Virginia Sparklings Impress at Tasting

/ Warren and Paul / 4 Comments

Paul and I were invited to a tasting of sparkling wines which was held at Keswick Vineyards. Stephan Barnard and his wife Kat hosted the event, but the logistics (including the procurement of sparkling wines) were superbly handled by Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like and the Dynamic Duo who write Swirl Sip Snark. A number of palates were on hand to lend their opinions on which sparkling bubbled most brightly, and these included: Swirl Sip Snark, John Witherspoon of the Wine Cellar Wine Shop, John & Jean Haggarty of Haggarty On Wine, Stephen Barnard, winemaker at Keswick Vineyards, Joel Timmons of Virginia Wine Snob, Richard Leahy of Richard Leahy’s Wine Report, Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like, and Rick Collier & Nancy Bauer of Virginia Wine in Your Pocket.

So twelve sparklings were poured for our critical judgments, and all but two were from Virginia. The tasting was done blind. How did Virginia fare? Quite well. In fact, the two non-Virginia sparklings did not show well at all with the offering from France scoring at the bottom. The other, a bubbly bearing the Barefoot label, ranked #6. Without further ado, here are the rankings based on the panel’s decision:

1. Thibaut-Janisson FIZZ, $21
2. Prince Michel Sparkling Wine, $30
3. Afton Mountain Vineyards Tete’ de Cuvee, $30
4. Kluge SP Blanc de Blanc, $24 (tie)
4. Veritas Scintilla, $30 (tie)
6. Barefoot Brut Cuvee, $9.99
7. Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay, $30
8. King Family Brut, $30
9. Barboursville Brut, $18.99
10. Potomac Point Sparkling Wine, $0 (received as tasting sample)
11. Ingleside Vineyards Virginia Brut, $20
12. Chateau Gaillard Cuvee Charlette Voyant Touraine, $19

After tasting the wonderful sparkling we were able to taste several viogniers. We had three from Virginia and two from California. Stephen even shared a 2009 Viognier from the Keswick Signature series. We spent some time socializing and enjoying the wines. It was great getting to spend time with and getting to know our fellow Virginia wine writers. We would like to send out a huge Thank You to Frank Morgan, the folks at Swirl Sip Snark, Stephen Barnard and his wife Kat, and the Inn on Poplar Hill for providing the flutes. We appreciate all the help that went into creating a wonderful tasting afternoon!

Here are some pictures from the afternoon.

Please plan to sample these bubbling beauties at the Virginia wineries that produce them, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Busy Weekend

/ Paul / 2 Comments

We had a weekend full of wine and friends in the Charlottesville area. On Saturday we visited Pollak Vineyards and King Family Vineyards. In the afternoon we met many other Virginia wine bloggers and others for a very special sparkling tasting hosted at Keswick Vineyards. The attendees were:

Swirl Sip Snark
John Witherspoon, Wine Cellar Wine Shop
John & Jean Haggarty, Haggarty On Wine
Stephen Barnard, Keswick Vineyards
Joel Timmons, Virginia Wine Snob
Richard Leahy, Richard Leahy’s Wine Report
Frank Morgan, Drink What You Like
Rick Collier & Nancy Bauer, Virginia Wine in Your Pocket

On our way home on Sunday we went to Blenheim Vineyards and had a great visit with Kirsty Harmon. We then stopped at Barboursville to check out some new wines. In the days and weeks to come we’ll be posting about all these weekend events. Stay tuned!

Friday Pours

/ Paul / 1 Comment

Our evening sipper was the 2009 Pinot Gris from Pollak Vineyards. On the nose we noted peach. In the mouth we also noted peach but noticed a nice creamy mouth feel. Warren noted some apple as well. We paired this with white cheeses and crackers. It was a perfect sipper before dinner.

For dinner we had the 2008 Viognier from Jefferson Vineyards. On the nose we noted light mineral or stone. In the mouth we found honeysuckle, peach, and white pepper. This one also had a nice creamy mouth feel. We paired this one with grilled chicken a simple white wine sauce and rice. The viognier paired well with our meal.

Piedmont Vineyards

/ Paul / 2 Comments

Recently we stopped at Piedmont Vineyards to visit with our friend and winemaker Gerhard von Finck. We always enjoy catching up with Gerhard and tasting his latest releases. This time he also treated us to some barrel samples!

