As we continue our look at Paumanok Vineyards’ 2007 whites — all closed under screwcaps — we get to a truly one-of-a-kind wine, Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Chenin Blanc ($28).

Chenin blanc is rare on the North Fork — no one else grows it actually — and this is a wine that can be difficult to get your hands on. They don’t make much and it has a rabid following.   

The nose is complex and expressive, showing a fruit salad mélange of grapefruit, mango, pear, melon and orange blossom.

A medium-bodied palate starts off fresh and clean with melon, grapefruit and mineral flavors, but as the wine crosses over into the mid-palate, the flavors change a bit, becoming richer with pineapple and honey overtones. That honeyed fruit character carries through to the finish, which is long and delicious.

The texture of this wine is faintly oily but it remains lively and clean because there’s plenty of balancing acidity. In France, Chenin Blanc has shown the ability to age beautifully, and I think this one might be long-lived too. It will be interesting to see how the Stelvin closure will affect that over time.

Grape(s): 100% Chenin Blanc
Producer: Paumanok Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Price: $28
Rating:   
(3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)