By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor
Over the next week or so, we'll be posting some reviews for wines that were finalists in our Wines of the Year tasting. Though I tasted and scored them a while ago, I didn't want my fellow tasters to see my notes before we tasted.
But now that the tasting has come and gone, it's time to finally publish them.
Macari Vineyards 2007 Bergen Road ($46) is a Bordeaux-style blend that shows off the ripeness of the 2007 vintage without going over the top with extraction or new oak.
Intense aromas of black plum, blueberry and blueberry compote burst from glass with lavendar-rosemary herbal notes, sweet red cherry, bittersweet chocolate and espresso.
On the palate, it's medium-to-full bodied, but again not overly extracted with ripe, fine-grained tannins providing a nice foundation for more ripe dark fruit and sweet herbal flavors. With a bit of air, the mid-palate displays a distinct earthiness that leads into a long cherry skin finish touched with coffee and chocolate.
Drink now — but decant — or nestle it into your cellar for a few years.
Producer: Macari Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Grapes: 42% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 21% cabernet franc, 7% petit verdot
ABV: 13.7%
Price: $46*
Rating: 91