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Posts Tagged“martha clara vineyards”

LISW: Long Island’s Force for Vineyard Sustainability

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On Thursday, June 6, Bedell Cellars hosted a celebration of the first anniversary of an important new project in Long Island wine country — Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW). It is the first certified sustainable program for eastern U.S. vineyards, and covers the “North Fork of Long Island” and “The Hamptons, Long Island, New York” AVAs. This not-for-profit organization was conceived in April of last year when Rich Olsen-Harbich (Bedell Cellars), Barbara Shinn (Shinn Estate Vineyards), Larry Perrine (Channing Daughters Winery), and Jim Thompson (Martha Clara Vineyards) set out to establish a list of guidelines for implementing sustainable practices in local vineyards. \Upon completing the…

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc

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Clean aromas of Meyer lemon, honeydew melon and grapefruit are backed by subtle citrusy herb notes. Medium-light in body, showing flavors of green melon and mixed citrus fruits. Clean and fresh with light green apple skin and fresh-cut grass notes on the finish. Medium-length finish with a crisp, palate-whetting freshness. Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 12% Price: $20* (3 out of 5, Very good/Recommended)

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2011 Gewurztraminer

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Surprisingly subtle on the nose — gewurzt is usually much more effusive — aromas of underripe melon and kiwi are joined by subtle varietal floral/lychee notes. A bit dilute and light both in terms of body and flavor. Some residual sugar, but ultimately the snappy acidity comes off a bit shrill because there isn’t enough body to balance it. Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 10-.5% Price: $21* (2 out of 5, Average)

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Pinot Grigio

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Pinot Grigio ($20) shows off the heat of the vintage — in both good and not-so-good ways. Apple and dried pineapple aromas dominate the nose with a faint limoncello note — both the citrusy lemon character and the slight booziness. Some heat on the palate as well, with apple, peach and pineapple flavors and a short finish. Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 13% Price: $20*   (2 out of 5, Average)

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Reserve Chardonnay

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2010 Reserve Chardonnay ($22) shows honey-baked apples, pineapple, and lemon peel fruit aromas on the nose with a healthy dose of toasty oak, eggnog and vanilla. Nice, ripe fruit — apple and pineapple — greets the palate, but it’s a bit overwhelmed by woody-vanilla spice notes. Full bodied, it offers a rich, creamy mid-palate and well-balanced acidity. If you like the style, it’s fairly well done, but the finish is just a bit boozy. Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 13.5% Price: $22*   (2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very Good)

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc

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With a nose that shows black cherry, dried cranberry, savory herbs and a subtle hint of grilled mushrooms, the Martha Clara Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Franc ($23) shows both nice varietal character and Long Island-ness. On the palate, there is a slightly underripe note, but nice cherry and plum fruit flavors with a woodsy, earthy-herbal edge. Medium-intensity tannins are pretty well integrated, providing a bit of drying grip, while understated acidity brings freshness. A solid effort from one of the region’s weirder vintages. If you’re a true lover of cabernet franc, you’ll appreciate this wine. Producer: Martha Clara Vineyards AVA: North Fork of…

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Martha Clara Vineyards Introduces “Into the Bunghole” a New Educational Video Series

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You may remember Juan Micieli-Martinez, winemaker at Martha Clara Vineyards, as the JuanMaker — a somewhat silly, penguin-loving winemaker who starred in a series of videos the winery produced a few years ago. While those videos were meant to educate viewers about some basic and sometimes not-so-basic parts of the wine production process, they were awfully goofy at times. With “Into the Bunghole” Juan is back, but with a bit more serious — though still approachable — tone. Sure, the name of the series itself keeps it from being too serious, but this first video offers great 101-type information on…

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Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW) Announces Formation and Sustainable Vineyard Certification

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Most wineries on the East End of Long Island like to talk about being “sustainable” in their vineyard practices and winemaking. There’s discussion about windmills and compost piles and this spray or that application, but let’s be honest, “sustainable” is a nebulous term… at least in the way they are using it, to denote a certain “green”-ness without formal biodynamic or organic certification. Those require strict adherence to defined rules over a set period of time. “Sustainable” is a bit of a “green” grey area without any local definition or certification. It is a term that is decidedly open to interpretation.…

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Martha Clara Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief High residual sugar and pineapple-flavored wines aside, Martha Clara Vineyards, one of the largest on the North Fork, seems to be on the rise from a quality standpoint. They have winemaker Juan Martinez-Micieli, formerly of Shinn Estate Vineyards and Pellegrini Vineyards, to thank for that. He's working to steer this large ship in a better direction. His Martha Clara Vineyards 2008 Gewurztraminer ($19) is one of, if not the best the estate has produced and the key to this wine's success is balance.  The nose offers classic lychee aromas with candied orange peel, lime zest and…

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