This week I got a chance to taste a few recently purchased wines that I hadn’t previously tried. I have been looking forward to uncorking each of these. It definitely helps to know the winemaker and winery making the wine, when you haven’t tasted it prior to purchasing a bottle. Knowing the source can be more helpful than reading a wine review by a critic. Unfortunately, some critics still don’t review New Jersey wines. Some publications have even doubled down on this slight. The Wine Enthusiast recently reassigned writers previously writing about Eastern states (except for New York)!
The six wines I will discuss this week come from four of my favorite New Jersey wineries: White Horse Winery, Hawk Haven Vineyards, Cape May Winery, and Amalthea Cellars. Several of the bottles are from recent allocations from memberships, and a couple are those I picked up in the past month or so when visiting.
White Horse Winery
White Horse Winery is located in that hotbed of wineries, Hammonton. While only six years old, it has already proven to be a gem. Here are three very good examples of their wines (two of them are totally new to me, while the third is a new vintage of a great wine that recently won the Governor’s Cup for hybrids.
- 2020 Painted White-Refreshing white blend of Traminette, Cayuga, and Vidal Blanc. Citrus fruit notes on the palate
- 2019 Painted Red-A very good Bordeaux-style blend with a rich and medium+ body that paired nicely with pasta with a homemade bolognese sauce.
- Vidal Blanc-An excellent Vidal Blanc, that recently won the Governor’s Cup; grapefruit on the nose and palate. My favorite New Jersey Vidal Blanc.
I love the beautiful iconic artwork on the bottles of the Painted White and Painted Red. They were created by the world-renowned local artist, Jamie Wyeth.
Hawk Haven Vineyards
Hawk Haven Vineyards is located in Rio Grande and is part of the Cape May Peninsula AVA. I have been anxious to try their Open Source Rose ever since I brought home my allotment a month or so ago.
- Hawk Haven Vineyards 2021 Open Source Rose is a shared venture with the other four members of the Winemaker’s Co-Op of New Jersey (Unionville Vineyards, Beneduce Vineyards, Working Dog Winery, and William Heritage Winery). Hawk Haven’s version was a barrel fermented and aged dry Rose. All five of these wineries utilized the following grapes in their Rose: Merlot (50%); Cab Franc (40%); and Blaufrankisch (20%). This wine is bone dry and well-balanced, with citrus flavors. It paired very nicely with chicken and pasta with a pesto sauce.
Cape May Winery
This winery is part of the Cape May Peninsula AVA, opening its doors to the public back in 1995.
- Cape May Winery 2019 Syrah-I picked up this bottle on our last trip there. This was a tasty version with hints of black cherry and plenty of structure. You should aerate this one a bit before drinking. It smoothed considerably after doing so. I’m sure you could age this one in your cellar, if you are patient and so inclined.
Amalthea Cellars
Amalthea Cellars is located in Atco and was established in 1981 (one of our older wineries in the state).
- 2018 Buffalo Trace Mourvèdre-A lovely marriage of a very nice red wine, with the added layer of aroma and taste from the legendary Buffalo Trace-laced barrels. This is a delicious wine that combines the richness of the dark fruit of the Mourvèdre with hints of sweetness (vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar) from the Buffalo Trace barrel. The Buffalo Trace does not overwhelm the fruit-it adds to it, in my opinion. For those not familiar with the Mourvèdre grape, you may know the Spanish version, Monastrell.
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
Note: There will not be a new blog posting next week, as my wife will be needing some extra tender loving care. But I expect to be back at it the following week. These are a few of the likely subjects in the coming weeks.
- Eclipse Brewing in Merchantville
- Plagido’s Winery in Hammonton
- Somers Point Brewing Company
- Trainwreck Distillery in Mt. Holly
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