Posts Tagged“2009”

Thoughts on the Finger Lakes’ Sh!##iest Vintage Ever

“No reserve wines in 2009 due to shittiest vintage ever.” It was one of the greatest tweets I’ve ever read, because it came from a winery employee. The tweet is long since deleted, but that is close to a word-for-word recollection. How could I forget it? I admired it instantly. Wine and food writers are often sifting through spin, and this was unvarnished. That was the summer that wasn’t, as my wife calls it. Almost never sniffed 90 degrees, and spent most of July in the low-to-mid 70s. Ripening was slow, and when frost came in October, it was, for…

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Roanoke Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc

When it comes to cabernet franc, Roanoke Vineyards is the rare Long Island producer that can be counted on — almost without fail — from year to year. Cabernet franc can be tricky. If it doesn’t get ripe enough, it can taste like green bell pepper. Too ripe and it loses varietal character. It can be a fine line to toe, but owner and vineyard manager Richie Pisacno deftly walks it. And winemaker Roman Roth carries it through in the cellar. Roanoke Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc ($34) delivers aromas of dark-roast coffee, roasted nuts, blackberry, black cherry and cola. On…

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The Red Hook Winery 2009 Pier Forty-One

I’ve had a difficult time finding much information online (or anywhere else) about this Red Hook Winery 2009 Pier Forty-One ($25), but from the front label I know that it is made by Robert Foley, one of two partners/consulting winemakers for the winery. And based on what I smell and taste, I think it probably a syrah-based blend. Black plum, cassis, black pepper and seared beef aromas are ‘lifted’ just a bit on the nose, leading into more big, black fruit on the palate with similar spicy, meaty accents. Though forward and showy, these flavors are framed by well-integrated, medium-intensity…

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Lenz Winery 2009 Gold Label Chardonnay

The nose on Lenz Winery 2009 Gold Label Chardonnay ($20) is toasty-edging-on-woody with roasted apples and lemon curd fruit character. Rich and fuller bodied, the palate is far less oak influenced, showing bright, intense fruit — apples, pears and tropical fruits — with fresh, well-integrated acidity. Notes of vanilla and spice peek through on a long, crisp finish. Producer: Lenz Winery AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 13% Price: $20* (3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)  

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Mattebella Vineyards 2009 Famiglia Chardonnay

Mattebella Vineyards 2009 Famiglia Chardonnay ($17) is a well-priced chardonnay that offers aromas of juicy pear, lemon-lime citrus and white flowers. Light-to-medium bodied, the palate delivers fruit flavors of pear and melon, with more citrus and a dusting of white pepper. Only a small percentage (under 20%) spent time in barrel, but that there is a touch of creaminess on the midpalate. Well-integrated, the acidity could be a bit more pronounced, but this wine is far from flabby. Producer: Mattebella Vineyards AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 12.9% Price: $17*| Buy now from Empire State Cellars (3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)

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Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2009 “BLK 3” Pinot Noir

When I asked winemaker Dave Breeden to tell me about Sheldrake Point Vineyards 2009 “BLK 3” Pinot Noir ($30 at release, now sold out) — the first vintage of a new vineyard-designated pinot — he didn’t have much he could tell me. “I can’t claim any credit at all for that wine — it’s entirely a project of Bob Madill, both in the vineyard and winery,” he said in an email. Madill is of course the winery’s general manager, and he describes the BLK3 project as his “way of returning to my early days in the Ontario wine industry.” He was curious…

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Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Wild Boar Doe

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — Long Island wine lovers shouldn’t overlook the 2009 vintage. Sure, 2010 has been declared “the” vintage by many, but 2009’s long, warm, dry autumn rewarded those willing and able to let their reds hang into October and beyond. Wines like this one — Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Wild Boar Doe ($30), a blend of 40% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 17% malbec, 15% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc — are proof. I’ve tasted several vintages of WBD and this might be my favorite. Layered and somewhat brooding, the nose offers blackberry, cassis and…

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Sparkling Pointe 2009 Topaz Imperial

The current lineup of wines at Sparkling Pointe — Long Island’s only only-sparkling winery — is impressive top to bottom. Over the next few days, I’ll review some of their current releases, including this Sparkling Pointe 2009 Topaz Imperial ($37). Coppery pink in the glass — looking vaguely of its namesake gemstone — this sparkler offers lively aromas of red cherries, wild strawberries and cranberries, with lesser hints of lemony citrus and distant-but-distinct wet rock minerality. The lighter-bodied palate is at first apple-y before delivering mixed red berries and a savory toasty-earthy minerality. Dry, well balanced and featuring tiny, persistent bubbles it…

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Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2009 “Arrowhead Red” Meritage

Many complain that there just aren’t enough New York reds under $20 that are worth of daily drinking. If you’re one of these malcontents, this wine — Arrowhead Spring Vineyards 2009 “Arrowhead Red” Meritage ($16) is for you. A blend of 61% cabernet franc, 29% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot and 2% malbec, this $16 red simply over-delivers. In fact, it would over-deliver at several dollars more too. On the nose, ripe red cherry aromas are layered with notes of dusty chocolate, tobacco, bay leaf and hints of crumbled sage. A bit fruitier — red cherries and blackberries — on the medium-bodied…

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Heron Hill Winery 2009 Ingle Vineyard Unoaked Chardonnay

The portfolio at Heron Hill Winery varies greatly from top to bottom — but the Ingle Vineyard wines, made with grapes grown in owner John Ingle’s vineyard, offer dependable value. The Heron Hill Winery 2009 Ingle Vineyard Unoaked Chardonnay ($20) is a balanced, expressive wine with aromas of lemongrass, grapefruit, lemon, green apple and just a hint of honeydew melon rind. Medium bodied and showing tremendous focus, the palate is citrusy with a lemongrass edge and a light floral characteristic. The acidity is almost crunchy and well-integrated, lengthening the finish, which is tinged with apples and lemon zest. Producer: Heron Hill Winery…

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