RAPHAEL’S MARCH CLUB PICKUP AND TASTING

By LONG ISLAND WINE DAD March 04, 2022

Raphael Winery March Club allows a bit early pickup to fit this pickup into February. The pickup included a tasting, and we had a gaggle of friends along for the ride (Figure 1). As it turned out, this became a 3-member pickup with representatives from two other families joining us for a total of five people. The tasting team included Mary, a friend and neighbor (member 1), Noelle (our son’s Fiancé, member 2) and her mother Val, and lastly, Jo and me (Member 3).

The first tasting flight was selected from the March club and included a 2017 La Fontana, 2017 First Label Merlot, and 2019 Cabernet Franc Reserve (Figure 2). The La Fontana is made in the right bank Bordeaux style, and the wine opens with dark fruit, plums, and cherry. The tannins are well-structured with just the right balance of acid and a pleasingly long finish. The 2017 First Label was very fruit forward with a strong note of tart black cherry, plum, and a hit of Vanilla. The tannins, while soft, were still a bit grippier than the La Fontana but still pleasantly relaxed. The Cabernet Franc is a younger of the three showed bright fruit, red cherry, raspberry, a passing shot of Strawberry, ending with a dash of herbaceous bell pepper and peppery finish. The acid was more reserved than expected, and the tannins were noticeably pronounced. Overall, a good wine, and with a few more years in the cellar, this will show remarkably well.

The second flight was a custom mash-up of a 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2021 Chardeaux, 2019 Cabernet Franc, 2017 estate Malbec, and a 2020 Ripasso Riesling (Figure 3). The 2020 Rose of Pinot Noir is a Long Island Pinot Noir with minimal skin contact resulting in a very soft tannin structure but with very bright acid similar to a Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit notes are well present but not overpowering, with raspberry and tart cherry in the forefront. The 2021 Chardeaux is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardeaux is a steel fermented wine that did not touch oak. Unlike an over-oaked buttery California version, this wine retained its citrus fruit and sharp acid structure with a slight honeysuckle nose. The 2019 Cabernet Franc presented almost the same as the reserve, but the oak was not present in this tasting. This Franc would be a fine daily wine. The 2017 estate Malbec had a rich, full-body lighter on the acid and a pleasant level of Tannins. The red plum, bramble, Vanilla show strong then finishing with a hint of tobacco. Lastly was the 2020 Ripasso Riesling, which can be best described in one word Apricot. The nose is that of Apricot with a hint of Honeysuckle. Bright acid greets the palate, followed by Apricot and a clean finish. We were told that this is a dry Riesling passed back over Semillon pomace, yielding this unique wine with pear notes, which was missed. The result is a wine that we took several extra bottles home (Figure 4).

Of course, wine tasting needs to be paired with some meats and cheese, and Raphael has on hand a wide selection. All the winery’s traditional selection of meats, cheeses, chips, crackers, and more are well represented on the menu, as is an extensive list of wines by the bottle, glass, or tasting flight (Figure 5). Raphael will also have live entertainment to add to the visit on the weekends(Figure 6A,6B).

In summary, a great visit with friends, family, wine, food, good times, and looking forward to many more return visits.