Lenz Tasting: a range of tastes and prices
Does it make sense for a small winery to produce three different lines of chardonnay or merlot? After reviewing the Old Vines merlot from Lenz Winery in last week’s column, I examined their two other merlot bottlings to answer that question and to see how the wines vary in quality and if the price differences are justified.
The Old Vines series is winemaker Erik Fry’s consummate merlot. It’s an ambitious wine that is certainly one of the most outstanding merlots produced on Long Island. It retails at the tasting room for $55. The winery’s basic merlot is called simply “Non Vintage” because it is a blend of grapes from the 1997 and 1998 harvests. For some people non-vintage may seem negative or imply an inferior quality, but that is hardly ever the case. It’s true that with certain important labels, the vintage year means something, at least when it reflects the quality of a particularly good growing season. But for an everyday wine it is not the most reliable gauge of quality. The stature of the winery and your own preferences should be the guidelines.
The Lenz Non Vintage merlot is more than the simple wine you might expect with a $15 price tag. It is mellow and flavorful with sprightly cherry and berry scents. The wine is just right for a number of summer foods as well as for pouring as an aperitif. I even tried and enjoyed it with a handful of juicy local strawberries. Going up in price, the mid-level 2000 Estate Selection ($23) is an impressive merlot with restrained, refined fruit, quietly assertive in the European tradition. The reason for three different merlots is sustained.
Mr. Fry’s treatment of the pinot noir grape is original. He is wise in not attempting produce a Burgundy style wine or even a West Coast type. It rarely works on Long Island. His 1998 pinot noir ($30) has character, and I encourage him to keep developing this approach. Right now it lacks the excitement of his other reds, but it has potential.
His use of pinot noir in a sparking wine and in his rosé is entirely successful. In combination with chardonnay, it results in Cuvee, a lively sparkling wine. While not quite as vigorous and supple as premium (and expensive) labels from the big Champagne houses, it beats many lesser French Champagnes in its price range. The 1999 Cuvee sells for $30.
I also have doubts about Long Island’s ability to produce really memorable cabernet sauvignon. Paumanok has been the exception here, and Lenz might claim some distinction now with its 2000 vintage. It is an intense and concentrated wine, with depth and structure. The tannins are soft but weighty enough as a result of cold fermentation. A bit of added merlot strengthens and rounds out the character. At $30, it is a fair buy.
Lenz markets three different lines of chardonnay. The 2003 White Label, at $12, is the kind of fresh and vivid wine that balances crispness with creaminess for perfect sipping. It’s not trying to be anything other than what it is—a forthright, friendly but flawless chardonnay at an affordable price. You can’t help but like it. The older 2001 Silver Label ($15) is a notch more rich and complex, something you might want for more important dinners.
The 2001 Gold Label chardonnay ($23) is an important white wine, tending toward to a Montrachet. The fruit is intense but does not overwhelm the oak notes and other subtle complexities of this terrific wine. This is one to linger over and savor. All three chardonnays will find a place at my table this summer.
Don’t overlook the Lenz gewürztraminer. It’s a lovely, graceful white wine with virtually unending spice and floral notes and a full body. The model is Alsace, and Mr. Fry’s take on this fragrant grape easily approaches a good Alsatian gewürztraminer. The 2003 vintage, just right for drinking now, sells for $20.