The current lineup of white wines consist of three different chardonnays. Piedmont is known for chardonnay and this lineup doesn’t disappoint. We started with the 2009 Hunt Country Chardonnay. This one is unoaked and presents a crisp edge with fruit all around. This one received my gold star. Next up was the 2009 Native Yeast Chardonnay. Warren noted this was a complex wine with creamy notes. The final chardonnay is the 2009 Special Reserve Chardonnay. This one was aged nine months on the lees in Hungarian oak. It is a nice round, buttery chard with hints of oak and a long finish. This one received Warren’s gold star.

We started the reds with the 2008 Hunt Country Red. This one is merlot based. We noted ripe, red fruit, with an easy finish. I think this one would go well with pizza. Next up was the 2009 Cabernet Franc. This one is 100% cab franc and spent nine months on oak. We noted a raspberry nose and big, smooth raspberry notes on the tongue. This one became our gold star winner for the reds. Warren and I both enjoyed this one. Next up was the 2006 Merlot. This merlot spent 30 months in oak yet has enough fruit left to sit nicely on the tongue. The last red was the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. We noted some earthy elements, cedar, and nicely integrated tannins.

After our tasting Gerhard took us to the barrel room. We were able to sample a few wines still in barrels. We were able to taste chambourcin that was going through ML (malolactic fermentation) and was quite yeasty. However, you could see the direction it was going. We also tasted a cabernet sauvignon and a merlot. Both of these were really developing well in the barrels. I really enjoyed the merlot and look forward to it being bottled. It’s always fun to see wines in the process and attempt to figure out what they’ll be like when bottled.

Once we finished the sneak peek from the barrels, we selected the 2009 Cabernet Franc to have with lunch. We had a prosciutto and mozzarella roll with crackers for lunch. Gerhard joined us and chatted about wine the whole time. What a great afternoon! Plan a trip to visit Piedmont Vineyards soon and tell Gerhard Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Another Newbie: Crushed Cellars

/ Warren / 1 Comment

During a recent trip on the Loudon County trail, we paid a visit to newly opened Crushed Cellars. The finishing touches were still being placed in the tasting room, but the tasting bar was ready for business.

Owner and winemaker Bob Kalok guided us through a tasting of the three wines available to sample and purchase. The first wine was a crisp, dry 2009 Seyval Blanc with its characteristic citrus and mineral elements. This one was my favorite of the wines that we tasted, and I think it would pair well with goat cheeses, poultry or shellfish. As an aperitif, the fruitier (and slightly sweeter) 2009 Vidal Blanc should prove to be popular. Paul enjoyed the vibrant 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon with its cherry and plum flavors and lingering finish.

Bob hopes to expand the offerings at Crushed Cellars in the new year to include Petit Verdot and Syrah. He also sells locally produced eggs, butter, and cheeses in the tasting room; in fact, he paired the wines with cheeses produced from local dairy farms. Bob also promised to keep his operation rather small but focused on quality wines.

Of course we will return to Crushed Cellars to taste new releases at Crushed Cellars. If you are planning to visit soon, mention to Bob Kalok that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Celebration Wines

/ Paul / 1 Comment

Last night we had some friends over to help celebrate Warren’s birthday. I’m not a cook so Warren created a wonderful meal. Of course we had to serve Virginia wines with the meal.

We began the evening with white cheeses, baked shrimp wontons, and fruit. We paired these items with the 2008 Durant White from Pollak Vineyards. We enjoyed the crisp, fruity, mineral nature of this wine. It went perfectly with our food choices.

Warren then served a garden salad with a lemon vinaigrette. We paired the salad with the 2008 Sarah’s Chapeau from Aspen Dale Winery. This is a blend of vidal blanc and sauvignon blanc. The fruity, off-dry nature of this wine paired well with the salad.

For the main course Warren prepared a hearty beef stew with carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, and fresh thyme. We selected the 2008 Petit Verdot from Pollak Vineyards. We noted blackberry and plum notes and an earthiness. We poured the last two bottles I had on my rack. Unfortunately the Petit Verdot is sold out and I won’t be able to get any more. I’m looking forward to the next vintage!

