When people not familiar with Long Island wine ask me to name my favorite winemaker or winemakers, Chris Tracy from Channing Daughters Winery always makes the list. In a wine community stridently devoted to making fine wine from Bordeaux varieties, he takes his cues from northern Italy.
Many consider him an extremely creative winemaker, but what looks like creativity is really just a focus on and devotion traditional methods. That doesn't mean he's not creative though, as this blend shows.
Channing Daughters Winery's 2007 Mosaico ($29) is a field blend of 32% pinot grigio, 29% chardonnay, 14% sauvignon blanc, 12% muscat ottonel, 7% Tocai Friulano, and 6% Gewurztraminer that comes from a co-planted block in their Sylvanus Vineyard in Bridgehampton.
This is, simply stated, a beautiful expression of that Sylvanus Vineyard. Aromas of crisp apple, spring flowers, brown spice and Clementine orange mingle on an intricate, seamless nose.
Medium-to-light bodied with clean acidity, this blend's fruit flavors range from apple and pear to peach to honeydew melon. There is a floral-spice vein that runs through it as well. It finishes fresh and minerally.
Producer: Channing Daughters Winery
AVA: Long Island
ABV: 12.5%
Price: $29
Rating:
(3.5 out of 5 | Very good-to-Delicious)