was a perfect amount of acidity to cut the sugary feeling and clear the palate for my next spoonful of pudding with just a hint of vanilla on the finish.

Now was this the best pairing, no…probably not.  But it was my pairing and I loved it.  The acidity in the wine did cut through the think and heavy pudding.  That is why it went so well.  The wine is rather food friendly, it is not overly sweet, it is subtle, just the way I like my desert wine.

Thanks to Jennifer Hamilton of The Domestic Goddess for hosting.

Thanks to Lenn Thompson of The New York Cork Report for invinting Wine Blogging Wednesday

I really enjoyed this challenge first because it was a challenge that I think I won,  but more importantly, I got my wife involved and we had this on Valentine’s day.   I love you Melissa, and thanks for making me that delicious Butterscotch pudding!

Curious about Cider?

Got nothing going on Friday night?

Want to take your special someone out for a tasting before dinner?

Well then come and meet up with me, the Wine Undertaker and his wife and family at Roanoke Vineyards for some Farnum Hill Ciders.

Also there that night will be the Four Poursmen or the Pourboys or whatever we are called…

Meet us, along with Corrie Martin Louisa Spenser from Farnum Hill Cider at Roanoke Vineyards from 5-8 PM on this Friday, February 26, 2010,  from 5 – 8PM.  She will be pouring some of their artisanal ciders, free of charge.  Keep in mind these are not your typical ciders!  Check their website for more information about their ciders.

They will also be providing local cheese and meats to go along side your tasting.

If you are not a fan of cider, no problem.  You will be able to taste all of Roanoke Vineyards current releases.  I am having a Marco Tulio craving right now.

I hope to see you there.  Don’t be shy, ask for the Undertaker; someone will be able to point you in the right direction.

Thanks to Lenn Thopson of the New York Cork Report for setting this up.

Sadly though, the cider will not be available for purchase, but it is in certain locations across Nassau and Suffolk, check the web site for more information.

The group has expanded from the original seven to include the following, Chianti Classico, Paso Robles, Sonoma County, Tokaj, Victoria, Western Australia and now Long Island, NY and Rioja, Spain round out the group to a total of 15 “of the world’s most prominent wine regions – all jointly advocating for better protection of place names.”

“We are honored to join this esteemed group of the world’s leading wine regions. Long Island wines, like all those represented in this coalition, are unique. They can’t be duplicated anywhere else in the world and today we come together to recognize that nothing shapes a wine’s character like its location,” said Chris Baiz, president of the board of directors, Long Island Wine Council and owner of The Old Field Vineyards. (From the Joint Declaration’s Press Release.)

Ok, so what does this mean, “By becoming signatories of the Declaration, members agree that geographic names are fundamental tools for consumers to identify the special wines associated with specific winegrowing regions. And as such, they commit to work together to bring the necessary awareness and advocacy to bear to ensure these names are protected and respected. From great winegrowing regions to consumer rights groups to everyday wine consumers, more and more are making their voices heard in the campaign to protect wine place names.” (From the Press Release)

To some it up, its all about location, location, location; and how that is important to what is in your bottle.   When you see Parmigiano-Reggiano stamped on the side of a cheese wheel, you know where it came from, when you see the Idaho Potato emblem on a bag of potatoes, you know where it came from.  It is also a signature of the quality in the product you are purchasing and consuming.  The same can be said for the wine you drink.  So in the future, when you see Long Island, NY on the label of a bottle of wine you will know that the grapes used to make that wine came from Long Island.

I raise my glass of Long Island Sparkling Wine to that!

To lend support and read the full text of the Declaration visit www.protectplace.com.

“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” ~ Dom Perignon, at the moment he discovered champagne

The other night, at Roanoke Vineyards, the Wine Adventurers or the Pour Boys or the Four Poursemen,  we are not sure what we  calling ourselves, yet, Lenn Thomson, from the New York Cork Report, Henry Powderly, II, From Work in Progress(who also took the pictures), Adam Ehmer from Roanoke Vineyards, and yours truly got in on some Finger Lake Wine, with Twitter Taste Live.  This month our tasting was Sparkling Wine. Last month we were soaking up some Cabernet Franc’s from the Finger Lakes.

