As I type this, it’s the first day of fall, yet here I am writing about another sauvignon blanc.
That’s because I’m still drinking them. At least certain styles.
There is a lot of very good sauvignon blanc made on Long Island now, which is great given the seafood-focused local cuisine. “What grows together, goes together” and all that. I don’t think of it as the white grape of the future here anymore. It’s now the white grape of the present.
But that doesn’t mean new and interesting things aren’t being done with it.
Sixty percent of the fruit that went into Macari Vineyards 2013 “No. 1″ Sauvignon Blanc ($27) was de-stemmed, crushed and the juice was left on the skins for nine days before being pressed into one of the two concrete eggs you’ll find just behind the main tasting room bar, down in the cellar.
The other 40 percent was whole cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel, just like the winery’s other sauvignon blanc.
Those concrete eggs bring two important things to winemaker Kelly Urbanik Koch’s winemaking arsenal. First, concrete allows for slow air transfer, similar to oak barrels — but without imparting oak flavors or tannins. And, because of its shape, a concrete eggs basically allows a wine to stir its own lees as it ferments.
The aromas and flavors here are what you’d expect from sauvignon blanc — grapefruit, apple and sweet honeydew melon with subtle notes of lemon-y herb, flowers and salt air. It’s the texture that is the star here. It is at once rich and mouth-filling while remaining focused and lively. Much like last week’s wine, this is a sauvignon that will transition nicely into slightly richer early-autumn foods.
It sells for $27 at the winery’s two tasting rooms – located at 150 Bergan Ave., Mattituck and 24385 Main Road, Cutchogue.
Previous wines of the week:
McCall Vinayrds 2014 Cuvée Nicola Sauvignon Blanc
Raphael 2014 First Label Sauvignon Blanc
