Posts Tagged“lenz winery”

From the Archives: TasteCamp 2009 — An Interview with Remy Charest

Editor’s Note: Every Thursday — call it Throwback Thursday if you’d like — I’ll pull a story from the more than a decade of NYCR stories and republish it. This week’s post is an interview I did with Remy Charest right after the first-ever TasteCamp — which was held right here on Long Island in almost seven years ago. Remy hasn’t missed a TasteCamp since and has become a vital cog in putting the event on as a permanent member of the planning committee. We announced this year’s TasteCamp earlier this week. I keep forgetting to mention that TasteCamp EAST 2009 was actually…

Lenz Winery 2010 Malbec

Lenz Winery 2010 Malbec ($35) — the winery’s first-ever varietal malbec release — opens with a beautiful nose of ripe plum, blueberry and currant with notes of black licorice, tar and lilac. Juicy and fruity on the palate with almost no oak footprint, the fruit edges on over-ripe with dried plum and fig notes joining the dark fruits apparent on the nose. Licorice pokes its head in on the mid-palate. The tannins are lightly grippy, but it’s acidity that provides most of the structure. Medium-long black cherry-meets-fig finish.   Producer: The Lenz Winery AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 13%…

Lenz Winery 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot

For affordable, Old World-leaning red wines, you largely can’t go wrong with Lenz Winery. Winemaker Eric Fry makes food-friendly, balanced wines year in and year out — and doesn’t chase jamminess or high-alcohol in hot years. Lenz Winery 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot ($17) doesn’t have a catchy proprietary name, but it does delivery a lot of complexity and surprising cellar-ability for the money. The nose is fruity, but not one-dimensional with cassis and black cherry fruit interspersed with notes of cigar box and brown spices. Medium-lighter bodied, the palate shows intense — but not at all gobby or jammy — fruit…

Lenz Winery 2007 “Old Vines” Cabernet Sauvignon

Should a region that is a mere 40 years old have wines that are labeled “Old Vines”? That’s a discussion for another day, I suppose, but the vines that lead to Lenz Winery 2007 “Old Vines” Cabernet Sauvignon ($40) are among the oldest cabernet vines on the North Fork. So, maybe it’s all relative? What is not up for debate is winemaker Eric Fry’s skill for making traditionally styled wines — rather than modern, polished ones — even in hot, dry years like 2007. This wine shows ripe fruit on the nose — mostly in the form of black cherry…

Lenz Winery 2008 Estate Selection Merlot

Lenz Winery and winemaker Eric Fry have earned their reputation on the backs of old-school, Old World-styled wines made on the North Fork of Long Island. What isn’t discussed nearly enough, however, is the value their wines deliver. In a region where winery prices have escalated significantly over the past five years, the prices for Lenz wines have remained near-constant. The most expensive red, their Old Vines Merlot, is $55 and their most expensive white, their Old Vines Chardonnay, is $25. At those prices, those wines are typically good local values, but perhaps the best value — consistently, vintage after…

Lenz Winery 2010 Pinot Gris

Far from your neighbor’s cheap pinot grigio, Lenz Winery 2010 Pinot Gris ($25), shows off the ripeness of the 2010 growing season in its intensity. Apple and musk melon aromas are accented by notes of white flowers and a drizzle of honey. The dry, medium-bodied palate is fruity up front, showing sweet, concentrated apple and pear flavors again accented by honey and subtle spice. Gentle creaminess on the mid-palate is quickly sliced through by fresh, citrusy acidity that carries through on the medium-length finish. Producer: Lenz Winery AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 12.5% Price: $25* (2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very Good)  …

Lenz Winery 2009 Gold Label Chardonnay

The nose on Lenz Winery 2009 Gold Label Chardonnay ($20) is toasty-edging-on-woody with roasted apples and lemon curd fruit character. Rich and fuller bodied, the palate is far less oak influenced, showing bright, intense fruit — apples, pears and tropical fruits — with fresh, well-integrated acidity. Notes of vanilla and spice peek through on a long, crisp finish. Producer: Lenz Winery AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 13% Price: $20* (3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)  

Lenz Winery 2008 White Label Chardonnay

There are very few Long Island wines at $12 worth putting in one’s mouth. With what it costs to make wine here, that price range just isn’t one that is played in often — and when it is, it’s even more rare for the wine to be good. Lenz Winery 2008 White Label Chardonnay ($12) is a nice, straightforward chardonnay with low oak footprint that will appeal to a wide range of drinkers and complement an array of foods. Yellow apple and Bartlett pear dominate the nose, but there are also subtle tropical fruit and citrus blossom notes, and a…

Lenz Winery 2008 Gewurztraminer

Lenz Winery 2008 Gewurztraminer ($20) is — just about every year — Long Island’s best gewurzt and at $20, is typically one of the lowest-price gewurztraminers as well. Aromas of musk melon, black tea, lychee, pineapple, rose petal and spice combine to create a complex, varietally correct nose. Less singularly floral than some gewurzt, this one combines richness with freshness for perfect balance. Melon and pineapple fruit flavors are accented by notes of jasmine, ginger, lychee and a sprinkling of baking spice. Dry, concentrated and with a medium-long finish, this is a classic example of winemaker Eric Fry’s gewurzt. Producer: Lenz…

Lenz Winery 2007 Estate Selection Merlot

If you’re looking for innovative, modern winemaking or flashy branding, The Lenz Winery probably isn’t for you. Lenz isn’t in the Long Island Wine Council and isn’t particularly active on channels like Facebook and Twitter. Instead, Lenz has relied on winemaker Eric Fry and his traditional, Old World-styled wines and the periodic, well-publicized blind tasting against top Boredeaux, to build its reputation. And it’s worked. Lenz has a devoted following and Eric’s reds are often among the most complex in the region. Carrying on a tradition of well-priced, age-worthy merlot, Lenz Winery 2007 Estate Selection Merlot ($24) offers aromas of…