The first one up this night was  Chateau Frank Blanc de Blancs 2002 $30.00.  This is made from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Blanc, and made int the Methode Champenoise tradition.  On the nose, I was picking up some yummy yeast and doughy bread.  Something that I love in sparkling wine.  There was some citrus notes as well.

 On the palate, I was picking some lemony citrus and a hint of wet stone minerality.  Very nice acidity and a long finish to go along with it.  At the end of the finish I was picking up some nutty creaminess too, which is another favorite of mine.

We then went on to Goose Watch Pinot Noir Brut Rose ($18.00)  This sparkler was made with 79% Pinot Noir grapes and 21% Chardonnay.  It was bottled in the Charmat process where it undergoes a second fermentation in steel tanks.  It is then bottled under pressure.  It had a color that was reminiscent of salmon.

On the nose, I was picking up this scent of watermelon Jolly Rancher, which I was nice, but not a fan of candy coated wine.  This then led to some strawberry and cherry aroma.  I was also getting a scent of banana, along with others who were on suing the tagline #flxwine.

On the palate, the flavors of all the fruit were present along with this crisp acidity that was palate cleansing.  There was also a hint of minerality there at the finish, but the fruit dominated this sparkling wine.  The candy notes of the wine were not as prevalent as they were on the nose, but they were there in the background.  For those of you who enjoy mousse like quality in a sparkler, then you would really enjoy this one.

It was a fun wine, it was great for entertaining.  I could see this being popular with the women.  The nose was the best for me, but the palate was a bit too much.  I was really trying to figure out what to pair with this sparkling wine.

Next up was the Glenora Wine Cellars 2002 Brut ($25).  This wine is made up of 63% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and produced in the  Methode Champenoise.

On the nose, I was picking up something that I could not describe.  It was very intriguing and familiar.  Henry stated it was smoky on the nose, but not wood smoke.  I came to the conclusion that it was sun-baked rubber.

On the palate, it was a bit rough.  There was a citrus note that led to a tinny medicinal note.  I was also getting a sharp stinging sensation on the center of the tongue.  It tasted like something was missing.  Though, Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes correspondent at the New York Cork Report nailed it on Twitter with this delivery, “A bit tired, like a tired runner. Ran a rood race, but a bit done.”

The next bubbly of the night would happen to be the last.  And in a way it was a nice way of ending the night.  Lucas Vineyards NV Extra Dry ($19).  This, I believe was my very first Hybrid Grape, made of 100% Cayuga White grapes in the Méthode Champenoise way.

In my opinion, this sparkling wine had the best beads of the night, though thy may not have been the smallest, I will give that to Chateau Frank, they, the beads were really dancing.  Granted we also did not taste in Champagne flutes, because you just cannot get your nose into the glass to get a good whiff.

First up, on the nose, I was loving the yeasty bread note.  Just behind it was the aroma of lemon and citrus along with a mineral quality to it.  I was also picking up a subtle aroma of fermenting grapes, in a good way.  It is an aroma any wine lover loves.

On the palate, it was clean, crisp and refreshing.  The citrus was out in front ad behind it was a little apple too.  It was dry and had a pleaant finish, just maybe a bit short.

In conclusion,I would rank my bubbly this night as the following:

1. Chateau Frank Blanc de Blancs 2002
2. Lucas Vineyards NV Extra Dry
3. Goose Watch Pinot Noir Brut Rose
4. Glenora Wine Cellars 2002 Brut

Chateau Frank came out in front for the simple reason that I was getting a nutty finish at the end.  It was the only sparkling wine that had some of that “baking spice” element that I love in a sparkling wine.  In my opinion, when you make a sparkling wine, you must have yeasty, doughy, even sour dough notes with some baking spice mixed in.  Chateau Frank had it.

The surprise had to be Lucas VIneyards, and they were a very close second.  everyone was pleasantly surprised by the Cayuga grapes used and that a sparkling wine could be this good made with them, in the traditional method no less.

I am no expert here, and I have only tried a few sparkling wines on Long Island, but I would stick to my Long Island Sparklers.  The Finger Lakes were nice, I just like tasting the stars of Long Island.

I received this as part of my New York Cork Club Membership a while back.  I kept waiting to bring this out with friends or family to our local BYOB Thai place.  But that never happened.

