LIWINEDAD

  Sometimes the best wine is the wine slowly sipped and shared with one’s better half.  The wine is from an old friend Raphael Winery in Peconic ( Google Map ), and the handiwork of Anthony Napa (Fig 01).   The 2019 Primo reserve is a blend done in the old-world style of a Bordeaux.   The blend is from Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot.   The exact blend is unclear, but if the Cabernet Sauvignon leads, this should be close to a Left bank (M édoc) Bordeaux.  The color presents as a dark Garnet, bright fringe, and minimal legs.  The nose is rich with hints of cedar and black fruit.  The 2019 Primo is a young blend, the acid is bright, and cherry notes come screaming to the forefront.  The tannins are there but not overpowering, and a few more years in the cellar will smooth them out even more.  Into the finish come pepper notes as the wine lingers on the palate.  Raphael’s Primo Reserve is a fine sipping wine paired with a block of hard cheese and good f

  Jo was out with a friend, so I was left to create my dinner.  The solution was to do a classic steak and wine dinner.  First was the selection of the wine.  We did a pickup and tasting a few weeks ago at Raphael Vineyards-liwinedad .   One of the wines includes a Raphael Vineyard - 2017 Estate Malbec , which was very good, so we brought two bottles home.   With the wine selected, next was the meal to pair with the wine.   A hearty wine like the Malbec calls for a USDA Choice (Not prime) rib-eye steak with trimmings. The Raphael Vineyards2017 Estate Malbec is a fine example of a Long Island Malbec and has found a fine home at Raphael’s, notwithstanding the grapes’ French heritage and Argentina being a second home.   Malbec’s color is rich, dark purple with a touch of bright garnet at the fringes.   The nose is red berries, Cherries, and Raspberry with light alcohol (Figure 1).    Black cherry and raspberry come forward with a hint of plum on the palate.   Pleasant tannins and easy

  Today's post is a twofer covering both Raphael's June Club delivery and their joint venture with Tellers Steakhouse as promoted by Northforker magazine ; what a combination for the north fork wine scene.    Today club consisted of six wines split between three reds and three whites.   The whites included a 2017 First Label S é millon.   This grape has a long history and is the third most commonly planted grape in France, where it is a crucial blending component in White Bordeaux.   It’s taste profile is usually similar to Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc but with a fuller body and mouthfeel.   Second, in the white trio is the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc New York State white wine which I will take to mean that not all the grapes are from a Long Island AVA.   Lastly in the whites is the 2018 First Label Sauvignon Blanc, which appears to hail from the North Fork AVA.   I am looking forward to tasting and describing them in detail, especially to explore the difference between the two S