Roanoke Vineyards

Roanoke Vineyards is still relatively new on the North Fork scene, but its red wines are already among the best available. In time, I believe they will prove to be among the most long lived wines as well. I have one bottle of their 2000 Merlot left and the last time I tasted that wine, it wasn't even close to peaking yet.

But, no matter how good any winery's red wines are, most eventually realize that they need at least a white wine or two for tasting room visitors. That's probably particularly true when those red wines start at $30 and go up from there.

With those reasons in mind, Roanoke introduced their first Chardonnay (and a nice Rosé) last year. That first Chardonnay effort was good, straightforward and gulpable, but it didn't knock me over.

This year's Chardonnay, however, was the surprise of a recent trip to wine country.

This is an extremely young wine, just bottled a month or so ago, but at $18 is already among the best Chardonnay values on the North Fork. 60% fermented in steel with 40% barrel fermented it overflows with fresh pear and golden delicious apple, blanched almonds and just a little tropical fruit. The balance is impeccable here and this is a wine that expertly merges the freshness of steel fermented Chardonnay and the richness and complexity brought about by oak barrels. To find such complexity in such a young wine is special – and this is a special wine.

Reviewed May 8, 2007 by Lenn Thompson.