So on Valentine’s day, my wife asked me what I wanted for dinner.  I told her surprise me.  She followed my orders, she asked me to pick one of the three recipes she suggested. One of them was a Thai pulled pork…I knew just what to serve with it!  This Anthony Road Wine Company 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling ($15).

On the nose I could smell the gold right away, as in golden sunshine.  That was the first thought that popped into my head.  There was elements of honeydew melon, pineapple and tropical coconut juice; not the milky kind, the cloudy juicy kind you find in Mexico.

When I tasted this, I was picking up the semi-dry aspect of this Riesling.  Meaning there was some sugar on the palate.  Just a small amount.  But along with the honey like sweetness, there was the zinging acidity you should find in a fine, well made Riesling, like this one.  There was some lime zest that was very prominent and recognizable. 

The mouth feel was what was really enjoyable.  It has a silky viscosity that was asking me to swirl this in my mouth a little longer than usual.

This went perfectly with the dinner that my wife made for me.  I was glad that she was able to take sip or two with dinner.  Assuring that our child will be far advanced in the world or Riesling than I was before.

Unfortunately, this wine is sold out, you may however find this in a wine shop online or near the finger lakes.  If you find it, grab it. 

This wine was deserving of the Governor’s Cup title as Best Wine in the State of NY.  This wine was also deserving of the meal we had on Valentines day.  And this wine was deserving of the wait in my cellar.

If you recall, last month I was tasting along with other bloggers across the country.  We were tasting some Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc.

This month we will be tasting Finger Lake Sparkling Wine. from the following vineyards:

• Chateau Frank 2002 Blanc de Blancs
• Goose Watch Winery NV Pinot Noir Brut Rosé 
• Glenora Wine Cellars 2002 Brut
• Lucas Vineyards NV Extra Dry Cayuga White

You can follow along if you are on twitter with the hash tag #FLXwine or on Finger Lakes Wine Country’s own TasteLive page.  If you are not on twitter, sign up today!

This time you can get in on the action and taste along by purchasing this Taste Live pack from Bacchus Wines.  The pack is discounted, so it makes it even more affordable and  enjoyable than just following along with the tweets.  Get together with a bunch of friends and enjoy the bubbly!

So join me on Twitter or on the Finger Lakes Wine Country TasteLive Site at 8:00 PM.

Just as the last time, a review of the bubbly will be posted after the tasting. 

I hope to see you on twitter on Wednesday, February 17th.

Anomaly = deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule.

I’ll let you decide what to consider this 2007 Cabernet Franc from Shinn Estate Vineyards ($39).  Go and taste it now, it’s in the tasting room.  Then go buy some because this wine has the legs to last a long time in the cellar.

But before you taste this, here is my impression of this, beautiful, wonderful, outstanding wine.

I know this wine well.  I have tasted this wine twice before I wrote this post.  The first time I opened it, it was to enjoy and not take notes.  The second time I did this in a professional manner, decanting over the course of a few days.  I tasted this about a year ago at the annual Shinn-Dig’s where Shinn Estate Vineyards offers their wines at future events for larger than normal discounts.  You get the opportunity to taste through the future releases alongside a wonderful winter stew prepared by chef and co-owner David Paige while munching on local cheese, bread, greens and some very tasty olives and nuts.  While we are enjoying the future wine of Shinn Estate Vineyards, Barbara Shinn, David and winemaker Anthony Nappa walk around and answer questions about the vintage, the food and about their vineyard as they explain their farming practices.

I remember the taste of this wine then and knew it was going to be something special.

I also knew this wine, because it has been all over the blogosphere and TwitterVille for months.  Wine Bloggers who attended TastCamp 2009 had a barrel sample and this may have been the most memorable tasting at the weekend long event.

Melissa and I also tasted this wine on our anniversary weekend at the Shinn Farmhouse after a vineyard walk and some 2008 barrel tastings with David.

Every time I read about this and every time I tasted this, I came away with the same feeling.  This was something special.  But I also came away saying, “where is the fresh greenness of this wine?”

On the nose I was getting big, big berry notes; some raspberry, blackberry and come currant along with black cherry and some wonderful plum.  I was picking up some mint and a little eucalyptus and some exotic spice like cardamom and some coriander.  There was an earthy quality that was reminiscent of a fresh open bag of topsoil.  There was a little fresh bay leaf in there too. 

