Posts Tagged“sauvignon blanc”

Suhru Wines 2013 Sauvignon Blanc

  Though young (it seems like we’re seeing more and more new-vintage whites released before Memorial Day every year, aren’t we?) Suhru Wines 2013 Sauvignon Blanc ($19) showed well in a recent tasting with aromas of passion fruit, peach and pink grapefruit accented by a grassy spearmint note. Fuller bodied but still fresh, the palate delivers mostly lemon and grapefruit citrus notes with only subtle tropical fruit and grassy-herbal character. Though a bit hollow on the mid-palate, the finish is medium-long and balanced with ripe fruit notes lingering nicely. I like this wine enough that it will be in an…

Macari Vineyards 2012 “No. 1” Sauvignon Blanc

Macari Vineyards winemaker Kelly Urbanik Koch made one of my favorite wines of last summer, from sauvignon blanc. This wine, Macari Vineyards 2012 “No. 1” Sauvignon Blanc ($27) is a completely different animal, however. Half the fruit for this wine was skin fermented in a 500L barrel and the other half was left on the skins for one night in a stainless steel tank. Notes of canary melon, fresh hay, white flowers, Meyer lemon and tangerine mingle on a nose that is muted right out of the fridge but opens up a bit more as it warms to room temperature. Broad and…

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2012 Haven

After tasting Shinn Estate Vineyards‘ sauvignon blanc-based wines for several vintages now, it is clear that vineyard manager and co-owner Barbara Shinn has a way with the grape and that her piece of land is well suited to the variety. First Fruit, the winery’s steel-fermented sauvignon blanc is a perennial favorite — crunchy with acidity, citrusy, herb-y and faintly saline. Their Haven bottling is a completely different wine, and not just because it has some semillon blended in. The juice that becomes Haven spends extended time on the skins before being fermented by ambient yeasts in French oak. The result is…

Waters Crest Winery 2012 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Despite the warm growing season and 2 months in French oak, the nose on Waters Crest Winery 2012 Reserve Sauvigon Blanc ($30) is surprisingly tame, offering light aromas of roasted apples, honey and lemons. Soft and mouth-filling, the palate combines candied green apple (think Jolly Rancher) and Golden Delicious apple flavors accented by light citrus, grassy herb and nutty notes. Good acidity balances the weight nicely and the finish lingers with citrus and candied apple flavors. Producer: Waters Crest Winery AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 13% Price: $30* (2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very Good)

Waters Crest Winery 2012 Sauvignon Blanc

2012 appears to have been a good year for Long Island sauvignon. Waters Crest Winery 2012 Sauvignon Blanc ($19) is a well-priced, lemon-bomb of a sauvignon blanc that shows lemon character in many guises on the nose — everything from lemon pulp and peel to lemon balm and lemon verbena. There are also notes of grapefruit and cut grass. On the lighter side of medium bodied, the palate is bright and similarly citrusy with the addition of Golden Delicious apple flavors. Though a a tiny bit dilute on the mid-palate, this wine finishes well with a lingering apple and lemon…

Macari Vineyards 2012 “Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc

Always among the top sauvignon blancs coming from the North Fork, Macari Vineyards 2012  “Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc ($23) is an early favorite from the 2012 batch just hitting shelves now — and I dare say the best since Kelly Urbanik took over as winemaker. Aromas of grapefruit, sweet lime, green apple and honeydew show ripeness and nary a scent of grass or other ‘greenness.’ Medium-to-fuller bodied but well balanced with citrusy, juicy acidity, the palate offer more lime and grapefruit flavors backed by green apple and a gently glycerin mouthfeel. Finishing lively and focused with a squeeze of grapefruit, it’s…

Raphael Winery 2011 First Label Sauvignon Blanc

Challenging growing season shows here on the nose, which is surprisingly subdued. Light aromas of fresh and candied lemon are joined by subtle notes of minty herbs. Lighter bodied as well, there are mild flavors of citrus and under-ripe melon as well as light grassy-herbal notes. There is also plenty of fresh acidity — but not really enough of everything else to bring balance. Producer: Raphael AVA: North Fork of Long Island ABV: 12.4% Price: $26* (2.5 out of 5, Average-to-Very Good)

Martha Clara Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc

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)

Macari Vineyards 2011 ‘Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc

Macari Vineyards is always one of my go-to producers for Long Island sauvignon blanc, particularly the Katherine’s Field bottling, which is made without oak. It always tells the tale of the growing season and doesn’t try to mimic sauvignon from the Loire or New Zealand or California. Macari makes Long Island sauvignon blanc. 2011 was a cooler year and one marked with heavy hurricane-related rain late in the season. Macari Vineyards  “Katherine’s Field” Sauvignon Blanc ($23) shows the coolness of the vintage, with melon, grapefruit, lemon zest and thyme notes and a lighter-bodied style, with fresh, clean acidity and surprising length. A…

Shinn Estate Vineyards 2011 “First Fruit” Sauvignon Blanc

You can learn a lot about a region’s vintages simply by tasting its unoaked whites wines — especially wines from producers that you trust and that aren’t big into in-winery manipulations or additions. Shinn Estate Vineyards 2011 “First Fruit” Sauvignon Blanc ($23) tells the story of a cool, wet and grey season most famously marked by the passing of Hurricane Irene right over Long Island. Herby and somewhat vegetal on the nose — think bell pepper — the nose also shows pear and pear skin, hints of grapefruit and hay aromas. Grapefruit flavors peek through a garden of herbs and green vegetation,…