Russ McCall marches to his own beat. He raises his own unique herd of cattle, a melding of French Charolais with Japanese Wagyu (Wagolais, he likes to call it). He invested in growing a persnickety grape like pinot noir because he knew his particular plot of land would be just right for it, damn the East Coast humidity.
In his rosé, too, he is thoughtful, as is head winemaker, Gilles Martin, and general manager and fellow winemaker, Miguel Martin. “We share the same last name and the same passion for winemaking,” says the latter. And, certainly, they share McCall’s penchant for dialing in.
In a sea of summery pink, McCall Wines only makes two dry rosés: a whole cluster-pressed 100% pinot noir and a blend called Marjorie’s Rosé named for McCall’s mother.
The blend stands out here: the predominant grape for this vintage is cabernet sauvignon, which, around these parts, isn’t exactly the norm. Merlot, yes. Cabernet franc, certainly! You’ll see cab sauv blended in, but as the brunt, less often. But like other things from this tiny but mighty winery, it’s worth the wander from the norm.
“The Marjorie’s Rosé is a blend of three different grapes, all harvested at different times, depending on [the] ripeness of the field,” says Miguel. “All the grapes are tank fermented to accentuate the aromatics.”
A few hours of skin contact draws out the deep color of the cabernet sauvignon, giving the 2024 Marjorie’s Rosé a darker hue than your garden-variety, pallid Provençe-ish versions.
The Winery McCall Wines
The Winemaker Miguel Martin
The Wine 2024 Marjorie’s Rosé, 12.8% abv
The Price $22
The Grapes 68% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 3% syrah
What’s in your glass “2024 was one of the best vintages that we have had on Long Island,” says Miguel. “The fruit aroma jumps out of the glass and it has a very long finish.” For him, that intense floral aroma, bright acidity and refreshing flavor make it a true Long Island example of what-grows-together goes-together, calling out for our local seafood (or, well, just to sip by itself).
Pairs with For Miguel, anything coming from the water does the trick: grilled salmon, shrimp, scallops. But for this native of Galicia in northern Spain, “Don’t forget Moroccan couscous or paella—my favorite!”
To hold or not to hold Rosé is a moment in time to Miguel, meant to drink within a year or so to capture the freshness and aromatics. “I particularly like to drink rosés within a year after production. After that, I found that they start to fade or became less interesting. It’s always a matter of choice and preference.”
