Over The Barrel... with Lenn Thompson

Bring On The Reds

Now that the summer has ended and the temperatures have cooled, I'm back to drinking a lot more red wine. And, as we all know, red wines - particularly merlot and merlot-heavy blends - tend to be what Long Island winemakers do best year in and year out. So, I guess you could say that my palate is at the right place at the right time yet again.

You've also heard before that 2005 was a great vintage for those Long Island producers able to weather the up to 18 inches of rain that drowned vineyards in early October. Up to that point, the 2005 growing season has been hot and dry, resulting in extremely ripe, small berries that packed intense flavors rarely seen, if ever, on Long Island.

Several red wines from that vintage have received critical acclaim, despite their youth, and as more and more hit the market, I'd expect more of the same.

Two merlot-heavy 2005 reds have stood out for me in past weeks.

Raphael's 2005 La Fontana ($30 at the winery), a blend of 80% merlot, 15% cabernet franc, 3% malbec and 2% petit Verdot shows off the year's ripeness well. It is medium-dark garnet in the glass and is very old world on the nose. Dark fruit aromas of blackberry, black cherry and black plum intermingle with those of earthy tobacco, thyme, mint and subtle spice.

Right out of the bottle, secondary non-fruit flavors like tobacco, black pepper and herbs are more prominent. But with just a few moments in the glass, black and red fruit flavors emerge, unfurling to fill the mouth from start to finish. The tannins are ripe but still bring good structure, pointing to a fine future ahead. The finish lingers with a delicious minty note.

Osprey's Dominion Vineyards is a North Fork producer that just doesn't get enough credit... and I'm not sure why.

People who dismiss ODV as a winery for the masses are missing out on some real gems...... like Osprey's Dominion Vineayrds 2005 Reserve Merlot ($35 at the winery). Most wineries say that they only make "reserve" wines in the best of growing seasons, but Osprey's Dominion, at least when it comes to merlot, actually follows through on that statement. This is only the second time winemaker Adam Suprenant has made a reserve merlot, the other being from 2002.

The nose on this still-young red is a little taut at first, but vigours swirling helps unleash beautiful ripe cherry, plum and blackberry aromas that are accented by vanilla and mint notes. From the first sip, I was impressed by this wines mouthfeel... silky with dusty, ripe tannins that bring great structure without being astringent.

The fruit is ripe and forward here, but this isn't a fruit bomb. That minty character from the nose shows up on the mid-palate and carries through a medium-long finish. This is a wine with many great years ahead. For now, decant it for at least an hour, probably longer.

To learn more about these wines or to order, visit www.raphaelwine.com and www.ospreysdominion.com

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