Something to Wine About: Long Island Bordeaux-Style Wines

The gift-giving season is upon us. For those who want to gift their Bordeaux loving friends with wines that celebrate the unique terroir of Long Island, here are two high-end, Long Island Bordeaux-style wines.

A quick refresher, to be Bordeaux wine, the wine must hail from the Bordeaux region of France. It also must contain one or more of the five noble grapes: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, petit verdot and cabernet Franc.

To be a Bordeaux-style wine, the wine must still comprise the same grapes but hail from a different area. Both Long Island and the Bordeaux region experience the four seasons with Long Island’s low temperatures plunging just a bit lower than the Bordeaux region, and Long Island’s high temperatures reaching just a bit higher.

The soil for growing Long Island wines is mostly sand and fine clay, while the soil in Bordeaux can vary widely, even in the same vineyard. Some areas have clay, limestone, sand and gravel.

Two lovely wines that exemplify Long Island Bordeaux-style wines are Macari Vineyards’ 2020 Bergen Road and Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard’s 2018 Red Velvet.

Bordeaux Style from LI

Macari Vineyards 2020 Bergen Road

Let’s start with Macari’s Bergen Road. Bergen Road is Macari’s flagship red blend made only in premium vintages. The blend is created from 48% merlot, 47% cabernet sauvignon and 5% malbec. This is a rich, satisfying red with a decadent, full mouth feel. The nose and palate are loaded with grilled cherry, dark berries and plum. The finish has enough balanced acidity to keep each sip tasting fresh and leave you wanting more. The wine is aged for 18 months in French oak. It retails for $75. macariwines.com

Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyards 2018 Red Velvet

The next wine is Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyards 2018 Red Velvet. This wine is elegant and structured with strong tannins. The blend consists of merlot, cabernet Franc and cabernet sauvignon grapes. Notes of both dark fruits and ripe cherry, blend with notes of coffee and pepper. Cabernet Franc is one of Long Island’s most noted reds and often displays savory bell pepper notes. This wine is also aged in French oak barrels, and it retails for $49.50.