Anthony Nappa Wines

Many of us have been enjoying Anthony Nappa's skills without even knowing it: As the former winemaker at Shinn Estate Vineyards, he crafted some of the finest wines on Long Island's North Fork.

During much of the time that he's been impressing us at Shinn, he has also been producing small batches of wines under his own label, Anthony Nappa Wines.

One of his most distinctive bottlings–the aptly-named "Anomaly"–represents a fresh take on Blanc de Noirs, a term referring to any white wine produced from red grapes whose skins have been removed right after pressing.

In this case, Nappa applies the technique to local Pinot Noir in a process he describes as "stripping Pinot down to its core." The result is a white wine of remarkable purity with, paradoxically, much of the full-bodied richness associated with reds. The 2010 vintage has an extremely pale salmon tint; it's like drinking the ghost of rosé.

The Anomaly is being poured by the glass at Gramercy Tavern, Fish Tag and The JakeWalk. For about $20 a bottle, you can also purchase it at the following stores: Brooklyn Wine Exchange, September Wines & Spirits and Union Square Wines & Spirits.

If wine this good is an anomaly, we'd rather not return to the norm.