Dan's Papers - April 4, 2008 - Over the Barrel... with Lenn Thompson

One of the terrific things about covering Long Island wine so closely in recent years is seeing how the region - and individual producers - are evolving and improving, both in how they run their tasting rooms and in the wines they craft.

It's also great, for me anyway, to find wines made locally that fall outside of the "Merlot and Chardonnay" fold. There are so many of each being made on the East End that many of them end up tasting way too similar and not distinctive at all.

Enter Osprey's Dominion Vineyards and some of winemaker Adam Suprenant's current releases.

If you've seen the movie Sideways, you know that pinot noir is difficult to grow. And with a humid climate and less-than-predictable weather, Long Island doesn't make it any easier. It's far from the idea place to grow and ripen top-flight pinot. Several wineries do grow it, however, with varying degrees of success. Some grow it, but harvest it early for use in traditionally made pinot noir - probably the safest course year after year.

Still, a handful of wineries do make a leap of faith, making still wines from the heartbreak grape. As you might expect, these wines tend to be small production and expensive. Supply doesn't really meet demand most of the time - and neither does quality. Of the varietal pinot noirs that are on the market, many disappoint with thin body, overtly simple flavor profiles, and - again - those prices aren't always good.

But every now and again, a local pinot noir stands up - jumps out really - and demands attention. Osprey's Dominion Vineyards' 2005 Pinot Noir ($35) is one such wine.

Coming from the 2005 vintage, a hot dry one, the color is much darker than many local pinots, a rich ruby-cherry red. The nose, even in this wine's relative youth, is expressive and nuanced with aromas of ripe red fruits like cherries and raspberries, earthy mushrooms, and exotic spice. The medium-light bodied palate features more of that mushroomy-earthy flavor along with cherries and crushed fresh raspberries, cinnamon, cloves and faint cocoa powder spice, which complexity A minerally note towards the end of a medium-long finish is the perfect close to an impressive wine.

Two more of Suprenant's non-merlot and non-chardonnay releases stood out in blind tasting as well.

The classy Osprey's Dominion Vineyards' 2006 Gewurztraminer ($18) is classic gewurzt with aromas of rose petals, lychee nut, and ginger-spice. The palate fills the mouth with floral, spicy flavors and with just a little fresh apple character. Sometimes gewurzt can taste flabby or hefty on the palate - it's naturally low in acid - but not this one. There's just a little residual sugar here. Overall, it's a nice effort with great balance balance.

Osprey's Dominion Vineyards' 2006 Sauvignon Blanc is one of the North Forks best deals - a steal at $13. When not over-chilled, the nose shows nice lemon, melon, and grapefruit aromas with just the most subtle herbal notes and a salty-minerally note. The palate is fresh and clean with subtle flavors that won't knock you over. Instead, the zesty citrus flavors with herbs and minerals entice and invite sip after sip. With terrific acid backbone and a crisp green apple finish, this really is one of the best values on the North Fork, and decidedly not one of those intensely grassy New Zealand sauvignons, thankfully.