“You don’t work with measurable things.” Multiple tastings reveal the art of a dedicated winemaker from field to bottle with diverse grapes.
Long Island: Peconic Bay Tasting
The 2001 and 2002 steel fermented chardonnays from Peconic Bay Winery were two of my house wines last summer—cleanly made, elegant, lively, with lots of fruit, citrus undertones and a tantalizing texture in the mouth. So I was naturally interested to taste the 2003, soon to be released and priced at $13 per bottle. It turned out to be a departure from rather than a continuation of the previous vintages. As good? Yes, I think so, and one that I look forward to drinking. But it is a different wine. The fresh and sprightly qualities that I enjoy are still there, but some distinctly grassy and earthy notes are now present, giving the wine an additional and engaging layer of taste.
It was a reminder just how much wine is a living thing, with the unpredictability of living things. The process starts with the embryonic grapes on the vine and changes according to the growing conditions. It continues with the molecular changes in the dynamic winemaking process and even after that while resting in the bottle. Emile Peynaud, the eminent French enologist who died last week, revolutionized winemaking around the world by applying scientific methods. But he also acknowledged “you don’t work with measurable things.”
I was thinking about this after tasting at least three different vintages of each of the varietals produced by Peconic Bay Winery—and the differences as well as the similarities from year to year demonstrated why winemaking, even with its protocols, is truly an art.
Greg Gove, the winemaker at Peconic Bay, is a scientist by training, but he is also a dedicated artisan who clearly loves what he does and crafts a well-made product. One of the most successful of Mr. Gove’s new releases is the 2003 riesling. The growing season, cooler than usual, was exactly right for this German varietal, and all the racy, aromatic qualities of the grape come through in the bouquet and flavor. Scents of pear and peach mingle with citrus tones, just hints of grapefruit or lime. The overall effect is expressive of its lineage—you won’t mistake it for a chardonnay—but handled subtly and delicately.
The wine was fermented in what is called Sussreserve style. A certain amount of sweet unfermented juice is put aside and later added to the fermented wine, so the gentle sweetness is intimate and innate, part of the biological structure of the original harvest. The difference this kind of attention makes can’t really be quantified, but judging by the inviting complexity of the wine I believe it really does make a difference. Peconic Bay also makes a dry riesling, but don’t think you need “dry” on the label to get a good food match. The wine I sampled had sufficient balance and acid content to be correct for many summer menus—hors d’oeuvres, gilled fish and chicken, seafood pastas, Asian cuisine. The 2003 riesling sells for $13 at the winery.
Among the reds, I found the cabernet sauvignons well structured but not yet fully up to the potential of this grape. The cabernet francs were much more interesting for my palate—and the 2001 merlot was outstanding, a star not only in the Peconic Bay portfolio, but a wine that can rival just about any merlot produced on Long Island. With an aroma of cherry, plum and chocolate, and all the soft, round concentration this varietal should exhibit, it delivers a terrific drinking experience. The merlot, which drinks well now but should also age well, sells for $24 at the winery.
I happily enjoyed a dessert wine called Polaris, a variant of ice wine made from the riesling grape. The extreme low temperature fermentation is a complicated and rigorous process that Mr. Gove seems to have fully under control. Because it is so demanding, the wine is produced in very limited quantities. The honeyed properties of the Polaris wine are prudently balanced by acid and mineral counterpoints to produce a sweet wine with a rather savory finish. It networks companionably with the various taste receptors in your mouth. The current vintage will soon be released and is priced at $35 for a 375 ml bottle.
Mr. Gove is among the pioneering generation, having started in the 1980s with Alex and Louisa Hargrave. In his personal progression as a winemaker he embodies the maturation and success of Long Island wines.
