Posts Tagged“merlot”

Comtesse Therese 2005 Hungarian Oak Merlot

I know that the oak debate, among winemakers and wine geeks, usually centers American vs. French oak, with everyone arguing passionately in favor or their preferred barrel. But, as much as I tend to prefer the more expensive French cooperage, I really enjoy what a third type of oak, Hungarian oak, brings to the table as well. That spice, and more understated raw oak flavors are on display in Comtesse Therese 2005 Hungarian Oak Merlot ($18), an extremely approachable, enjoyable red. The nose is playful and spicy, blending bright red berries — cherries and raspberries — with violets, black pepper…

Bedell Cellars 2006 Reserve Merlot

2006 was a relatively cool year on the North Fork, but the vineyard management and winemaking teams at Bedell Cellars were able to coax impressive amounts of ripeness out of the grapes that went into Bedell Cellars 2006 Reserve Merlot ($48). The nose offers intense red cherry and plum aromas with quite a bit of toasty oak and vanilla. After a few hours of air time, light hints of spring herbs emerge, but are still dominated by red fruit and oak. Medium bodied and mouth filling in the flavor department, the palate shows red raspberry and red cherry candy flavors,…

Scarola Vineyards 2005 Masseria Merlot

Members of the New York Cork Club will recognize this wine — it was part of our October shipment — but for some reason I never got around to publishing a review. That's a shame because this is a very interesting wine that combines value with all the characteristics that make Long Island merlot so unique and delicious. As I taste more and more 2005 reds, I'm finding them inconsistent. Some really show off the ripeness attained during the hot, dry growing season (before the deluge that is). Some don't. Many were bludgeoned with a lot of oak. Some weren't.…

Merliance 2005 Merlot

Merliance is a wine co-produced by the members of the Long Island Merlot Alliance: Raphael, Pellegrini Vineyards, Sherwood House Vineyards, Shinn Estate Vineyards and Wolffer Estate Vineyards. This is only the second vintage of Merliance, but each year, the member wineries choose two barrels from their own cellars that they feel best represent their own individual style as well as Long Island’s unique terroir. For those keeping score at home, that's ten barrels of 100% merlot from five wineries with five winemakers with five differing styles. Under those conditions, crafting a wine that not only retains true Long Island character…

Sherwood House Vineyards 2005 Sherwood Manor

Sherwood House Vineyards is a North Fork winery that flies under the radar. They have a tiny little tasting room — the smallest I've ever seen — nestled amongst their vineyards where they pour their Old World-styled wines. Their winemaker is Gilles Martin, formerly of Martha Clara Vineyards, who makes wine for a few other smaller local producers. The focus at Sherwood House is set squarely on merlot and chardonnay, with cabernet franc and a couple different roses also in the portfolio. This wine, their Sherwood Manor ($45) red blend is the newest edition (with a blanc de blancs coming…

Quick Q&A with Frank Scarola, Owner, Scarola Vineyards

For this week's holiday edition of the Q&A, we pose our questions to Frank Scarola of Scarola Vineyards, a still-new producer that definitely flies under the radar. The wines are made at Wolffer Estate under the watchful eye of Roman Roth, but the Scarola family has plans for a tasting room on the North Fork, hopefully soon. As with many new producers, they are playing the waiting game with the New York State Liquor Authority. In the meantime, the wines are available directly from the Scarola and at a few shops in the tri-state area. What (and where) was the…

Silver Springs Winery 2005 Bold Merlot

John Zuccarino, co-owner of and winemaker for Silver Springs Winery, does things his own way. His tasting room and vineyard are on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region, but he makes his wines down here on Long Island at Premium Wine Group. His winery is in smack dab in the middle of the land of riesling, but he doesn't make any. And, unlike most in the New York wine world, he embraces Web 2.0, using Twitter and a video blog, Wine101.tv, to reach his customers. He also named his 2005 merlot "Bold Merlot" which sets an expectation in the…

The Lenz Winery: Great Values and Splurges Too

My dad, sister, mom and Nena inside the Lenz Winery tasting room. As I mentioned on Sunday, Nena, Jackson and I took my parents and sister to visit a couple wineries on Saturday, including The Lenz Winery. Lenz is one of the North Fork’s most respected producers and employs one of the regions most gifted and charismatic winemakers – Eric Fry. If you ever find yourself in the Lenz tasting room and see a guy in overalls with a long ponytail and beard, that’s Eric. Say hello and he just might stop what he's doing to taste with you. One…

Croteaux Vineyards 2007 Merlot “181 Clone” Rose

Today, I offer my review of the third Croteaux Vineyards rose from the 2007 vintage (see the other reviews). This wine, the Croteaux Vineyards 2007 Merlot "181 Clone" Rose ($18) is the lightest and most delicate of the lot. Made from the 181 clone, from Pomerol, it was fermented entirely in stainless steel and is a pretty pale salmon-orange. The nose is light and fruity, with peach aromas dominating and a bit of strawberry. Similar fruit carries over to a light-bodied palate that also features nice, thirst-quenching acidity. It's surprisingly light on flavor, however. Even at room temperature, I was…

WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2005 Estate Merlot (North Fork of Long Island)

Many of the 2005 merlots that I’ve tasted have been big, plush and — frankly — not very true to Long Island’s unique terroir. These reds lean more towards California in style, at least in their youth, and aren’t very good values. Lovers of true Long Island wines should thank Shinn Estate Vineyards for staying true to the region with their Shinn Estate Vineyards 2005 Estate Merlot ($27). It’s a ripe, but surprisingly understated and agile red with blackberry, raspberry and plum on an expressive nose that is filled out with herbs, mocha, earth and vanilla. Similar flavors come through…