The Winery Clovis Point
The Winemaker John Leo
The Wine 2019 Clovis Point Vintner’s Select Merlot, 13.8% abv
The Price $45
The Grapes 78% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 5% malbec, 2.5% cabernet sauvignon, 2.5% syrah
It’s kind of funny that wine is subject to fashion, that ebb and flow of trend and so-called tastemakers. Like Yves Saint Laurent once said: Fashions fade; style is eternal. And Long Island merlot? Yeah, it’s got style. And in the hands of winemaker John Leo, it’s elevated to crushable couture status.
“Merlot grows especially well on the East End of Long Island,” Leo says. “I believe it’s the combination of our well-drained soils, our gentle, breezy summers and long, mild autumns that allow the relatively delicate merlot grape to ripen fully.” .
For the special 2019 Clovis Point Vintner’s Select Merlot, Leo orchestrated just the right elements to polish the components into a beautiful whole, with about 20% going into new oak barrels for the merlot and the rest, along with the to-be blended portions of cabernet franc, malbec, cabernet sauvignon and syrah, left to linger individually in seasoned barrels. When you look at the latter grapes and their small amounts — 2.5% here and another 12% there — it might make you wonder how much it all matters. But it does. Even those small portions are key stiches in the whole and require keen and patient consideration.
“The potential blend was considered and reconsidered over many months in late 2020 and 2021,” says Leo, with the final blend put together before June.
What’s in your glass Before they’re crushed, whole destemmed grapes are sent to tanks at just the right temperature for a long color- and flavor-extracting cold soak. After fermentation, the merlot spends a little more time hanging around on its skins to draw out even more deep, vibrant color and tannic structure. Then, finally, they’re pressed, and that initial gorgeous, fermented juice becomes the source of the Vintner’s Select designation.
Pairs with “I love drinking this wine with roasted fowl,” says Leo. “It also highlights the savory notes of harder sheep and cows milk cheeses.”
What’s in your glass It’s drinking beautifully at five-plus years in the bottle, but cellaring this for another seven to 10 will not disappoint.
