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!
Related articles
- Roanoke Vineyards 2009 ‘Rhyme and Meter’ Chardonnay (lenndevours.com)
- Long Island Vines: Setting Up Tasting Rooms Far Away From Wineries (nytimes.com)
- NYCR Q&A: George Romero, Roanoke Vineyards (lenndevours.com)
Undertaking Wine 
I like your practice of linking key words like ‘oak’ and ‘fermentation’ to Wikipedia. I was curious where the link was going, clicked, and learned a couple things I didn’t know.
Hi Steve,
It is a nice little tool that they offer here on wordpress. Gald you used it and it helped you out.