DAN'S PAPERS, April 24, 2009 Page 44 www.danshamptons.com
Over The Barrel... with Lenn Thompson
Bedell Cellars
Photo by Lenn Thompson
Bedell Cellars is one of the true jewels of the North Fork wine world. It represents both the old and the new — blending them perfectly. First, you have a rich history — it was founded in 1980 by Kip Bedell who still serves as founding winemaker. But then you also have an influx of new capital — the result of Michael Lynne purchasing the property and winer in 2000. That capital has lead to a new tasting pavilion, new vineyard plantings and new winery equipment. And third, you have terrific wines coming out of that state-of-the-art winery and modern tasting room. More changes have taken place recently with Jim Silver, senior vice president of sales and marketing, leaving Bedell to take over as the new general manager at Peconic Bay Winery. Jean Partridge, previously Bedell’s wholesale account executive, will become the VP of sales and owner Michael Lynne’s son, Jonathan Lynne will join the team as Executive VP of Sales. Despite all of the changes and updates at Bedell in recent years, one thing seems to be a constant — quality wines that are among the region’s best and that fetch some of the highest prices of any wines made in the Eastern United States. A couple weeks ago, I visited Bedell’s sleek, modern tasting room to taste through nearly two dozen different wines. This week, we’ll focus on what I tasted from the winery’s past — nine different reds from the 1993, 1994 and 1995 vintages. This is a rare opportunity that was simply too enticing to pass up. Without going into too many details just yet, let me say this — out of the two dozen wines I tasted, there
wasn’t a single wine that I wouldn’t drink again. Yes, some of the library wines are clearly past peak, and some of the current releases aren’t good matches to my palate stylistically (aka barrel-fermented chardonnay and reds showing too much new oak). But none of these wines will make you head for the hills. In a future column I’ll tell you about Bedell’s current and upcoming releases — which include a delicious Gewurztraminer, a couple stunning white blends and some of the richest, most intense local reds that I’ve ever tasted. Let’s get back to the older wines, many of which seemed much younger than the early-to-mid 1990s listed on their front labels. The merlots in particular seem to be aging gracefully, taking on beautiful secondary flavors that are earthy and minerally. Of the impressive lot, 1995s in really stood out, which is that surprising. Before there were the celebrated vintages
of 2001, 2005 and 2007, there was 1995 the best vintage ever for Long Island wine to that point. As I tasted them, I found it hard believe that I was a junior in college when these wines were harvested. That just seems like a lifetime ago, and these wines were still lively. I don’t do full reviews or score wines based on at-winery tastings, but here are my notes on three reds from 1995. The Bedell Cellars 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon ($N/A) is still showing lots of dark, ripe blackberry with sprinklings of black pepper and spice. Mouth-filling with a long, extremely earthy finish, this wine still has enough structure to last another few years. I wrote the word “wow” three separate times in my notes. I also scribbled “wow” multiples as I tasted the Bedell Cellars 1995 Merlot Reserve ($N/A) a wine that really shows the cellar-worthiness of Long Island merlot with its dense plum, black cherry and black raspberry fruit character with layers of leather, minerally graphite and spice. Here’s proof that Long Island merlot can age gracefully —improving rather than just surviving. Bedell Cellars 1995 Cupola ($N/A) a blend of cabernet and merlot, is that last “wow” wine from the tasting. Tasted blind, I challenge you to guess that this wine is 13 years old. The nose brings a basket filled with berries — black and red ones — with a pretty floral quality. That fruit tastes almost sweet on the palate, and while the tannins have faded some, there is still acidity to provide structure. It’s not easy to get your hands on these wines, but if you can, I can’t recommend it enough. Look for them in some of the better North Fork restaurants, some of which have deep libraries.
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