By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief This is the last of the value whites I tried during a recent tasting, and guess what? Not only was it the unofficial winner, it's also the wine priced the lowest. Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 Coalescence ($14) is a unique steel-fermented blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling and — get this — merlot blanc. The riesling that went into this wine comes from Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes, by the way. The nose is citrusy but showed a bit more nuance than the other two values whites in the lineup, delivering minerally seawater character and…
Posts Tagged“shinn”
Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Petit Verdot
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Tonight, let's take a look at the last of the Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 reds that I tasted recently (there are at least 3 other un-released wines that I haven't formally reviewed yet) — Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Petit Verdot ($35/500ml). Much like malbec, is a petit verdot has spent more time in a leading role in recent years. But, also like malbec, there isn't really enough planted for it to become anything more than a member of the supporting cast in red blends and in small-production, almost-novelty wines like this one. This wine certainly qualifies…
Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 “Rebellion” Merlot
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief As a category "natural" wines are hot in the wine world, but they aren't necessarily easily defined. Ask ten people what "natural" means and you'll get at least five answers. One common thread, however, is a reliance on naturally occurring, 'wild' yeasts for fermentation rather than inoculating the must with a strain of the winemaker's choosing. A handful of Long Island producers are experimenting with native yeast fermentations, including Raphael, Channing Daughters, Onabay Vineyards and the makers of this wine, Shinn Estate Vineyards. Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 "Rebellion" Estate Merlot ($25) is 100% estate-grown merlot that…
Shinn Estate Vineyards 2008 Rose
By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher This isn't another one of those "rose is making a comeback" pieces, but dry rose is one of the under-appreciated pleasures of cool climate wine regions. The natural acidity that cool evenings and long, slow growing seasons retain is key. In the Finger Lakes, there are more dry roses (in addition to the sweet ones) being bottled every year, but here on Long Island, dry rose has been a part of many wine programs for years. Sometimes, they are made by blending red and white grapes, but some of my favorites are made primarily…
Anthony Nappa Wines 2008 Anomaly
By Lenn Thompson, Publisher and Editor When Anthony Nappa, winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards, interviewed for the job, he had two questions of his own for the owners, could he bring his dog to work, and could he make his own wine? I've seen his dog at the winery myself and with the release of Anthony Nappa Wines 2008 Anomaly ($18), the second question is answered as well. His second wine, the Anthony Nappa Wines 2008 Nemesis, will be released this weeked. Both are available at Shinn's tasting room and both wines are 100% pinot noir sourced on the North…
Quick Q&A with Anthony Nappa, Winemaker, Shinn Estate Vineyards
Anthony Nappa (left), winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards, on the 2008 crush pad. For the first Q&A of 2009, we pose our standard questions to Anthony Nappa, winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck, NY. Anthony is still a relative newcomer to the region and is one of the East Coast's youngest winemakers. What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking? Outside of Boone’s Farms when I was young, I didn’t drink much wine except on holidays with the family, mostly Italian wine or homebrew. Asti Spumante at Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving is still a favorite.…
Home Restaurant Has Been Sold
In an email conversation with David Page, co-owner of Shinn Estate Vineyards, about their current red releases, he told me that he and Barbara have sold Home to their long-time silent partner, saying "The 15 years we spent at Home were some of the best years of our lives. We are excited about the opportunity to give Shinn Estate Vineyards and Farmhouse our full attention." Home will remain open through the end of the year, but will then close for renovations, reopening in the spring sometime. And while there will obviously be changes, Page told me that "The new ownership…
Vineyards Visuals: Chamomile at Shinn Estate Vineyards
Photo courtesy of Shinn Estate Vineyards "I have attached a nice photo of the daisies that have been in full bloom in the sauvignon blanc for a few days now. They are from a native chamomile plant. We dry the flowers, brew a tea then do soil drenches with it as part of our biodynamic program. We did the same thing with the dandelion flowers from an earlier photo I sent you. You can see the winery in the background." — David Page, Shinn Estate Vineyards
WTN: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2006 First Fruit (North Fork)
Chardonnay, shmarddonay. Yes, chardonnay is the white wine that dominates the Long Island wine scene. It’s the most planted and, obviously, most made. That’s because despite trends away from it, it’s still the most sold white wine in the market. Yes, I like-and sometimes love-local chardonnay. The acid balance can be stellar in these parts. But, so far this spring, the wines I’ve been digging most have been local sauvignon blancs. There have already been several 2006 sauvignons that I’ve enjoyed and Shinn Estate Vineyards’ 2006 First Fruit ($23) which is primarily sauvignon blanc, with just a squirt (4%) Semillon,…