Producer: Roanoke Vineyards
Region: North Fork of Long Island AVA
Grapes: 33% cabernet sauvignon, 33% cabernet franc, 33% merlot (all saignee)
Production: 190 cases
RS: 1.3%
ABV: 13.2%
Price: $34

Roanoke Vineyards 2018 "Site Specific" Rose

88 points

Darker than any East Coast 2018 rose I've tasted this year, this looks almost like a light red wine and drinks almost like one too.

Black and red cherry aromas are layered with notes of earthy dried leaves and a meaty minerality.

Fuller bodied and plump, this isn't rose as a white wine stand-in. The berries are more red than black here, with cherries and strawberries leading the way, with more of that meaty minerality that brings a distinct savoriness. There is some definite sweetness here, but it's fairly well balanced though again, this isn't the vivacious style of rose many are used to. The finish is medium-long with a subtle note of brown sugar.

At $34 it's not a great value, but it's a unique take on Long Island rose that will probably shine brightest with fall and even winter foods rather than summer fare. It's a nice choice for Thanksgiving dinner.

New York

REVIEW: Roanoke Vineyards 2018 “Site Specific” Rose

Item: REVIEW: Roanoke Vineyards 2018 “Site Specific” Rose
Rating: 88
Author: Lenn Thompson

By Lenn Thompson on July 15, 2019 1 Comment

About Author

Lenn Thompson

Lenn Thompson, a proud Pittsburgh, PA native, moved to Long Island more than a decade ago and quickly fell in love with the region’s dynamic and emerging wine community. A digital and content marketing and community professional by day, he founded NewYorkCorkReport.com in early 2004 to share his passion for the wines, beers and spirits of New York State. After running that site -- which became the premier source for independent New York wine commentary, reviews and news -- for 12 years, he launched TheCorkReport.us in late 2016 to add the wines of Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Vermont and beyond to his beat. Lenn currently serves as the wine columnist for The Suffolk Times weekly newspaper and is the former editor of the Long Island Wine Gazette. He contributes or has contributed to publications like Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Beverage Media, Edible Brooklyn, Edible East End and Edible Hudson Valley. Lenn served on the board of directors for Drink Local Wine, and is the creator and founder of TasteCamp, an annual regional wine immersion conference for writers and trade. An admitted riesling and cabernet franc fanatic, he’s intensely passionate about eating local and the many local wine regions of America. Lenn lives in Miller Place, NY with his wife Nena, son Jackson, daughter Anna and their dog, Casey Lemieux Thompson.

1 Comment

Roanoke Vineyards on July 18, 2019 2:06 am

Quick note . . . The 2018 Roanoke vineyards Site Specific™ rosé is $20 less than Domanin Ott, and is the only rosé on Long Island grown without herbicides or pesticides. In addition, it will age beautifully, assuming you can keep yourself from drinking it. It is also . . . deliscious, which in addition to its other attributes made it a fabulous value. Sadly, the wine is sold out.