Tag: Capstone Vineyards

Wonderful Wine Weekend

/ Paul / Leave a comment

We had an amazing weekend filled with wineries, winemakers, wine and friends.

We started out in Harrisonburg on Friday visiting Lee Hartman of Bluestone Vineyard. He showed us around Rootstock Wine Bar which is his new wine bar opening up on Friday of this week! We then went to his house and enjoyed learning how to saber sparking wines, tasting some of his latest wines and enjoying a charcuterie spread created by his wife. What a fun evening!

On Saturday we visited Glen Manor Vineyards for their Winter member Event to taste a pre-release of Jeff White’s 2020 Nebbiolo as well as a barrel sample of his 2023 Nebbiolo. We finished the tasting with a taste of his 2020 Petit Manseng. All the wines were very nice! We made sure to buy a few wines before leaving.

On Sunday we went to Linden Vineyards for their Pre-release of 2020 wines tasting and barrel tasting of the 2023 reds. My favorite was Shari’s 2023 merlot barrel sample. I know it will all go into blends but I think it would make a great stand alone wine. The pre-release wines we tasted were the 2020 Avenius Red and the 2020 Hardscrabble Red. Jim told us about the growing season and how the wines were developed and blended. We always learn things while listening to Jim. We had a great time with friends at this tasting.

Our final stop of the weekend was Capstone Vineyards. I had a club pick up and we decided to chat with Theo and do a tasting. Theo surprised us with a taste of the 2015 Merlot! He only had two bottles left and opened one for us to taste! It was amazing! I tried to get him to sell me the last bottle but he wouldn’t. We also met some new wine friends while tasting at Capstone. Richard and Heather were fun to chat with and share our experiences with Virginia wines. It’s always fun to catch up with Theo while tasting.

What a wonderful wine weekend!

Virginia Wines of Summer 2023

/ Warren / Leave a comment

The end of summer is upon us now, and it finishes with quite a bang as the area finally gets its own dose of excessive heat. Paul and I visited a few wineries instead of a real vacation, and I recap some of our favorite wines of the 2023 summer.

Glen Manor always tops our list of wineries to visit, and I was particularly interested in sampling its 2022 Vin Blanc, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Petit Manseng. Its fruity aromas and bright, fresh palate paired well with a warm summer day and dragonflies that flitted about outside. The Sauvignon Blanc consistently earns my top marks, and the 2022 vintage was no exception. This vintage presented tropical fruit notes and seemed destined to be enjoyed with shellfish. We frequently attend concerts at Wolf Trap and, several days later, brought along a bottle of Glen Manor’s 2022 Morales Rose to sip as the sultry vocals of pianist Diana Krall serenaded us.

Another day, we completed a club member pick-up at Delaplane Cellars; of course, we tasted the current releases offered at the winery. The non-oaked 2022 Chardonnay offered a light touch on the palate with pear and citrus flavors. It was perfect with light cheeses that we brought along for the afternoon tasting. The 2020 reds in Virginia seem fruity and accessible, and this was the case for the 2020 Rusticity. Buy this one now to enjoy with grilled fare and an al fresco dinner.

Finally, Paul and I journeyed to Capstone Vineyards, and we restocked on its sparkling wine and the 2022 C2 blend of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. We also purchased a bottle of the 2022 Vintner’s Blend, a wine that unleashes a pleasant fruity, berry assault in the mouth—-buy to enjoy now or savor in the fall. However, with the Capstone Sparkling Wine, we officially said our goodbyes to summer on Labor Day, and I made one final toast to my retirement, which formally began on July 1 of this year. Our last clink of the flutes signaled a new beginning for me!

What were some of your favorite Virginia wines this summer? Let us know. Plan a visit to the wineries mentioned here; of course, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Quality Prevails at Capstone

/ Warren / Leave a comment

Capstone Vineyards is indeed a rare gem in the ever-growing Virginia wine industry. This small operation requires an appointment for tasting in its small but quaint tasting room. Owners Dave and Andrea Adams comprise both the vineyard management team and the tasting room staff. The tasting menu offers four high-quality wines for a seated tasting; however, the ability to taste these wines may be for a limited time only—-only grapes from the 2015-2016 growing season were bottled. Rare indeed!

The Adams duo caught the wine bug while visiting California wine country in Sonoma; however, they decided to realize their dream in Virginia. They planted a 13 acre vineyard in Linden (yes, near that Linden) and varieties include the Bordeaux grapes minus malbec, muscat, sauvignon blanc, Chenin blanc, and chardonnay. The vineyard benefits from a south-facing slope and a 1300 foot elevation, and soil composition includes clay, sandy loam, and gravel. Capstone’s first harvest occurred in 2015 with Virginia wine guru Jim Law in charge of a custom crush of their grapes. Law also crafted the wines that comprised the 2015 as well as the 2016 releases.

And the wines? With quality vineyard planning and management coupled with expert wine making, what could go wrong? The crisp 2016 Chardonnay presented notes of lemon/lime and pear and a zesty finish. Chablis lovers should enjoy this one especially when paired with oysters or other shell fish. The 2015 Merlot demonstrated the grape’s potential in Virginia—-aged in neutral oak, its juicy entry led to flavors of blackberry and cherry; a note of anise provided an extra nuance. Tasters in the group suggested this one as an everyday wine to serve with light fare; however, I might enjoy with lean beef too.

The complexity factor increased with the structured 2016 Vintner’s Blend, a mix of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot. Notes of smoke and cedar gave way to blackberry and black currant flavors. Nice acidity suggested that this one could hang out on the rack for a couple of years. Lamb chops came to mind as I sipped and savored. Our tasting finished with the 2016 Fielder’s Choice which includes merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. Dark fruit prevailed on both the nose and palate, and I did catch a whiff of tobacco too. This is a fuller-bodied wine that should partner well with heavier beef, chops, roasts, etc.

So why make an appointment now? Dave and Andrea Adams’ vision may not include a long-term commitment to the retail end of the industry. In fact, they sold their grapes from the 2017 through the 2019 harvests. Vineyard management and the ability to enjoy their lovely mountain landscape drives their passion. Tasting room management and all that it entails? Maybe not. Therefore, they are using the limited ability to taste wine by appointment and perhaps even an odd weekend that is open to the public as a testing time to determine if that is a direction to pursue. We hope that they do! These wines definitely meet the standard for excellence. Please make your appointment to Capstone Vineyards as soon as possible, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!