Today, I offer my review of the third Croteaux Vineyards rose from the 2007 vintage (see the other reviews). This wine, the Croteaux Vineyards 2007 Merlot "181 Clone" Rose ($18) is the lightest and most delicate of the lot. Made from the 181 clone, from Pomerol, it was fermented entirely in stainless steel and is a pretty pale salmon-orange. The nose is light and fruity, with peach aromas dominating and a bit of strawberry. Similar fruit carries over to a light-bodied palate that also features nice, thirst-quenching acidity. It's surprisingly light on flavor, however. Even at room temperature, I was…
Posts Tagged“rose”
Croteaux Vineyards 2007 Merlot “3 Clone” Rose
I definitely enjoyed this wine's 10% barrel-fermented sibling, but Croteaux Vineyards' 2007 Merlot "3 Clone" Rose ($18) was fermented entirely in oak and aged for 5 months in older oak barrels… and I just don't 'get' this wine. I like that Croteaux makes "rose on purpose," even if it seems a bit insane in such a tremendous vintage to use all of that beautiful merlot fruit for rose. And, it's kind of interesting that they do three different ones (I'll post my review of the third tomorrow), but this wine is just weird. Sometimes weird is good. Here, I'm not…
WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2006 Rose (North Fork of Long Island)
"There is no reason to produce wimpy little pink wines with no varietal character." That’s what David Page, co-owner of Shinn Estate Vineyards said when I asked him about his 2006 Rose ($16). Their rose is different alright-different from every other Long Island rose I’ve tasted this summer. It’s a much richer, bolder wine. The strawberry- and watermelon-scented wine is far from wimpy. It’s medium bodied and much rounder and fuller on the palate-but still balanced with gentle acidity and even a little tannic structure. There is a faint buttery note too, although malolactic fermentation was strictly avoided. For me,…
WTN: Peconic Bay Winery 2006 (North Fork of Long Island)
In the past, I’ve had some less-than-nice things to say about Peconic Bay Winery. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy some of their wines-I absolutely do and have for quite a while. Their Stainless Steel Chardonnay and Riesling are both great every day wines at fair prices. But man, they made some sweet, koolaid-esque rose in the past. And, in their tasting room, flights started off with those wines, which I thought probably turned off the serious wine drinkers before they got down to the better wines. I knew that it did me. I’m sure that it’s purely a coincidence…
WTN: Osprey’s Dominion 2005 Vin Gris (North Fork of Long Island)
Today we’ll continue with a quick tasting note on Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards 2005 Vin Gris. I’ve written here numerous times about local rose wines and how diverse they can be. I guess the same can probably be said for many wine regions, but it always amazes me anyway. You’ve got your sweet, flabby versions that taste more like Koolaid than anything made with wine grapes. You’ve got fresh, clean, crisp wines that are just awesome on a hot summer day or with a picnic lunch. And of course there’s everything in between too. This rose, made with cabernet sauvignon grapes,…
WTN: Comtesse Therese 2005 Blanc de Noir (North Fork)
People sometimes tell me that I’m crazy when I smell "non-grape" things in a wine. This wine is for them…if only because it is a perfect example of non-grape aroma. In fact, I could have titled this post "Wanna Experience Peach in a Wine?" or something of that ilk. Personally, I didn’t care for this wine much, but it’s an excellent example of the wonder of wine grapes. Theresa Dilworth, co-owner and head winemaker of Comtesse Therese, made 127 cases of her Comtesse Therese 2005 Blanc de Noir ($18). First, don’t be fooled by the name, it’s not a sparkler.…