By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor
Martha Clara Vineyards on the North Fork uses a wide array of label designs, but one of the more creative is a design that helps consumers pronounce the name of the wine.
Sure, these labels don't have the winery name on the front, and they aren't used for their Gewurztraminer, but it's still a unique concept.
Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($19) leans a bit more towards New Zealand than some local sauvignon, but still retains local character.
The nose is extremely citrusy, showing white grapefruit and lemon aromas, with hints of honeydew melon rind, gooseberries and both fresh-cut grass and sweet herbs.
Those grassy, herbal qualities take a small step back on the extremely fresh, medium-weight palate, with the grapefruit and lemon citrus salad joined by notes of lime and and gooseberry.
Though not all that lengthy, the finish is clean and shows both appetite-whetting acidity and that saline minerality that marks its Long Island origins.
It's sealed with a screwcap enclosure by the way, as most of their whites are.
Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
Harvest Brix: 21.8
ABV: 13.3%
Case Production: 820
Price: $19*
Rating: 85