Cape May “Diamonds”

Last week I wrote about a great annual tradition at the Cape May Winery-their Grill Night. They certainly offer their share of diamonds. Today I want to share a weekend of gathering some other Cape May Diamonds-the liquid variety. These diamonds are every bit as attractive as Cape May Diamonds and they taste a lot better! Where did I find them? Not on the beach, but not far from it-Hawk Haven Vineyards (shown above); Turdo Vineyard; and Willow Creek Winery. Even a rainy, foggy, dismal day could not stop my wife and I from making this journey. Yes there were obstacles-my wife’s broken patella, my car at the shop after a nasty and anonymous late night sideswipe during a recent vacation. But, we were able to park very close to each stop, and my wife was able to manage with her leg brace and the auto body shop supplied us with a loaner, since it was taking more time than promised to finish the work on my car.

Hawk Haven Vineyards

We weren’t sure if my wife could manage a tasting with her knee and leg brace, but she said she would let me know if she had to sit for awhile. We got to taste five wines (a preview of their four allotment wines and a bonus tasting). Our take home is pictured at the top of this post.

• 2024 Signature Series Gewurtztraminer-Excellent version. Perhaps the best to date (in my opinion). Some sweetness, but nicely balanced, with a soft mouthfeel.
• 2024 Signature Series Reserve Chardonnay-Another winner and one of my “go to” Chardonnays. Looking forward to a little more time in the bottle for even better results.
• 2022 OA Meritage-Great red blend of Cab Franc, Cab, and Petit Verdot (all sourced from Ashenfelter Vineyards in Vineland). This one should continue to even get better with some time in my cellar.
• 2024 Signature Series Tempranillo-A very good version of this great grape. One of the highlights of this tasting. Dark color with medium body and a smooth finish.
• 2022 Signature Series Cab Franc (Bonus)-Good, but still young Estate Grown Cab Franc with raspberry notes on the palate.

The additional two bottles pictured above, I added to my allotment: Hawk Haven Flying Press. This is a great every day, easy drinking red wine that makes a barbecue better.

Turdo Vineyard

We decided to do a limited tasting, focusing on a few wines we either hadn’t tasted back in June, or that may have transformed in the bottle in the past 2-3 months. We also wanted to be sure we stocked up on any wines that were in short supply. Our tasting was cordially and competently led by Ed Anderson. We tasted the following:

• 2022 Turis Merlot-While it was very recently bottled, this was already tasty and smooth. Some years they only have enough Merlot to use in blends, but after tasting this one, I’m glad to see this one in the rotation.
• 2024 Turis Nero d’Avola-Another excellent vintage of their signature red grape.
• 2023 Turis Barbera-Perhaps a little lighter in color and body than their previous vintage. However, it is not light on flavors, with notes of ripe cherries and plum, and vanilla on the finish.
• 2023 Luca’s Rosso Black Label (Tempranillo)-A tasty blend of mostly Tempranillo (80%) and Syrah.
• 2024 Luca’s Blanc de Noir-My initial game plan was to buy a case of their red wines which have made them famous. But, Ed said the stock was running low and he felt it was Luca’s best version yet. We agreed. This wonderful white wine is made with Pinot Noir grapes with minimal exposure to the skin.

We hope to get back to Turdo at least once more before they close for the season (or sell to an interested buyer)! In the meantime, the photo below shows we stocked up, not knowing what the future holds. Some of the wines pictured below are old favorites that were running low in my cellar, so I did not need to taste them…

Willow Creek Winery

With limited time, funds, and room for more bottles, I decided in advance to stick to my plan: Buy two bottles of their wonderful Malvasia Bianca (dry).

I have written about this wonderful white wine before. It is a fragrant and tasty white wine with medium to full body and a lush mouthfeel. While it offers citrus notes, comparisons to other wines are difficult. Some have compared it with Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon, but those are not good comparisons to me. But, I think, if you like white wines, but are craving something unique, you should try this one.

Coming Attractions

• Unionville Vineyards September ’25
• William Heritage September ’25
• Plagido’s Winery September ’25
• Autumn Lake Winery Fall ’25
• Amalthea Cellars Fall ’25

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