William Schott
Thursday, May, 27, 2010
Stonington Wine Review
Stonington Vineyards
Wine Currents Blog
http://winecurrents.blogspot.com
Stonington Wine Review
Last Monday, I was able to indulge in the pleasantry of wine tasting along the Connecticut Wine Trail. As I found my way through the southern arc of the eastern loop, I arrived in the lush countryside of Stonington, Connecticut. It was a picturesque day. The sun was shining. It was in the mid seventies. There was not a cloud in sight. Every so often, a refreshing breeze filled with hints of the nearby Atlantic coastline would fill the air. I was grateful to be out of the office on such a fine day.
When you arrive at the 523 Taugwonk Road, Stonington, Connecticut, you find yourself driving down an inconspicuously narrow, gravel road. After driving for a quarter of a mile, the terrain opens up on your left revealing a vast sweeping view of the vineyard and the estate’s property. A bit further and you pull into a courtyard flanked by three barn-like structures and a patio for overlooking the seemingly endless rows of grapevines. After a quick stretch, I wandered into the building adjacent to the patio for tasting.
The ambiance was warm and welcoming. Time felt slow here. Aside from the bar, there was a gift shop and a room for events that housed artwork by local artists. The room’s smell and furnishings reminded me of an earlier American era, like that of the Grant Wood painting, American Gothic. In pulling up a seat, Melissa introduces herself as the pourer and explains that the tasting runs $10 for a sampling of the vineyard’s six wines. The sampling includes a 2007 Cabernet Franc, a 2007 Sheer Chardonnay, a 2008 Chardonnay, a 2007 Triad Rose, a 2008 Vidal Blanc, & a Seaport White.
The sampling begins as Melissa pours a glass and I listen to her description of the 2007 Cabernet Franc. It is delightful to evaluate the flavoring of each wine as you listen to the pourer’s description. You are able to identify the elements in the description that ring true.
The 2007 Cabernet Franc is a complex, fruit-forward red, with a slightly tannic finish. With a muddled array of fruit, I struggled to identify the specific fruit combination and puckered my lips as the taste finished in my mouth. Seeing as the east coast has less conducive environment for cultivating red grapes, I was not overtly surprised by this result and was eager to move onto the next wine.
The second wine in the tasting was the 2007 Sheer Chardonnay. As it was poured, I learned that the wine had been aged in a barrel-free fermentation process. The wine tasted accordingly. It was slightly metallic, sweet and simple. I found it to be unbalanced and ultimately unimpressive.
As we rinsed and repeated the tasting cycle, Melissa poured a glass of their 2007 Triad Rose. I learned that a fraction of the grapes cultivated for this wine were harvested out of state. With imported ingredients this rose was a complex arrangement of fresh aromatic flavor. The terrior was a little muddled but all in all it was an above average rose.
Following the rose, was the 2008 Chardonnay. It was clean, crisp, and lively. As opposed to the Sheer Chardonney, this vintage has been aged in oak and was accompanied by some hints of vanilla. This wine had a well-balanced acidity that I found approachable and easy to enjoy. Overall I found it to be an exceptionally simple young wine.
Then Melissa poured the 2008 Vidal Blanc. It had a strong citrus aroma. She said that it had been aged in neutral oak barrels for 8 months. It had a dry taste and a long finish. This wine would be good to pair with a meal. On its own, it leaves your palette wanting more.
Lastly, we finished with the Seaport White. This slightly sweet blend was somewhat flabby. It had a simple earthy characteristic and I felt it was unbalanced. Melissa mentioned that it would be a nice, sipping wine perfect for an afternoon picnic or as an aperitif, although I was less inclined to think so.
After having tasted a sampling of each vintage that Stonington Vineyards had to offer, I was most impressed by the 2008 Chardonnay. It was the most enjoyable wine in the sampling that left me wanting more. I purchased some bottles from Melissa and loaded them into my car. Since it was still so beautiful out I took a pensive walk through the vineyard before returning home. I thought back upon my tasting experience. Though the quality of Stonington Vineyard wines varied, I had a wonderful tasting experience on a beautiful day, and successfully discovered an exceptional white wine. I look forward to sharing this wine amongst friends. And I know that I will return to the Connecticut wine trail soon, eager to discover something new worth sharing.