The taste was unfolding with each sip along the way.  The juicy fruit that was on the nose was up front on the palate, but behind the fruit was some wonderful spice and crushed black pepper.  The bay leaf was more present on the palate.  The tannins were big and chewy.  But oddly, because of the high alcohol content, compared to other releases, I found this wine to be in balance.  The alcohol level of over 14% was not overwhelming the flavors and it did round out this wine to make it just about perfect.

The finish was long with some tobacco leaf, roasted coffee, chocolate and exotic spice.

I decanted this wine for my formal tasting for 10 hours.  I also tasted this over the course of 3 days.  By day two the wine seemed to be more in balance, the alcohol seemed more reserved, the fruit elements of the wine were bursting all over and the acidity and tannins were helping bring this wine together.

Recently, Thomas Matthews of Wine Spectator gave this wine an 88 score.  While at first I found this stunning, I have grown to understand the grade.  When I think of Cabernet Franc, I tend to think of green vegetal notes that appear in the wine.  This is one element that I really like in a Cabernet franc and why I put Cabernet franc as my favorite varietal.  Those vegetal green notes, like tomato leaf, fresh basil, bell pepper or roasted jalapeño pepper are missing from this 2007 Cabernet Franc from Shinn Estate Vineyards.  While I had hope that this would have received a higher point, because it is a wonderful wine, I now understand the score.  If Mr. Matthews judged this wine, knowing it was a Cabernet Franc, and found the green vegetal notes missing, than I understand the score.  Had there been some tomato leaf or a little roasted pepper, would this have received a 90 or better?  We will never know.  I would however love to try the only Cabernet franc to ever score a 90 from Long Island, Schneider Vineyards 1995 Cabernet Franc, just to see the difference.

The vegetal notes were not present, more than likely, because of the 2007 growing season that Long Island was given by Mother Nature.  It was a long, dry and hot season.  The fruit ripened and there was very little fruit loss.  Could this wine have ripened too much?  I doubt it.  Is this how it Cabernet Franc is supposed to be?  Not necessary.  Could this be the perfect, quintessential Cabernet Franc?  If so then in that case, it is a benchmark.  But I will call this Cabernet franc an anomaly, because this grape in the year 2007 has deviated from the norm in Cabernet Franc, unless the 2008 vintage turns out the same as the 2007.  (I will let you know how the 2008 Cabernet Franc and other reds and whites from 2009 are when I attend the Shinn-Dig on February 27.  There is also another one on March 6th that may have some seats left).

I will be honest, when I first tasted this, I had a hard time considering this a Cabernet Franc.  Yes the cherry and the spice notes were there that you normally see in a Cabernet Franc, but I was missing some tomato leaf.  In my mind, as a Franc Fanatic, I was looking deep for the vegetal notes, and could not find any.  Some would consider, mint, eucalyptus and bay leaf as being the green notes.  I never considered them as being green.  But they are in fact green, just not the green I have come to find in Cabernet Franc.  I have moved pass the fact that this lacks greenness.  I have accepted this wine as one of the best wines I have ever tasted.  This is a wine that Franc Fanatics will fall deeply in love with, just as I have.

I urge you; don’t miss out on this Cabernet Franc.  It is awesome and worth every penny.  The price tag may be a bit high, but it is no higher than the 2006 vintage, and this is way better than the 2006 vintage.

This is a wine that will last a lifetime and will be great to revisit in years to come.  I am going to make sure I have plenty of this wine for the distant future.  In fact, when my son or daughter is born this July, I plan on saving one bottle until he or she  turn 21, let them know about the 2007 vintage on Long Island, let them know that this was released the year they were born, and hopefully there will be other benchmarks we can taste that night as well.  So mark your calendar for the Benchmark Tastings on the night of July 21, 2031

Winterfest kicks off on February 13th and continues through March 21st.  There are a total of over 70 FREE jazz concerts at winery tasting rooms and other venue’s across the east end.

There are restaurants having specials on those weekends and there are great getaway packages at some participating bed and breakfasts too.

Here is a schedule of the vineyards that are hosting free jazz concerts and who will be performing.

