Gouveia Vineyards, Wallingford CT

Victim: Gouveia Vineyards
Scene Of The Crime: Wallingford, CT
Date: Sunday, July 26th 2009

The wife and I canceled Sunday's outing in the canoe due to the threat of inclement weather, that, in typical Connecticut fashion, never came. I blame Geoff Fox.
Sorry, Geoff. If it's any consolation, back in the early 90's I had a "Geoff Fox Punx" patch on my punk rock messenger bag.
So what is one to do in imposing inclement weather after recently relocating to Wallingford, CT from the hustle and bustle of New Haven's Goatville??? Heck, how 'bout Gouveia Vineyards!

Gouveia Vineyards is located on Whirlwind Hill Road in Wallingford far from our uber-hip industrial loft on the wrong side of the tracks. Before my visit, Whirlwind Hill was somewhat of a myth -- surrounded by years of lore and tall tales from the Sunday morning "Lulu's Ride" out of New Haven. Wannabe Armstrongs would spin yarns about a never-ending, always under construction, "beyond category" climb in the hills of Wallingford.

Our visit came on an early Sunday afternoon. The approach to the winery is done in typical Napa fashion, with a heavy iron gate flanked by stonework. A small "Gouveia" is inscribed on the gate. As you enter the property grape vines are on either side and a grand stone house sits atop the hill at the end of the driveway. The parking lot was packed, which, as in Napa, can either be really good or really bad. The prerequisite wooden barrels and old wooden presses can be found near the entrance, and the interior of the tasting room is very California-esque.

Gouveia offers 9 wines, which can be purchased by the glass ($6) or by the bottle (varied $15-22). We opted for the "wine tasting" ($5), consisting of one ounce pours of 5 wines: Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay Oak, Whirlwind Rose, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The tasting includes an etched wine glass that measures 10 oz. if you fill it all the way. Plus points for the souvenir.

The Seyval Blanc is described by Gouveia as "A crisp white wine with a hint of fruit". The Seyval Blanc grape is a hybrid traditionally used in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York as well as in England and Canada. It usually gives off citrus notes and a decent amount of minerality.
Gouveia's Seyval seemed a little "hot" on the nose, as if too much alcohol was showing through, usually a sign of poor balance. After minimal aeration, it displayed an aroma of dried apricot and stone. I'll chalk up the "heat" to the fact that our bottle wasn't opened specifically for us, and we had no way of knowing exactly how long it had been open. All Gouveia's "tasting" wines are topped with one ounce pour spouts. In the mouth, the Seyval was semi-dry, with more minerality than apricot and a very light body.
I would recommend tasting this wine before purchase ($15) as it's definitely not for everyone. I wouldn't call it "bad", but I wouldn't be serving it at any high brow dinner parties (at least not as the first bottle).

The Oaked Chardonnay is described as "A traditional varietal aged 12 months in American oak barrels". I asked the tasting bar staff what type of cooperage was used, and they looked at me a little funny. I did see Seguin Moreau barrels used as decoration on the winery grounds, but saw no indication of toast levels.
Gouveia's Oaked Chard would win a few fans in California. The oak is ever-present, and at times in the forefront of this wine. Loads of oak come through on the nose, with a slight must as well. The nose reminded me a lot of Moon Mountain Vineyard's 2005 Sonoma Chard or MacRostie's 2005 Carneros Chard. This wine is NOT for those who fear wood.
On the palate, the wood is still dominant. It is joined by red apple and pear flavors. There is a fairly decent balance to this wine. I was pleasantly surprised and had to be reassured that these were Connecticut grown grapes. I bought two bottles ($17).

Gouveia describes their Whirlwind Rose as "a semi-sweet, crisp blend of both vinifera and hybrid grapes. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Seyval Blanc, and Chardonnay".
The oak and must nose from the Chardonnay show through the most. The wine is slightly sweet, with apparent residual sugar. I asked what the alcohol content was (sugars turn into alcohol during fermentation), but the staff didn't know. Based on the sweetness and lack of any overt "heat", I'm guessing the Whirlwind comes in around 10-11% ABV.
This wine was a decent summer quaff reminiscent of upstate New York vineyard Hazlitt's "Red Cat". I'd serve this over ice with a twist of lime (the Red Cat way). ($15)

