Offers aromas of slightly bruised pear, apple, white flowers and spice. The palate is less interesting — showing generic fruitiness that is somewhat stale — with a bit of a floral note and sharp acidity seems a bit disjointed. Finishing a bit sour and medium-short, this wine just isn’t particularly good — probably the result of a difficult growing season. Producer: Raphael AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 11.8% Price: $20*
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief When Raphael winemaker Rich Olsen-Harbich released his first Naturale — a 2008 white blend (read the NYCR review) made without the addition of sugar or acid, without filtration or fining, and using naturally occurring yeasts and only the slightest bit of SO2 during bottling, I was intrigued. I look for deliciousness in wine, rather than a particular style of winemaking. Natural, biodynamic, organic, sustainable — they all matter on some level, but not if the wine isn't delicious. That 2008 received a 4-start rating and was a finalist in the NYCR Wines of the Year. Raphael…
Verace, a newly opened Italian restaurant in Islip, NY with three local wines on tap. By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Photos courtesy of Verace I think we've all been there — in a restaurant that may or may not pay much attention to its wine list and may or may not pay even less attention to their by-the-glass selection — more or less offering whatever is already open, and over-charging you for it. You order a glass anyway, knowing that you're playing by-the-glass roulette. Before you even take a sip, you can pinpoint how long the bottle has been open —…
By Lenn Thompson, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Photo courtesy of Raphael Long Island chardonnay (and there is a lot of it planted and made) can be delicious, but it's rarely distinctive. I don't know anyone who visits Long Island for the first time and comes away thinking "Wow, those chardonnays blew me away." Long Island sauvignon blanc is a completely different story. Ignoring niche grapes with only small local plantings (chenin blanc, tocai friulano), sauvignon blanc is the grape that shows the most promise locally. At proper crop levels, it ripens consistently well, even in cooler years. And a unique Long…
I'm not a "natural wine" disciple by any means. Just like I don't go out of my way to drink organic or biodynamic wines. First and foremost, I want the wine in my glass to be balanced and to taste good. I don't advocate over-manipulation mind you. We've all had those over-extracted, over-oaked wines. Parker likes them, but I tend not to. But, if your Gewurztraminer got a little too ripe and maybe lost a little too much acid before harvest, I don't begrudge you adding a little during the winemaking process. I'm not Parker, but I'm not Feiring either.…
(All photographs courtesy of Alex M Wolff Photography) Saturday night’s LENNDEVOURS/canvas Magazine wine event went off without so much as a hiccup, let alone a hitch. We had more than 70 people show up (a great turnout), the food was delicious and the wines were equally so. I’d like to thank Melissa from Lieb Family Cellars, Janel from Macari Vineyards, and Joann and Janet from Raphael for bringing and pouring their wines. They were extremely well received as I heard when I "worked the room" chatting with those in attendance. Also, a hearty thank you to Chris and the crew…
I’ve been toying around with the idea of hosting a Long Island wine event for some time. But now, through my affiliation with canvas Magazine, it’s becoming a reality. On Saturday, March 1 at 5 p.m., join me, three North Fork wineries, and Whole Foods Market at canvas’ Footprint Art Gallery in Huntington, NY for a local wine tasting with light food pairings. The three participating wineries are Raphael, Lieb Family Cellars and Macari Vineyards, and they’ll be pouring a variety of wines along side some food from Whole Foods. In addition to great wine and food, there will be…
Editor’s Note: Yes, I do still write for my blog. When Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Peconic’s Raphael, started his winemaking career, it was in the Finger Lakes region of central New York. As you all know, the Finger Lakes region is best suited — and best known — for its aromatic white wines, particularly riesling. Much of the time, the classic red varieties of Bordeaux struggle to ripen in central New York. Some wineries make wines like merlot and cabernet sauvignon anyway, but many of the better ones are made using fruit (or bulk wine) grown here on Long Island.…
When it comes to his white wines, Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Raphael, typically eschews oak to preserve the natural flavors of the grapes. Both his stainless steel chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are perennial favorites and are terrific spring and summer sippers. But, after a 2006 growing season that was cooler than 2005 and was marked by a lot of overcast days and higher-than-average levels of rain, Rich decided to make his first barrel-fermented chardonnay at Raphael. He didn’t make much though, only four new French barrels worth. All told, the wine spent five months in those barrels. He stirred the…
This post is a part of my 12 Long Island Wines for Christmas series that will run from now until Christmas 2007. See the entire series here. The first red wine of my 2007 12 Long Island Wines for Christmas is Raphael’s 2005 Cabernet Franc ($18). It won’t come as a surprise to many of you that there’s a cab franc on the list, of course. You know how much I dig the grape. In fact, it would probably be more surprising if this were the only one chosen. (Yes, that’s a hint) Cab franc is a grape that comes…