Dan's Papers - June 15, 2007 - Over the Barrel... with Lenn Thompson

One of the exciting things about watching an emerging wine region like Long Island is seeing winemakers and wineries grow and really it their strides. In recent years, amateur-turned-professional winemaker Jim Waters has garnered quite a reputation on the North Fork--particularly for his white wines. His Riesling and gewueuerztraminer, both made in a dry Alsatian style, combine beautiful aromatics and balanced palates and are among our region's best aromatic whites.

The reds at Waters Crest Winery, however, have lagged behind a bit. Sure, Waters has always done nice things with a richer, cocoa-tinged cabernet franc and serviceable, if simple, merlots. But the whites made his tiny Cutchogue tasting room a must-stop destination--and with good reason.

But that is changing. Waters Crest Winery's latest red releases--all from the 2004 vintage--show that the winemaker is only now coming into his own.

Waters Crest Winery 2004 Cabernet Franc Private Reserve ($35) is ripe, spicy wine that should develop even further in coming months (and years). Made with 100% free-run juice and aged for 14 months in new French oak, the blackberry nose is complex with layers of black pepper, violets, smoked meat and dusty dark cocoa. Medium bodied, concentrated and a little meaty, the palate offers loads of black fruit and spice as well. Lightly tripping tannins provide just the right structure.

When tasted a few months ago upon its release, Waters Crest Winery's 2004 Campania Rosso ($40), a blend of 80% merlot, 10% cabernet franc, 6% cabernet sauvignon and 4% malbec was taut and somewhat uninteresting. But, in subsequent tastings--the most recent only a week ago--the wine has blossomed nicely. A melange of red and black fruits, particularly plum and cherry, mingle with sweet vanilla and cinnamon on the nose. Elegant and classy, the tannins are ripe and well incorporated and the balance of fruit, spice and structure is impressive.

Waters Crest is one of Long Island's smallest producers, but their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) takes "small batch" wine to a new level. With only 24 cases made, it is available only to the wine club. Bold and full bodied, blackberries, blueberry jam, vanilla and a faint eucalyptus note combine in a ripe, expressive nose. There is deep extraction here and substantial tannins, but even in its youth the dark fruit and vanilla flavors hint to a great future. The aging potential is big here.

Even among this impressive roster of reds, the Waters Crest Winery 2004 Merlot Private Reserve ($36) stands out. By far the best merlot to come out of the winery, black raspberry, black plum, black cherry, smoky oak, vanilla, brown spice intermingle on a nose that fills the room given an hour in your glass. Though still quite young (the tannins are slightly astringent now) this full-flavored merlot is driven by blackberry and black cherry flavors that are ripe, but not jammy with a faint chocolate-mint note on a lengthy finish. Much like the cabernet, patience will be rewarded here. Buy some and cellar it for at least another year and up to seven.

Waters is revamping his winery's website, but for more information you can call 734-5065 or email him directly at watercrest@optonline.net