The first of the reds on the tasting menu, Gouveia's Merlot is described as "A deep purple colored wine with complex aromas and a touch of spiciness and blackberry".
Calling the wine "deep purple" is an exaggeration. It's a very light purple, think Rose from Montsant, Spain. The Merlot is mostly white pepper on the nose, with blackberries and a hint of strawberry. In the mouth there is a little too much wood, as it overpowers any fruit or silky mouthfeel I'd expect from a Merlot. This wine is a decent attempt. ($19)

I was excited to try the Cabernet Franc, which they describe as "A full-bodied, earthy wine with ripe berry aromas aged in American and French oak barrels for 16 months". Cabernet Franc is a grape that can thrive in a climate like that in Southern New England. Upstate New York vignerons tend to kill with it as well. I had recently tried a Cab Franc from Pellegrini Vineyards from Long Island that had been a little light, and I was hoping being further from the Atlantic and at a higher altitude might give it some oomph.
Gouveia's Cab Franc smelled of sherry or port, which was intriguing, but overwhelmed any fruit or soil smells that I had come to expect. The palate offered a hint of black pepper, nothing like the Northern California "Pepper Bombs" I appreciate. It was lighter than the Pellegrini and even had a slight sweetness to the finish. ($22)

That concluded our "tasting", and being the only people in the joint using the spit buckets, we wanted more. They offer their wines for $6/glass and allowed us to "split" a glass. The "split" ended up pouring to the widest part of our souvenir glasses, so either they normally overpour, or the tasting room staff were getting tired of my questions.

We opted for glasses of the Chardonnay Steel and the Stone House Red.

The Chardonnay Steel, an unoaked Chard, was billed as a "Non-traditional varietal aged for 12 months in stainless steel. Notes of grapefruit come to mind". Unoaked Chardonnay is quickly becoming a "varietal" of it's own and most restaurant wine lists now feature at least one. They tend to offer up the Chardonnay grape in an unadulterated, fruit-forward fashion. They can have a bit more acidity and "brightness" to them.
The "Chardonnay Steel" featured butter on the nose, which is odd for stainless steel and pointed to a generous usage of malolactic fermentation. I asked the tasting staff about the "malo" and they looked at me like I was from another planet. To be fair, I am from another planet: Notwallingford in the Iusespitbuckets galaxy.
Besides butter, there was a good amount of apricot on the nose, but no grapefruit. There was acidity on the palate, but it was very light. The finish was tart with a good level of acidity finally showing through. After a minute or so of additional swirling, the nose turned to rubbing alcohol. DO NOT AERATE this wine! If you grab one ($17) open it and consume immediately.

The Stone House Red tempted me with it's description: "Our most popular red wine aged for 12 months in American and French oak barrels. A blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc". (underline added for emphasis).
This wine was, by far, the best wine in the house. Copious amounts of black pepper and dark fruits on the nose and palate, with velvety tannins and a very good balance. The Zin is the star of the show here, and I was extremely dismayed that they don't offer a straight Zin bottling, as they obviously have Zin DOWN.
I intend to bombard the Gouveia gang at the upcoming CT Wine Fest and beg for a straight Zin. Had I tasted this wine blind, I would've believed it to be a blend from Lodi or Amador in California. I grabbed one of these. ($19)

Other wines offered that we didn't try:
Cayuga White ($17) "A semi-dry white wine with a crisp finish and a touch of citrus"
Stone House White ($15) "A semi-sweet wine that combines classic Chardonnay and crisp Seyval Blanc and Vignoles. Flavors blend superbly during careful aging in primarily stainless steel tanks."

note: none of the wines tasted were listed by vintage, nor had their vintage printed on the bottles


Our overall experience at Gouveia was pleasant, and I will definitely return. Based on it's proximity to our new home, I think it'll be a fairly regular stop.
I'd give the tasting room staff a lower score for the lack of knowledge, but I doubt they get nerd questions about malolactic fermentation or soil composition or toast levels. They were friendly, and earned every tip in the tip-jar. They're definitely more bartender than tasting room staff, but from a place that occasionally offers live music and seats 200, I guess it should be expected.
I was impressed by the quality of the wines, as I had gone into this as a Doubting Thomas. The oaked Chardonnay and the "Stone House Red" convinced me that my quest to visit and rate each winery on the CT wine trail will be filled with surprises. Well done, Gouveia!



The Skinny:
Seyval Blanc 5/10
Chardonnay Oak 8/10
Chardonnay Steel 6/10
Whirlwind Rose 5/10
Stone House Red 9/10
Merlot 6/10
Cabernet Franc 5/10