Sherwood House Vineyards

Dr. Charles and Barbara Smithen purchased their 1860 farmhouse in 1996 and planted their vines soon after. In 1999, after selling their grapes to other wineries for a few years, they decided to start making their own wine. Since then, they've focused mostly on Merlot and Chardonnay, while also bottling some Cabernet Franc. Their 2001 Chardonnay was and is one of the best examples of Long Island Chardonnay made in a rich Burgundian style, and their Merlots always display the North Fork's terroir under the watchful eye of winemaker Gilles Martin, who also makes wine at Martha Clara Vineyards.

2003 is considered an off year for many Long Island producers. After a good, normal spring and summer, poorly time rain and two harvest-time frosts in October did the vintage in. The frosts damaged many of the vineyards' canopies, stopping photosynthesis and keeping the grapes from ripening to their full potential. Winemakers and vineyard managers love to talk about "hang time", but without the sugar factory working, it won't help much.

That's not to say that there aren’t some good -- and even great -- wines available from the 2003 vintage. Some vineyards were lucky and dodged the frost and Sherwood House Vineyards seems to have gotten through okay.

Their 2003 Merlot, is a medium garnet, with a straightforward nose that features black cherries, blackberries and light smoky oak. This is a very Old World-style wine with a rustic edge that is charming even if the nuance and grace of a typical Sherwood House Merlot is lacking. It's not complex, but French oak influence, cherry-blackberry flavors and a medium-long finish are tasty nonetheless.

Reviewed November 21, 2006 by Lenn Thompson.