Wine Recommendation
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Wine Recommendation

Macari Vineyards & Winery 2007 Early Wine  (North Fork of Long Island)

Macari Vineyards & Winery

2007 Early Wine
(North Fork of Long Island)





Just about every Long Island winemaker and vineyard manager I've spoken to in recent weeks has told me that 2007 is going to be a tremendous, classic vintage for Long Island wines.

Sure, sometimes winemakers are prone to hyperbole - they do need to sell wine after all - but I trust them this time. We've had months of sunny, warm-but-not-hot days with very little rain. Of course, we won't know for at least several months just how good the white wines of 2007 will be. For the reds, it could be several years.

But if you don't want to wait, you can get your first taste of 2007 right now. Macari Vineyards’ 2007 Early Wine ($15) is made with 100 percent Chardonnay fruit harvested in mid-September and, it was released a week or two ago, meaning it makes the fastest trip from vine to glass of any local wine. But this deliciously fresh wine isn't a mere novelty like the vulgarity that is Beaujolais Nouveau.

With a nose that is somewhat reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc, the Early Wine's aromas move from citrus to kiwi to peach and minerals. The palate is crackling with acidity - balancing gentle sweetness - with flavors of green apple, peach, minerals and citrus. This is a wine that Austrian-born winemaker Helmut Gangl made in the style of a “ungwein” ('young wine') from his homeland. It works just as well here. Trust me. Serve it with spicy cuisine or any other time when Riesling is a good choice.

Reviewed November 8, 2007 by Lenn Thompson.

The Wine

Winery: Macari Vineyards & Winery
Vintage: 2007
Wine: Early Wine
Appellation: North Fork of Long Island
Grape: Chardonnay
Price: 750ml $14.99

Review Date: 11/8/2007

The Reviewer

Lenn Thompson

Lenn Thompson writes about New York wines for Dan's Papers,
Long Island Press, Long Island Wine Gazette, Edible East End
and Hamptons.com. Two words describe his taste in wine — balance and nuance. Lenn prefers food-friendly, elegant wines to jammy, over-extracted fruit bombs and heavy-handed oak. When reviewing, Lenn tastes each wine three times — alone right after opening, with food, and again the next day — believing that 90-second reviews are unrealistic and not how the average person enjoys wine.