Waters Crest Winery

Waters Crest Winery, and its amateur-turned-pro winemaker (and co-owner) Jim Waters puts out some of the most delicious Rieslings and Gewurztraminers on Long Island. The Riesling, in particular, has been a favorite since he opened his doors a few years ago. Yes, those Alsatian-style whites have been the real draws to his tiny tasting room tucked into an industrial plaza in Cutchogue.

But, with his 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55), and other reds from the same vintage, he seems to have turned a corner and is started to further define the style of his red wines. On Long Island, Cabernet Sauvignon often finds itself relegated to backup duty--as a blending grape in Bordeaux-style blends or rose-making fodder--and with good reason. It's notorious for not always ripening completely, and it often results in green, leafy wines when bottled varietally. Not so with this wine, which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was hand harvested in late October and aged for 16 months in new French oak.

Bold and full bodied, blackberries, blueberry jam, vanilla and a faint eucalyptus note combine in a ripe, expressive nose. There is deep extraction here and substantial tannins, but even in its youth the dark fruit and vanilla flavors hint to a great future. The aging potential is big here. Waters Crest is one of the smallest producers around, but the production on this wine takes "small batch" to a whole new level. Only 24 cases were produced.

Reviewed August 2, 2007 by Lenn Thompson.