| Issue #49, March 16, 2007 |
Over The Barrel...
Back to the Future at Borghese
with Lenn Thompson
Even the most casual Long Island wine lover knows Castello di Borghese, locatd in Cutchogue. Their vineyards are where the Long Island wine industry got its start back in 1973—then known as Hargrave Vineyard.
As such, a visit to Castello di Borghese offers you chance to travel back to infancy of Long Island wine. That’s is a brief history of the property.
In April, the owners, Marco and Ann Marie Borghese, put the property back on the market for $9.2 million (it was purchased for $4 million in 1999). The entire estate is included — 85 acres (25 planted with vines), the winery, the tasting room, the warehouse and the beautiful family farmhouse.
Ann Marie told me in a email that selling the winery was not an easy choice. “Marco and I are following our initial plan, which was to be here until the children graduated high school and now we are structuring our next phase. The vineyard is for sale and with the time it takes to conclude this type of transaction we are starting the sequence.”
Neither of their children have shown interest in taking over the family business. The sale of any $9.2 estate takes time, however, so we can expect the Borgheses to be an active part of Long Island wine country for the near future. Former winemaker, Stan Schumacher resigned around the same time as the winery went on the market, but Bernard Cannac has joined the team as consultant winemaker. The sale of the winery is the future.
But what about the present?
I recently conducted a large wine tasting with friends and family and included several CdB wines in the mix. Some were outstanding, some were just okay and one was actually a disappointment.
First, the best white of the lot—Castello di Borghese 2005 Chardonnay ($15). This wine won a gold medal at the 2007 Florida State International Wine Competition, but that’s not why it’s good. I don’t put much faith in big wine competitions. I prefer to taste wines myself and see what’s what. This steel-fermented chardonnay is medium bodied with bushels of fresh apples and citrus on the nose and just a little brown spice—the result of aging in older oak barrels. On the palate, there are more apples—ripe and roasted—along with some slightly tropical flavors and vanilla spice. As I often find with Borghese wines, the balance is impressive with nice acidity that keeps the wine alive in your mouth.
Also nicely balanced is the Castello di Borghese 2004 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay ($24). Slightly fuller bodied, the oak influence is much more obvious here, with more vanilla, butterscotch and toasted notes on a citrus-driven nose. The palate is creamy, but still balanced with fine acidity and a citrusy clean finish.
If you like your cabernet franc to have green, vegetal notes, Castello di Borghese’s 2003 Reserve Cabernet Franc ($32) fits the bill. Asparagus, herbs, red cherry and black pepper scents mingle on an aromatic nose and earthy, smokey cherry and pepper flavors greet the palate. Somewhat light in the body department, I find this wine to be a little underwhelming given the price tag.
2001 was one of the top vintages ever on Long Island, so I tasted Castello di Borghese’s 2001 Reserve Merlot ($29) with great expectations. Unfortunately, I was met with surprisingly underripe aromas and flavors that overpowered nice blackberry and spice flavors and a delectable mouthfeel.
My disappointment in the 2001 merlot quickly vanished however when I got to the Castello di Borghese 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon. With elegant, refined red cherry and earthy aromas, this is East Coast cab at its finest and a wine that many California winemakers wouldn’t even recognize. The palate is beautifully balanced with ripe, well-integrated tannins, red cherry, sweet cedar and crushed fall leaves and just a hint of spice.
I haven’t tasted either recently, but I also enjoy Borghese’s Allegra dessert wine and their non-vintage, steel-fermented white Chardonnette, which at $9.75 is one of the best values on the East End.
Visit www.castellodiborghese.com for more information or to buy wine.
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