| Issue #36, December 1, 2006 |
Over The Barrel...
with Lenn Thompson
Clovis Point Wines: Just a Touch of Spice
Last week, I introduced you to Clovis Point, a new North Fork’s wine producer. It’s a boutique operation that strives to make top-flight wines without big price tags.
But, I didn’t have enough space to talk about the wines themselves. So, this is a bit of an overflow column.
Clovis Point and winemaker John Leo, also of Premium Wine Group, has three wines available right now — two 2004 chardonnays and a 2003 merlot. Each is at least potable, but I have a clear favorite and another that I think will improve vastly with time in my cellar.
Clovis Point’s 2004 Chardonnay ($13.50) is a fresh, fruity wine that is already at the top of my list of wines for next summer. Fermented in stainless steel, a little barrel-fermented chardonnay was added along with a little gewüürztraminer — and interesting addition that is really apparent despite only the only 3% addition. When I asked Leo why he added the gewurz, the answer was simple, “It made the wine more interesting. The heightened aromas and slightly more perky flavors convinced me that the chard benefited from it,” he said. With bright fruit, super-subtle barrel notes and impressive nuance and balance at this price point, this was my favorite of the three wines. The gewüürztraminer brings a liveliness and spice that will be quite refreshing once the weather warms again. For now, enjoy it with seafood and appetizers.
Next I tasted Clovis Point’s 2004 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($22.50), which — as its label would imply — was fermented and aged in French oak. The nose offers vanilla-roasted apple, pear and subtle tropical aromas. A 2004, this wine still seems a bit quiet and might not be showing as well as it will in another year or two. Apple, pineapple and nutmeg flavors reside within medium body, but the finish is a bit light and disappointing.
2003 wasn’t a great year on the North Fork because of some sporadically devastating frosts in the fall, and I’ve found many 2003 merlots to be disappointing — often when winemakers tried to do too much with lesser fruit. Leo describes his 2003 Merlot ($18.50) as “quite unusual” saying that it “is actually a blend of three different clones of Merlot (181, 1, 314), a generous splash of Petit Verdot and a bit of Cabernet Franc. Given the difficult conditions of 2003, I aimed for stylish, balanced and intriguing rather than big and bold. This 03 has subtle charms.” I found cherries, oak and a little spiciness on the nose. This wine is definitely a lighter-style merlot than most, but it has nice berry-cherry flavors, low tannins and food-friendly acidity. I’d call this a “pizza and pasta wine” but that has negative connotations. Think of it as an everyday red that will go with a wide range of foods — not a big, bold red that is going to put Clovis Point on the map.
Lenn Thompson is a contributing writer for Dan’s Papers. Email him at lenn@lenndevours.com with questions or comments.
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