Posts Tagged“chardonnay”

2009 Harvest Update: Jamesport Vineyards

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Photos courtesy of Jamesport Vineyards  Getting in touch with winery owners and grape growers is always a challenge this time a year. They've got more pressing (pun intended) things to do than respond to the enthusiastic (okay, incessant) requests from me for harvest data. But, little by little, the the reports are coming in, including a few emails from Jake Perdie, tasting room manager at Jamesport Vineyards, owned by veteran grower Ron Goerler. They picked all of their chardonnay last week, at 22.5 brix, and 5 tons were sold to Red Hook Winery in Brooklyn. Before…

Onabay Vineyards 2007 Wild Ferment Chardonnay

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Even with the release of its 2007 wines, its second vintage, Onabay Vineyards, remains firmly under the radar of most local wine lovers. But they are a winery worth keeping an eye on for a number of reasons. Their vineyard is mature — 18 years old — and is managed by industry veteran Steve Mudd. The wines are made by another local vet, Bruce Schneider, a fellow cabernet franc fanatic and owner of Schneider Vineyards. Beyond Mudd and Schneider, Onabay is a family affair. The Anderson family owns the 180-acre farm that houses the vineyard and…

Chardonnay: New York’s Other White Grape?

By Bryan Calandrelli, Niagara Regional Editor What’s this area known for? What’s your specialty? Which white do you do best? These are all questions that I get asked when pouring local wine for newcomers to the Niagara region. I don’t always have time to explain the diversity of soils or the huge difference in how Lake Ontario moderates one mile from the lakeshore to six miles inland to the Escarpment. Nonetheless, people seem to want an answer as to what our signature white grape variety is or will be.  It's not an easy question to answer. In the Finger Lakes,…

Sherwood House Vineyards 2004 Blanc de Blanc

By Lenn Thompson, Long Island Editor and Editor-in-Chief At Sherwood House Vineyards in Mattituck, NY, the focus is set squarely on Old World-style chardonnay and merlot. My distaste for regional comparisons aside, their chardonnay is extremely Burgundian and the merlots show restraint and elegance rather than jammy one dimension.  Owners Charles and Barbara Smithen purchased their 1860 farmhouse on Oregon Road in 1996 and planted their vines soon after, starting with 5 acres of chardonnay before planing just over 15 acres more with merlot and chardonnay in 1997. Nearly 7 acres of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot were added…

Pindar Vineyards 2007 Peacock Chardonnay

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher Because I have to taste several Kosher wines for WBW #56 tomorrow, today's review is going to be a quick one for a simple, but solid Pindar Vineyards 2007 Peacock Chardonnay ($11). This chardonnay was ermented in stainless steel and with an unknown amount of oak aging (the website doesn't say), this wine is very fruity on the nose with pineapple and pear aromas backed by hints vanilla and even some citrus blossom. As I said, simple, but solidly made, the palate is medium-bodied with more pear-pineapple flavors, a bit more vanilla and just…

Raphael 2008 Naturale (White Blend)

I'm not a "natural wine" disciple by any means. Just like I don't go out of my way to drink organic or biodynamic wines. First and foremost, I want the wine in my glass to be balanced and to taste good. I don't advocate over-manipulation mind you. We've all had those over-extracted, over-oaked wines. Parker likes them, but I tend not to. But, if your Gewurztraminer got a little too ripe and maybe lost a little too much acid before harvest, I don't begrudge you adding a little during the winemaking process. I'm not Parker, but I'm not Feiring either.…

McGregor Vineyard 2007 “Emery Vineyards” Seyval Blanc

I'm definitely not one of those wine writer-types who dismisses hybrid grapes. I've had some terrific wines made from Vidal. Have enjoyed several different styles of Vignoles. And, I even like Seyval Blanc when it's done well. Some winemakers treat Seyval a bit too much like chardonnay for my liking, aging it in oak, which just isn't a good idea. Others leave a significant amount of residual sugar in the finished wine, trying to appeal to the white zinfandel set. Jeff Dencenburg, winemaker at McGregor, did a little of both with this McGregor Vineyard 2007 "Emery Vineyards" Seyval Blanc ($16),…

McGregor Vineyard 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay

I've been vocal in my appreciation for winemakers who eschew the overblown use of oak in their chardonnays. I can appreciate well-made barrel-fermented chardonnay, but it's not a style I drink a lot of. Maybe it's the riesling lover in me, but I tend to like a purer expression of fruit and the vineyard in my whites. That doesn't mean that I love every no-oak chardonnay that I come across. This McGregor Vineyard 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay ($17) is not one of the better examples I've had. Such a pale green-tinted yellow that it's nearly colorless, the nose is similarly light…

Introducing ‘Sonis Cellars 2008 Watercolor White

That didn't take long. Not even a week, in fact. The white wine that I bottled last weekend at Sannino Bella Vita Vineyard not only has a name, it also has a label, which you can see by looking just a few inches to your right. By the way, if you don't know what 'Sonis Cellars is, you can learn about it in a previous post. Back to the label, this is truly a family affair. The watercolor that adorns the label was painted by our little Picasso, Jackson sometime in the fall. When Nena brought it home with her…

Wolffer Estate 2005 Estate Selection Chardonnay

Roman Roth, winemaker at Wolffer Estate (along with Roanoke Vineyards and his own label, Grapes of Roth) makes some of my favorite Long Island chardonnay. His Wolffer Estate 2003 Estate Selection is one of my all-time favorites. Though a bit less refined than the stellar 2003 bottling, the current release — Wolffer Estate’s 2005 Estate Selection Chardonnay ($29) is still a fine example of barrel fermented chardonnay. Extremely toasty on the nose, oak and vanilla scents dominate with juicy-ripe pear aromas peeking through. Medium-to-full bodied with extremely lively acidity, the palate shows rich peach and pear fruit character with butterscotch,…