There must have been at least some sour rot in the fruit that winemaker Edward Lovaas had to work with for Duck Walk Vineyards 2010 Pinot Meunier ($23). You can smell the vinegar-y notes right up front on the nose. Behind the rot/VA are some nice red berry aromas — red cherry and raspberry — but the acetic acid is hard to get past.
That off-putting character is less evident on the medium-light bodied palate, where bright red raspberry flavors mingle with note of dried cherry, prune and slightly raw oak flavors. The tannins are are grippy and the acidity plenty fresh, but the shorty, woody finish brings back more of that vinegar quality.
Lovaas seems to have a way with acidity — in a good way — but as the cliche goes, wine is made in the vineyard.
Producer: Duck Walk Vineyards
AVA: The Hamptons, Long Island
ABV: 12.5%
RS: .2%
TA: 6.1
pH: 3.64
Oak Program: 19 months in 47% new French oak
Price: $23
(1.5 out of 5, Not Recommended-to-Average)