Brunel & Rafael - A Great New Producer in the Hudson Valley

 

OK, so I went down to the Shawangunk wine trail and I found a brand new producer you really need to check out....Brunel & Rafael. This is a small production boutique winery. It's located not too far from Benmarl, Stoutridge, and other centrally located wineries in Marlboro. The winery's name is a combination of the grandfather Brunel and the grandson, Rafael. Kristop Brown is the winemaker/consultant.

 

It's set up in a house in a fairly residential area. But the inside is completely lovely! Beautiful antiques and butter yellow walls. Extremely handsome.

The first wines I tried was the Merlot Rose 2012. This is New York fruit and had a nose of strawberry and baguette. Lovely on the palate with light cherry and lime coming through. A fresh, zesty finish.

 

The Chardonnay 2012 is Hudson Rer Region fruit, which I was very excited to see. A lovely, elegant chardonnay. Bright crisp apple, hints of pear and melon with a lovely finish. Barrel fermented but not overly heavy, like you might expect. Nice nose. Pretty mouthfeel, but still fairly lean. Really lovely!

 

This Hudson Rver Region Pinot Noir 2012 instantly became one of my favorites! Beautiful bright and ripe cherries explode out of the glass and across the palate. This is a brilliant Pinot noir. Absolutely fabulous! This single wine is why you must come to taste this vineyard. Stellar!

 

A classic, lovely Cabernet Franc with dark cherries and No. 2 pencils. Good fruit gives was to a solid middle an a nice dry finish Complex. Balanced. Very nice.

 

For my money, the Chardonnay 2012 an the Pinot Noir 2012 were instantly join the ranks of some of the better wines in the Hudson Valley. This was amazing wine. Also, tasted but not pictured was their Gewurztraminer 2012. Hugely floral, like a bouquet of tropical fruit and flowers! Absolutely stunning. Another great reason to come down!

 

A lovely, classic Merlot. Lots of dark cherry, dark raspberry and vanilla. Very nice. Very respectable. A good, solid medium-bodied dry red table wine. By the numbers. Well done.

 

On the whole, the tasting was a great success. Great early stuff from a new, quality focused producer. Very exciting. Get on down there!