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A bottle of McCall Wines 2016 Cuvée Nicola. (Credit: Courtesy photo)

McCall Wines earned its reputation among local wine lovers on the back of its pinot noir program, which stands as the best on the East End. No other pinot noir comes close.

A peek behind the pinot portion of the portfolio reveals quality across the board. McCall’s cabernet franc and merlot are also often outstanding as well. The rosé, too. But the hidden gem of the lineup is on the white wine side — sauvignon blanc.

Starting in 2015, the McCall sauvignon blanc has been made entirely with estate-grown fruit (rather than purchased grapes from elsewhere on the North Fork). Grown in McCall’s North Ridge Vineyard — a vineyard formerly known as Andy’s Field when it was part of the Gristina property — our Wine of the Week is McCall Wines 2016 “Cuvée Nicola” Sauvignon Blanc ($24).

Of the vineyard, Brewster McCall told me in an email, “(There is) incredible drainage on this site as it’s the crest of a hill, and also particularly interesting because of a large kettle hole in the middle of the vineyard — helping with drainage but also suggesting glacial activity and mineral deposits.”

The wine does what Long Island sauvignon blanc tends to do, straddling the line between focused, mineral-driven Loire sauvignon blanc and riper West Coast styles.

“We harvested at two different ripeness levels,” McCall said. “By making two wines at different ripeness levels and blending afterward, we maintain a single-vineyard expression of terroir and get to work with Gilles Martin to find a balance and style that’s appealing to us.”  

It’s sure to appeal to a lot of people. It’s bright and brisk, with a clean lemon-grapefruit quality made a bit more interesting by a sprinkling of fresh-cut grass and fruit. The wine leans just a bit tropical as it warms to near room temperature. A long, saline finish is a real highlight and makes it an obvious choice with local seafood.

The winery will preview it to its wine club this weekend and then release it to the public at some point this summer.

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