North Fork Wine Notes

This is the third and final installment of our wines of the North Fork coverage. Previous posts can be found here: Part One and Part Two.

Leaning over the bar of The Winemaker Studio, Sarah Evans Nappa confided, “Mastery of good wines in bad years is essential for Long Island.” A truer statement about cold climate winemaking may not exist, and it’s one I’ve heard on other occasions in other locations. Winemakers of mettle rise to the challenge of any vintage and, through what is likely an instinct of self-preservation, East Coast producers like David Page of Shinn Vineyards aren’t likely to subscribe to a concept of “off” years. “I really have given up judging one vintage over or under another,” Page insisted. “It’s impractical (and) that kind of information quantifies the experience of wine.” To support the point, he referenced the North Fork’s underappreciated 2009 harvest: “I am a really, really big fan of this vintage…If romance and wine are the goal, this one really hits it on many, many levels.”

Despite what I’m about to share, smart drinkers should not shy away from so-called underperforming vintages. Though they can reflect the growing pains of an emerging region, they can also stand as markers of exceptional craftsmanship (see Shinn’s 2009 Pinot Blanc or The Old Field’s 2004 Merlot).

According to many wine people and locals I talked to, the more favorable, ripest years on the North Fork have included 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010 when it barely rained. 2012 saw its share of precipitation but Page, for one, sees “great potential” for the vintage, especially with Cab Franc. For the record, Russ McCall of McCall Wines called 2011 “maybe the worst year I’ve seen here in my life.”

The whites I tasted were more consistent in quality and while the reds – especially from the sunnier years – showed impressive grace, it’s not uncommon to experience “green” notes similar to those found in neighboring states like Pennsylvania. For some drinkers, a slight vegetal element can provide added intrigue and complexity, but it’s not for everyone. More than a couple producers agreed with the strategy of aging North Fork red wines, thereby allowing the blends to knit. Smartly, as with many East Coast wineries worth their salt, many on Long Island blend grape varieties.

Now, the wines: View my tasting notes here.