We finished the evening with a very moist, chocolate birthday cake. I selected the 2009 Nebbiolo Ice Water Bent Barrels from the Cellar Selection from Breaux Vineyards. The delicious sweet strawberry notes complimented the chocolate cake. Everyone mentioned how much they enjoyed this one.

At the end of the evening we all decided that the 2008 Petit Verdot from Pollak Vineyards should get the gold star.

Warren and I continued his birthday celebration today by visiting Gray Ghost VIneyards, one of our favorite wineries. We are very familiar with their wines but always enjoy a tasting. We also enjoy chatting with Al, Cheryl and Amy about all things wine.

After our tasting we enjoyed some lunch nibbles with a bottle of the 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. What a wonderful bottle of wine. We noted dark fruit, tobacco, ash, and a lingering finish. We can always count on a great time at Gray Ghost.

If you visit any of these wineries anytime soon, please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Miracle Valley

/ Paul / 1 Comment

A few weeks ago we hitting the wine trail in the Delaplane area and stopped by Miracle Valley Vineyard to taste the wines and see what was new. We hadn’t been there for sometime so it was time to check in.

Our tasting associate guided us through the tasting beginning with the whites of course. We started with the 2008 Chardonnay. This one got my gold star. It’s aged in stainless steel and is crisp, with ripe pear and grapefruit notes. This is my kind of chardonnay. Warren preferred the 2008 Reserve Chardonnay which was aged in Hungarian oak for nine months. He noted hints of apple and pear with a bigger, rounder mouth feel than the stainless chardonnay.

Next up were the reds. We started with the 2008 Merlot. We noted blackberry, plum, spice and pepper. The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon was next. It was aged for 18 months in French oak. We jotted down cherry, blackberry, pepper, and wood on our tasting sheet. The last red was the 2008 Cabernet Franc. This one got the gold star from both of us. We enjoyed the cherry, blackberry, and vanilla notes with a hint of pepper and a very nice lingering finish.

With our tasting complete and our wine chatter with our tasting associate coming to an end, we purchased a bottle of the 2008 Chardonnay to bring home. This one would go on my rack. The next time you find yourself in the Delaplane area, stop by Miracle Valley Vineyard for a tasting and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Winter Fare and Virginia Wines

/ Warren / 1 Comment

This past weekend was probably the coldest days we’ve experienced in a winter that has been extremely cold. No wonder we sought out food and wines that kept us warm!

On Friday night, we dined on braised veal shanks (known as osso bucco) paired with the 2003 Nebbiolo Reserve from Barboursville Vineyards. Displaying the trademark brickish hue in the glass, this Nebbiolo revealed cherry, violet and tobacco aromas with lingering fruit on the finish.

Sunday was the day for Chrysalis‘ VIP members to attend a food and wine party hosted at the winery. Chef Hump Astorga had prepared a kale and Portuguese sausage soup to partner with the 2006 Rubiana and a barrel sample of the 2010 Barrel Select Norton. While we both appreciated the fruity, drink now Rubiana, it was the 2010 Barrel Select Norton that won our stars of approval. This one was a dead ringer for a lush, fruity Beaujolais made from the gamay grape. It’s sure to be a crowd favorite once it is bottled and released.

Plan your winter menus around favorite Virginia wines some of which may already be on your wine racks. If you need to stock up, visit Barboursville Vineyards and Chrysalis Vineyards; however, please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Paul’s Pick

/ Paul / Leave a comment

I had an early dinner tonight without wine so I decided to peruse my rack for something different. I had several things to choose from but decided on the 2007 Merlot French Oak Select from the Cellar Selection from Breaux Vineyards. I was really looking for just a sipper but ended up with a bigger wine than I was expecting. On the bottle it says it was aged in new French oak barrels for 31 months. It being from 2007, I probably should have left it on the rack longer. Over all though, I really enjoyed this one but should have had food as well.

I see my ChapStick left a lip print on my glass!

On the nose I got a hit of coffee at first and then it gave way to some dark fruit and tobacco. In the mouth I noted dark fruit, prune, mocha, and tobacco. I also noted some pretty big tannins. They coated my tongue pretty strongly. The bottle does mention firm tannins so I should have been expecting them. There is a lingering finish with fruit characteristics. I know I’ve mentioned it many times before but being a club member at Breaux really does have it’s benefits. Having access to wines like this is just one of the many benefits. Next time you visit Breaux Vineyards tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!