Note: I apologize for the inconsistent timing of my posts lately. They have been running later than usual. We have had a lot going on in our home-some medical and a few other issues, as well. I hope all the mothers out there had a great day yesterday and I hope to publish my next post sometime next week.
A week ago, Sunday, my wife told me that despite her issues with carpal tunnel, she wanted to take a trip to Cape May and do the Barrel Tasting event at Hawk Haven and perhaps afterwards stop at Turdo Vineyards for our first 2025 visit. We didn’t have the best weather, but we did not let that stop us, either. Hawk Haven’s Barrel/Futures Tastings are special. Great wines, super presentations, excellent prices, and even some delicious food after the tasting-cheeses, meats, crackers, roasted peppers, and artichokes for this one. The whole experience is free to all members!
The Tasting
To start the process, owner and winemaker, Todd Wuerker, poured a generous sampling of their 2021 Methode Champenoise Brut. This is an outstanding sparking wine made with 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. Todd makes this using the same time honored process as has been utilized for centuries. If made in France it would be called Champagne. No matter. It is as good or better than most of the Champagnes I have tasted in some time (including a couple very expensive versions). A bit of brioche, lemon, and vanilla on the palate.
We then moved to the old wine press area in back of the tasting room. We tried a couple of white wines and a Rose, guided by our server and Head Winemaker, Conor…
- 2024 Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc-A nice light version with hints of tropical fruits.
- 2024 Signature Series Pinot Grigio-While somewhat lighter than their previous versions, this is a light and very refreshing Pinot Grigio.
- 2024 Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon Rose-One of the best Roses I’ve had in the past year. It is a beautiful dark salmon color with a bolder than usual taste of strawberries, while still exhibiting a lively acidity and super refreshing finish.
Barrel Tasting Futures (The Reds)
Guided by our server and Assistant Winemaker, Sam (pictured at the top of the post)…
- 2023 Signature Series Syrah-Co-fermented with Viognier and Petit Syrah skins. Surprisingly low alcohol (11.9%), but not short on flavors of black raspberries and a hint of vanilla.
- 2023 Talon-My favorite of the reds tasted on this occasion. Possibly the best vintage of Talon in my memory, even before it is bottled. It is a great blend of Merlot, Sangiovese, and Syrah.
- 2023 Signature Series Malbec-Also lower alcohol than one might suspect (11.7%), but excellent; aged for 21 months in neutral French oak. Already smooth and quite good.
- 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon-Quite tasty; medium-bodied with hints of fig and caramel and already quite smooth.
I got a bottle of Flying Press Red to enjoy with the food, mentioned above and while we made the hard decisions of what wines to choose and how many of each. While we were doing this, Todd was going around and he poured a taste of the Rose Sparking Wine-Fabulous way to end our visit — along with our takeaways…My wife is pictured below enjoying her pour.
Our Takeaways
Note: Our red wines selected will be available in the fall.
Turdo Vineyards
While I was disappointed not to see Sal, Sara, or Luca, my wife and I were pleased to see Ed Anderson pouring wine. Ed is a great guy and very knowledgeable about wine. He also shares our passion for wine and especially for the reds at Turdo Vineyards. For now I will just share a few of our highlights. We were able to sample each of the wines (which can be pleasantly overwhelming) with my wife tasting (and sharing) the whites, while I tasted (and shared) the reds.
The Best of the Best
- 2024 Grillo-Their unique white wine-it is their signature white wine, with citrus and apple notes and a subtle note of brine on the finish.
- 2024 Rosato-While a little lighter in color in this vintage, it is not lighter in flavor. Still a very good Rose, done “Mediterranean style.” It has lively acidity with strawberry and cherry notes.
The Reds!
Note: All of their reds are fabulous!
- 2023 Turis Persara-A perennial favorite, named after Sal’s beautiful wife, Sara. It is a great blend of Merlot, Cab, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cab Franc.
- 2022 Turis Sangiovese-By far and away my favorite Sangiovese in New Jersey and far beyond. It is bolder and yet smoother than most Sangiovese I have tasted (and that includes Chianti Classico Reserves). It is not quite as tart as many and far smoother with a bit more body than most.
- 2022 DiLuca Rosso (“Super Tuscan”)-This one gets better and better over the years. It is a delicious blend of Cab, Sangiovese, and Merlot, with notes of black currant and black cherry and a hint of mocha.
- 2021 Turis Cabernet Sauvignon-A super Cab that that was aged for 30 months and offers bold and complex flavors of berries, plums, and vanilla. Already very smooth!
Our Takeaways Here
In addition to those described above, we took home a bottle of the Turis Etichetta D’Oro Nebbiolo, which is made in a very limited quantity and not available for tasting. It is a wonderful Nebbiolo, made in the style of Barbaresco, aged for a shorter time than the Barolo style done in the past. This is approachable now and already offers tasty cherries and strawberries on the palate with good acidity and smooth tannins.
Coming Attractions
- Bellview Winery Spring ’25
- Willow Creek Spring ’25
- Unionville Vineyards Spring ’25
- Hopewell Valley Vineyards Spring ’25
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