Posts Tagged“cabernet sauvignon”

Lenz Winery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Most winemakers talk about how their wines are "made in the vineyard" and about how they let the grapes make the decisions for them in the winery. Not all of them actually practice what they preach though. Some local winemakers seem to impose their will on their wines, regardless of vintage. Having a consistent "house style" is one thing, but sometimes you need to take a step back and not overwhelm the fruit. Eric Fry, winemaker at Lenz Winery, is one winemaker who follows the fruit's lead. In the best vintages, he goes for it, making some of Long Island's…

Martha Clara Vineyards 2005 Estate Selection Cabernet Sauvignon

Long Island cabernet can be a not-very-tasty proposition. As consistently as vineyard managers can ripen merlot on this overgrown sand bar, cabernet does so just as inconsistently. Often, it doesn't ripen fully at all, leading to wines with overwhelming green flavors that are almost unrecognizable as cabernet sauvignon. As you might expect, a lot of this under-ripe cabernet ends up blended into other wines to mask its faults or is used to make rose or blush wines. Even at its best, Long Island cabernet sauvignon bears little, if any, resemblance to the hulking, muscular wines of Napa or Sonoma. Instead,…

Harvest at Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard

Saturday morning, several of you (my readers) descended upon Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard on Saturday morning to harvest cabernet sauvignon for our community-made Long Island red blend. I was unable to make it because I was in the Hudson Valley visiting good friends, picking apples and stopping at Alison Winery in Red Hook. From what I’ve heard and from the pictures I’ve seen, a good time was had by all. We’ll be pressing the cab on the 28th. This is going to be fun.

WBW #34: Washington Cabernet Sauvignon: Ex Libris 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

It’s Wednesday and I’m drinking wine virtually chosen by another person, so it must be Wine Blogging Wednesday, this time hosted by Catie from the Through the Walla Walla Grape Vine blog. The theme, fittingly enough, is cabernet sauvignon from Washington State, with Catie offering up extra kudos for anyone tasting a Walla Walla wine. Unfortunately, there won’t be any brownie points coming my way. Try as I might, I wasn’t able to find a varietal cabernet sauvignon from Walla Walla. So, I went with this Ex Libris 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley ($20). Ex Libris means "from the…

WTN: Castello di Borghese 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (North Fork of Long Island)

On the North Fork, there is an un-official red wine grape pecking order. Okay, maybe it isn’t even un-official. At the top is the almighty merlot grape, lauded by many observers as the king of Long Island grapes. And, it has earned such a reputation with good reason. It seems ideally suited to the regions climate and soil conditions–and consistently leads to many of the region’s best wines. Next in line is cabernet franc, genetic parent to cabernet sauvignon and known mostly for its popularity in the Loire region of France and as a blending grape in Bordeaux. It ripens…

Paumanok Wine Dinner @ North Fork Table & Inn (March 11)

On Sunday March 11, two of the North Fork’s best–Paumanok Vineyards and the North Fork Table & Inn–will present a special wine dinner featuring three vintages of Paumanok’s cabernet sauvignon. $85 plus tax and gratuity per person gets you the delicious menu below.  For more information and to make a reservation, please call the North Fork Table at (631) 765-0177 Local Fluke Sashimi with Ruby Red Grapefruit and Ginger CracklingsPaumanok 2005 Sauvignon Blanc Porcini-Crusted Salmon with Savoy Cabbage and Red Wine ReductionPaumanok 2004 Cabernet Franc Grand Vintage Roasted Sirloin of Beef with Beef Cheek-Bone Marrow Ragout, Organic White Turnip Puree…

WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards “Red” ($14)

I have an announcement to make: I have a new favorite local red wine for every day, food-friendly drinking. Shinn Estate Vineyard’s non-vintage Red ($14) is a blend of 75% merlot and 25% cabernet sauvignon, isn’t the most complex local merlot. It isn’t the richest, deepest pour either…but it’s ideally suited for food Light-to-medium bodied, this wine actually has some pinot noir-like qualities despite the grapes involved. Light ruby in the glass, the nose is mainly raspberry and strawberries, with just the most subtle hints of spice. The palate is juicy red berries, hints of oak character, and terrific food-friendly…