Here is a calendar of events for the 6 weekends.  The concerts had a preview this past weekend at Raphael Vineyards and there is also another preview at Wolffer Estate Vineyards on Friday at 7PM.  But things really get going on Saturday February 13th at 1PM.

Here is a link to find out where there will be special packages and offers across  the East End that coincide with Winterfest 2010.

I will post on the blog often when I am going to be at an event.  Maybe we could have a mini meet up if schedules allow.

Enjoy Winterfest and be sure to take advantage of the free Jazz concerts and the wonderful local wine at the various tasting rooms across the East End!

While I like chardonnay, I also dislike chardonnay;   I am constantly flip-flopping with with this varietal.  One week I like barrel fermented; the following week I like it stainless steel fermented; or a nice simple blend of the two.  Or I go to the other extreme and wonder why I even like this grape.

Then I open up this bottle of Sherwood House 2007 Chardonnay.  And I have a little of an A-Ha moment.  Not in the “Take on Me” sense, but in an A-HA kind of way.  But I did take this on and I enjoyed it.

On the nose I was picking up some Lemon, citrus, grapefruit and some rope pear.  There was some aroma of fresh-cut grass and maybe a little straw.  The nose was very “clean”, not much happening, just the typical aroma of your average chardonnay.

Then the taste.  The first thing that I recognize is the razor-sharp acidity, which cleanses the palate.  There unfolds layer upon layer of flavor.  From Lemon zest to citrus lime, to a hint of pineapple and tropical juice.  There is a wonderful river rock, slate minerality that works well with the mouth coating sensation of a chardonnay.

It had a medium finish with a hint of peppery spice at the end.

This was a chardonnay that gave you the buttery mouth feeling without the butter.  It was palate cleansing and would have been a great apéritif.

This could have been an excellent summer quencher, but I had this in the winter.  It made me warm and toasty this cold night and wanting another bottle.

This month, in the New York Cork Club shipment, arrived a bottle of Medolla Vineyards 2003 Merlot.  I have never heard of them, and never tasted their wines.  So this was very exciting.  Not to mention that is was a few years old and released last year.

Then, I was excited to see that this part of Palate Press, the online wine magazine’s own, “Wine for Haiti“.  Vineyards around the country donated cases of wine or special releases of their wine for auction.  The proceeds of the auction would be sent to aid the people of Haiti.  There are alot of great offers, some cases at half price!  So I figured that since I just got a bottle of this, I would taste it and let you know whether you should put a bid on this case.  I just did, but let me share my tasting notes so that you may consider bidding on this wine.

Upon opening, you could smell that this was going to be a fun wine.

On the nose I was picking up this wonderful funk.  It was earthy with a slight touch of barnyard, in a very good way.  There were elements of dried cherry and black cherry with notes of toffee and oak.

The taste of the win e was even more interesting.  There was some oak up front, but it dive give way to some cherry, tobacco and some fresh espresso.

The tannins were chewy and left a very dry finish.  Added to the finish was a soft and subtle vanilla note at the end of the finish.

I could not find too much information about Medolla Vineyards, as it seems that their website is no longer running.  But you can buy their wines at The Tasting Room in Peconic or from a here.

Medolla Vineyards is a small producer, maybe the smallest on Long Island.  They only produce 500 cases of wine a year, just about 20 barrels’ worth.  They hand harvest the grapes and press the wine and age it at Lenz Winery in Peconic.  They only produce Merlot.  The Medolla’s  first vintage was in 2002 and this is their second release. They pay homage to John’s grandmother who came over to America from Italy in 1913, so continued the tradition in Brooklyn.  Today, the Medolla family carries the torch and makes a wonderful wine that stays true to Long Island and true to the Medolla family tradition.

Or even better, you can bid on a case and help support the people of Haiti and get some excellent everyday drinking wine from a small producer on Long Island.

This wine is a fantastic value.  At $15 a bottle, it truly is a great everyday drinking Merlot.  I had mine with some bleu cheese and some goat cheese on some crusty French bread with some turkey soup.  It went perfectly.

Now go place a bid!

This Gewürztraminer is from Lenz Vineyards.  I have not been to Lenz in quiet some time, but I have added them to my list of visits in the near future.

