Can pinot noir challenge merlot as Long Island’s favorite red grape? A young winemaker gives at least a hint of an answer.
Jamesport Tasting: experimenting with varietals
Long Island wine production is barely thirty years old. That’s a mere drop in the bottle compared to European areas where winemaking is measured in millennia. But older does not always mean better, especially since increased agricultural knowledge and new equipment and techniques have greatly improved wine standards in all areas and price ranges. The biggest advantage of vineyards that have been around for generations is probably that farmers and managers know with great certainly which grape varieties will grow well and produce good wine.
It takes a long time to refine this kind of knowledge, and Long Island winemakers are justified in still experimenting with varietals. Merlot has been proclaimed by some as the grape of Long Island, but in my opinion it is premature to make that sweeping a judgment. Cabernet franc seems to have found a natural home here, and could rival merlot. Other varieties, while not as outstanding, are definitely worth drinking.
I recently tried two wines from Jamesport Vineyards, on the North Fork, that reinforce my view that local winemakers should keep open minds and continue to test and try different grapes. The Jamesport pinot noir cannot and should not be compared to great Burgundies or even to the excellent pinots from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Judged on its own, however, it is quite a good wine. And that is saying a lot considering that pinot noir, certainly one of the great wine grapes of the world, is among the most problematic, all the way from the field to the bottle.
The good news is that when it all works pinot noir results in enchanting, harmonious wines, and Jamesport came through with a tasty, well balanced one. With a medium body and rich, delicate taste, with neither acid nor tannins too prominent, it went perfectly with a meal of chicken and local vegetables. I dined with a friend visiting from Italy who knows her European wines but was not familiar with Long Island, and she agreed that it was a well-made, soft, velvety pinot noir. The 2005 vintage sells at the winery for $40.
Chardonnay is the most popular white wine produced on Long Island, but as with the merlot positioning with the reds, it is by no means the only one worth drinking. Jamesport is unusual in that their primary emphasis in white wine is sauvignon blanc. They’ve done a good job over the years, and their recent vintages have shown that this grape definitely has a place on Long Island. The Jamesport style, a result of being partly barrel fermented and partly done in stainless steel, is notable for its balance of elements. There is just enough fruit—refreshing citrus, tropical fruit, and a bit of ginger—in the aroma, followed by a pleasant layering of clean tastes that are crisp and inviting. The 2006 vintage sells for $22.
Both these wines are significant accomplishments for Les Howard, the Jamesport winemaker. Mr. Howard is only 33 years ago, but as a North Fork native he already has 13 years of experience working on Long Island wines, the last three at Jamesport. He brings an open, youthful, experimental style to his winemaking. It is right on target for this region where wine production has been around for only a generation and we still have lots to discover.
