I decided to get out of town last weekend and take advantage of the fact that I had a wedding to attend in Cape Cod on Sunday, so I decided to head down on Saturday and do some tasting along the Coastal Wine Trail. For those that don't know, the Coastal Wine Trail is made up of 8 wineries along the southeast New England coastline, stretching for east of Providence, RI to the very tip of Cape Cod.
This is still a little early in the season, so a couple of wineries were closed, but I wanted to get to as many as I could on Saturday afternoon and then hit a couple more on Sunday before heading for the wedding in Sandwich. This is the story of my tasting:
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Stop #1: Newport Vineyards
Address: 909 East Main Road, Middletown, RI
Saturday was such a gorgeous early spring day that I was not the only one to decide to go wine tasting. After pulling into the crowded parking lot off the very busy highway, I was a little dismayed to see so many people at the winery. I had to stand in line to buy a tasting glass ($9 for 5 tastes) and then stand in line again to find room at the tasting bar which was simply too small and too understaffed for the amount of foot traffic that day. Trying to savor aromas & flavors is a little hard when you've got people standing behind you waiting for their turn. Overall, the wines were pretty good. Whites were much better than the reds which were generally very vegetative & full of harsh green pepper flavors. I chose to try the following wines from their extensive tasting menu:
Sauvignon Blanc ($19): Good stuff, lot of pineapple & floral notes with a crisp acidic finish.
Newport Chardonnay ($15): Crisp, barrel-fermented Burgundy style with strong mango & pear flavors.
Pinot Noir ($19): Light color & body. Strong cherry with grass & green pepper.
Cabernet Franc ($19): Light color. Blackberries with grass & green pepper
Newport Merlot ($19): Medium garnet color, bigger black fruit flavors with good tannin structure but still pretty green tasting. Fruit came forward the more I swirled.
Port ($30): Rich mouthfeel with lot of alcohol, but that green flavor is still there.
Yeah, you counted right, I got to sneak in a 6th taste thanks to being friendly & wine knowledgeable! I did buy a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc for more in-depth analysis later.
Stop #2: Greenvale Vineyards
Address: 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth, RI
After the madhouse at Newport, Greenvale was a breath of fresh air! Located down some country roads and a winding narrow gravel lane, the winery is housed in a restored historic barn. Beautiful, rural setting with views of the bay and very friendly staff. The tasting bar is small, but the winery was not crowded when I arrived. Just me and a newly engaged couple with both sets of parents on their get-to-know-the-inlaws trip! Greenvale appreciates that the NE climate is not well suited for red vinifera varietals so they focus mostly on white wines with a token red blend from estate-grown grapes. I paid $9 to taste the full line-up of 6 wines.
2007 Pinot Gris: Very nice, light & fruity with a pleasingly crisp finish.
2007 Chardonnay: A 50/50 barrel/stainless steel fermentation blend with apricot & pineapple flavors. An OK wine, the blend of barrel/SS fermented wines just seemed like a jarring mismatch to me.
2007 Select Chardonnay: 100% Barrel fermented. A smoother and more balanced wine with the same apricot & pineapple flavors.
2007 Vidal: Lightly sweet tasting finish on a dry wine. A fruity sipper. Very nice version of a dry Vidal.
Stepping Stone White: 90% Cayuga/10% vidal. Good patio wine with a sweet finish, but not overpowering. Fruity & floral.
2007 Hermitage: Blend of merlot, cabernet franc, and malbec. Light red & green.
I ended up purchasing the pinot gris & Select Chardonnay for further evaluation.
Stop #3: Sakonnet Vineyards
Address: 162 West Main Road, Little Compton, RI
My final stop of the day was at Sakonnet Vineyards. Very far off the main highway, I loved the rural, secluded setting. The driveway was like going through the woods to grandmother's house for a wine tasting! The parking lot was full when I arrived and there was evidence that they see a lot of foot traffic in warmer months. They do have a good 4-sided tasting bar set-up for serving a lot of people, but they need a sign or something to tell people to pay for the tasting first before proceeding to the tasting bar. Standing in 2 lines is frustrating. Cost was $8 for 6 tastes.
2008 Vidal Blanc ($13): Initial strong fruity burst with an incredibly tart finish
2007 Gewurztraminer ($19): Dry, nice spicy midsection, but weak fruit & floral notes with a short bland finish. Left me wanting more.
2007 Fume Vidal Reserve ($16): Smooth, well integrated oak with honey, apricot, & lychee flavors. A very nice wine.
2007 Chardonnay ($14): Stainless steel fermented with good apple & melon flavors. Soft finish, but still crisp. Good wine.
2007 Reserve Chardonnay ($19): Crisp finish, only lightly buttery (no intential MLF) with very slight oak shading. Nice.
Rose ($10): A dry, crisp Cabernet franc rose. Notes of cedar, strawberries, & plums. Would be a good summer sipper.
2007 Winterwine ($25 for 375 ml): Rich & powerful. Intense apricot, honey, & peaches aromas with a nice spicy finish. A very nice late harvest vidal made in the ice-wine style.
Ended up buying the Rose, Fume Vidal, Chardonnay, & Winterwines for later further evaluation.
It was past closing time at this point, so I took the back roads to New Bedford & my hotel. After finding a local seafood take-out joint for some fried clams. I popped open the Greenvale Pinot Gris to enjoy during the evening. A wonderful way to end the day!
Cheers,
a Wine Student