On the nose I was getting lychee, pineapple and some candied apricot.  There was a sweetness on the nose that resembled honey.  There was some subtle floral notes but nothing overbearing or to powerful.  It had a beautiful bouquet.

The taste was a bit of a challenge at first.  It was very hot upon opening and tasting.   At first it was very overwhelming, too much to get over.  I was not picking up anything on the palate, except for some spice.  I wanted to give it some time.

So glad I did, because it gave way to one of the best tasting Gewürztraminer I have had in a very long while.  There was flavors of some fresh white peach, clove, cinnamon along with tropical zest.  There was some candied ginger note  that was very nice.

This was a lush wine with a has a slight syrupy mouth feel.  It was soft and creamy.

This wine was well balanced that had a very long finish with some soft vanilla flavors at the end.

A real pleasurable ride for your palate.

I highly recommend this wine, and if you are new to Gewürztraminer, give this a try, I picked it up in my wine shop for $19.

Mythology: from Pindar.net

This past weekend they had a De-Mystifying Mythology. For those of you who are not aware of what Mythology is, it is Pindar’s top Bordeaux blend. It is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The exact amount of this blend is up to the winemaker. This Mythology is not bottled every year, they only save it for special, optimal growing seasons where the fruit ripens and the juice is just perfect.

So for this rare occasion and maybe the first time ever, we had to opportunity to tour the Pindar warehouse, storage facility, barrel room and tank room. This was open to the public as long as you purchased a ticket or was a member of Pindar’s Wine Club.

Les Howard, Pindar’s winemaker, he gave us, about 35 people in total a behind the scene look at what he does and how he comes up with this formula for making the ideal Bordeaux blend.

A little information about a Bordeaux wine.  It is from the Bordeaux region in France and is a red wine.  It is a blended wine of any combination of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.  I does not have to include all, but those are the only ones permitted to go into a true Bordeaux wine.  Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon is usually the main grape in the vintage.  The components can change from year to year.

Les first had us taste all the components that make up the Mythology, alone from the barrel.

The first offering was the 2008 Merlot: Bright and fruity on then nose. There were elements of cherry, raspberry, and some blueberry. There was a very nice menthol eucalyptus note that was on the palate. There was a lot of acidity on the palate as well, but this was a young wine, only in the barrel about a year.

Next up was the 2008 Cabernet Franc: Black Cherry and smoky bacon on the nose. Very nice structure with racing acidity. It was not too green, only picking up a little mint.

Les giving an explination about Mythology

When we had the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon: First thought was Pucker. Very Tannic and a lot of acidity. But once you got past that, I was getting a lot of dried cherry, some cherry cordial. There was some earthiness to it with some black pepper and dried bay leaf.

We then tasted the 2008 Malbec: This had the best nose of the day. Dark Berries and plum filled the glass along with dried cranberries and raisin. It was juicy and delicious. Probably the best balanced wine of the lot. The tannins were soft and the acidity was in balance to bring out the best of this berry. This goes to show you that Malbec can be done as a single varietal on Long Island, because in my opinion, this malbec was almost drinkable now.

Then we taste some 2008 Petite Verdot: This wine was the harshest and the toughest to get down, it had the most tannins and the most acidity. There were some green elements along with the faintest amount of dark fruit, but the color is what is used for this grape. Not as dark as most years, but this is where the color is enhanced in the Mythology.

Next up, we taste some blends that Les put together each with Merlot, Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon being the main varietal. Les is trying to show us that these blends would be far superior to any of the previous varietal’s we just tasted. H was right!

The first blend was Blend #1: This was a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. IT was very fruity, with a great amount of ripe berries. Tobacco and earthy with dried herbs. It was acidic, but remembers this is young and this blend spent no time in oak for aging, only the varietal were aged in oak.

The next blend, Blend #2: was a blend of 50% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. Loads of berries on the nose, blue berry and raspberry. This was more acidic but less tannic than the previous blend. It was tasty and had a very nice finish of some vanilla and caramel. My parents like this one and the other around us like this one.

The next Blend #3: was a blend of 50% cabernet franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% merlot, 10% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot. This was tart cherry and raspberry on the nose. It had a bit of minerality on the nose. This was very acidic, but had soft tannins. It had a clean and short finish and there were notes of cedar at the end.

