This post is a part of my 12 Long Island Wines for Christmas series
that will run from now until Christmas 2007. See the entire series here.
The second Long Island Wine for Christmas is a wine that didn’t last long in our cellar this spring. I had several bottles of Jamesport Vineyards’ 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($22). I loved so many local sauvignon blancs this year that it’s hard to pick a favorite, but based solely on how quickly this one vanished from the cellars, this is the one.
Most local sauvignon is reared entirely in stainless steel tanks, which
highlights the fruit character and results in fresh, lip-smacking wines
that tend to be straight forward no matter how delicious. Jamesport‘s winemaker, Les Howard, ferments 62% of this wine in stainless steel with 35% in 132-gallon puncheons and 3% in oak barrels.
The nose is a melange of tropical fruits — mango, papaya, kiwi and passionfruit — with a little grape fruit accented by subtle smoky oak and just a little herbaceousness. Ripe peach, passionfruit and mango flavors greet the palate with terrific acidity and a clean, lingering finish. It’s fresh and fruity without being like fruit salad, and offers a little depth and interest without being over-oaked like many California Fume Blancs.