Our last and final vineyard stop on our North Fork weekend was McCall wines - a family owned and run winery growing Merlot and Pinot Noir grapes and raising beef cattle. Russ McCall has been in the food and wine business for his entire life starting out in retail and moving to wholesale and then to production and distribution, McCall made their first vintage in 2007 and it has just gone up from there.
What I love about their philosophy and their wines is it isn't about producing a huge range of wines and spreading themselves too thin -- this is about perfecting their craft in terms of their Pinot Noir and Merlot production. It sure does take some gumption to focus in such a directed manner especially with their emphasis on Pinot Noir production on the North Fork, not a challenge many of the North Fork winemakers tackle. So kudos to McCall! And well it sure does help their Pinot Noir is fantastic! Their 2009 Pinot Noir was luscious and velvety with nice dark cherry, red berry, and woodsy notes and a depth of flavor profile that left you with a lovely finish -- a truly beautiful Pinot. However their 2007 Reserve Pinot totally hit it out of the ballpark, this was wine for a celebration! Elegant and smooth -- this wine balanced its earthy, floral, fruity and rustic notes in perfect harmony, what a treat!
In terms of their Merlot - they currently have a 2008, that's bright and round with dark berry and oak notes. Great for a summertime BBQ, this was an easy drinking approachable wine that would bring a smile to anyone's face. Their 2007 Merlot however is just smashingly fantastic -- plum and dark red fruit notes with a rustic earthy spicy roundness, this is a gorgeous Merlot that can tango with the best French Merlot.
Apart from their Pinot and Merlot, they make one Bordeaux Blend style red that is 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petite Verdot. Named Ben's Blend in honor of their late winery manager this is a smooth and luscious red wine. They also craft an easy drinking beach summertime Pinot Noir Rose.
Overall, McCall Wines produces excellent wines with a warm and inviting barn tasting room. It was a treat for us to be able to sit down and talk to Russ McCall, unusual that one gets to chat with the winery's owner but that is in essence what McCall is about -- personal attention, small production, excelling at that production, keeping local and being proud of their product, whether it is their wines or their cattle.
McCall Wines
22600 Main Road, Cutchogue, NY
Starting tomorrow we will be going back to our normal format - I hope you have enjoyed Fromagical's North Fork focused week.
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