Estate Merlot 2004, Raphael
3rd May 2008
“What does this remind you of?” I asked Mrs Merry Drinker the other night.
She took a sip, then looked at me doubtfully. “Not . . .?”
“Go on.”
“Uh . . . Margaux?”
Margaux is my wife’s favourite wine, and I could understand her hesitation. What we were drinking was definitely not Margaux. It wasn’t even a Bordeaux. It was from Long Island, New York.
I must stress that the wine in question could never be mistaken for a Margaux. The nose was not as developed, and the finish was a trifle gritty. But the core Margaux flavour, its renowned smokiness, was unmistakably present.
This was quite an accomplishment. I have come across genuine, classed-growth Margaux which lack that vital taste. Yet a small, obscure winery on the other side of the Atlantic had somehow managed the trick.
How did they do it? Lots of wineries all over the world try to copy the French classics. Few come as close as this wine. This seems all the more remarkable when you learn that it only costs $20 (£10).
The Raphael winery was established in 1996. It lies on the North Fork of Long Island, in the hamlet of Peconic. Most of its wines are made from the Merlot grape, though they also make Cabernet Franc and a Sauvignon Blanc. Like many Long Island wineries, Raphael feels a strong affinity for Bordeaux, and its wines consciously emulate Bordeaux models.
To be fair, I should stress that Raphael do not compare this wine in any way to Margaux. More modestly they describe it as “in the tradition of a St Emilion petit chateau”. They say it is made exclusively from Merlot, partly fermented in stainless steel, partly in oak.
But these things are true of countless wines. None accounts for the Margaux resemblance. So what is the secret? Or are my wife and I both deluded?
I went to Raphael’s web site. It turns out that their consulting oenologist is a Frenchman by the name of Paul Pontallier. It so happens that M. Pontallier is also the Technical Director of . . . Château Margaux.
Of course, this could just be the most extraordinary coincidence.