Getting ready to blend

Now the fun part came…we had the opportunity to make our own Mythology blend. With beaker in hand, calculator, and 375l bottle, we broke off with another couple. The husband and wife team came up with the blend, I did the measuring while my dad was figuring out the correct calculation. We came up with a blend of 50% merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. When we were finished, we poured it all into the 375l bottle and poured each of us a glass. And to no one’s surprise, it was perfect. Cherry up front with some raspberry and dried cranberries, soft supple tannins with a perfect amount of acidity. There was an earthy minerality that was present along with some fresh herbs and some dried herbs as well. We offered Les a try and he did like it, I think he was surprised that it was a merlot based considering I am a Franc Head. But none the less he said in so many words…”now imagine this blended wine aging longer in barrels?”  I can, and  I wish I could make it happen!

Checking the blending

The only change to our numbers would have been to add more Malbec by 10% and less Merlot by 10%, becasue I felt the Malbec was more rounded…or maybe add 5% more Cabernet Franc and 5% more Malbec and take away 10% Merlot, because I loved the ripe cherry of the Franc and the balance of the Malbec…or maybe…this could go on forever! And ass I talked this over with my parents;about the different blends that could really make this a sold wine, my mom said in so many words…”I see a second career, son.”

I hope Pindar does this again and I hope that other wineries consider this. Getting the public information about the behind the scenes work of a vineyard is my job, but when people can actually put their hands on a project like this, I feel it builds a greater appreciation of the wine and people identify with it better.  We all know how to cook something, but how many of us really know what goes into that bottle we enjoy so much.

Now, if only I could get my hands on a barrel and some juice…

Around 11:30 I noticed a Tweet from Roanoke Vineyards about them having a bottle of their 2003 Blend One open and it went something like this: “the wind is blowing 27 knots with heavy gusts, but for anyone willing to brave the tempest, I’ve an open bottle of Blend One 2003!”  How could I resist!

The ride to Roanoke Vineyards was the craziest 13 miles I have driven in sometime.  I hardly needed gas as the wind carried me all the way there.

I really had no clue what Blend One was, but knowing that it is sold out and that that Adam was in the tasting room and that I had nothing but laundry to do, I needed to have some “me” time and head out to Roanoke Vineyards.

This was the first of Roanoke Vineyards Blend One. When it was released it was sold for $30.00. It is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc.

On the nose I was getting loads of dark berries and some plum. It smelled like a blueberry or blackberry tart. There were some exotic spice notes as well. It was earthy with a hint of ocean water.

The taste was more of the same with some baking spices reminiscent of clove and cinnamon. There was some coriander and cardamom as well. There was a molasses like taste too. There was some fruit, but it was hidden beneath the complex spices.

This was one of my best days off, I hope Adam does something like this every other Monday, because I am sure he will see me.

This is also not my first post on the 2007 vintage on Long Island, and it won’t be the last.  A bunch of the 2007’s have been released and there are still alot more to come.  This is, in my book, one of the better Cabernet Franc’s from that banner year of 2007.

On the nose I was picking up some cherry, raspberry, green herbs, toasty cedar and some fresh turned earth.  There was also a subtle aroma of fresh tomato leaf, something I love in a Cabernet Franc, and at this time of the year, it reminds me of summer.

The taste was even better; blackberry, raspberry, currant and cherry were the fruit up front.  There was also some rosemary and fresh green herbal notes.  I was also picking up some bell pepper, another element of Cabernet Franc that I find enjoyable.  There was some spice and subtle vanilla notes at the end.

The finfish was long and enjoyable.

This Cabernet Franc is true to the varietal.  It has the perfect balance of tannins acidity and fruit to make this a wine that will last for a while in your cellar.  There is just the subtle notes of vegetal that make me happy and make me consider this a true Long Island Cabernet Franc.

Frank does not have a tasting room…yet.  But you can pickup his wine via Scarola Vineyards web page.  I am not sure of the retail of this wine, I don’t remember because I bought this over the summer.  It has not been released yet and I don’t know when it will.  But when it does, it will not be around for long.

I highly recommend you pick up this Cabernet Franc from Scarola Vineyards.

Sláinte!