Tag: Doukenie Winery

Wine Club Pick Ups

/ Paul / Leave a comment

On Sunday we braved the cold temperatures and threats of ice to get to a few wineries to pick up club wines. I had wines to pick up at Breaux and Doukenie and we thought our first winery trip in 2014 would be to pick up those wines.
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After some icy travel, we made it to Breaux. We were so glad to see our wine friends Bruce and Silvia. Bruce conducted our tasting. We tasted the club wines and the regular tasting menu wines. We have tasted many of them before but were reminded how much we enjoy them. The 2012 Viognier stood out with the floral nose and honeysuckle notes. I also enjoyed the new version of Equation. It is a new blend of mostly 2011 reds. I decided to bring a bottle home for an evening when we are looking for a sipper to go with pizza or burgers. We had the chance to taste the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon to compare it to the 2006 vintage. I preferred the 2010. We noted sweet tobacco, raisiny fruit, jammy and cherry notes. It could use a little more time but I thought it was ready to enjoy now.
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After our tasting we decided to enjoy a glass of wine with a baguette and cheese. Warren enjoyed the Cellar Selection 2012 Reflection and I enjoyed the 2012 Vidal Blanc. We are always looking for white wines to add to our racks so we brought home a bottle of each of these. We always enjoy our time at Breaux and we take advantage of the benefits of being club members.

We then headed to Doukenie to pick up my club wines there. The ice hadn’t let up a bit. We still made it there safely. As a club member we get a complimentary tasting when we pick up our wines. We decided to do just that.
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If I remember correctly, we tasted the 2012 Pinot Gris, the 2010 Le Vin Rouge, the 2011 Merlot, the 2011 Cabernet Franc, and the 2011 Vintner’s Reserve. The Pinot Gris reminded me of warmer days. I kept thinking I would enjoy it more on a warm spring day while sitting on the balcony. Those days will return in a few months. The 2011 Cabernet Franc tickled my taste buds the most. I enjoyed the cherry notes, black fruit flavors and the smooth ending. We enjoyed it so much we enjoyed a glass of it before getting back on the road to brave the icy weather on the way home.

We headed up with almost a half a case of wine! If you haven’t been to Breaux Vineyards or Doukenie Winery lately, plan a trip in the new year. And when you do visit, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

2011 Mandolin

/ Paul / Leave a comment

We recently visited Doukenie Winery. While we enjoyed many of the wines on the tasting menu, we zeroed in on the 2011 Mandolin White Table Wine. We thought this one was a good representation of a summer sipper to enjoy one of these last days of summer.

Last Friday evening we enjoyed a bottle of the 2011 Mandolin on the balcony with hard cheeses and crackers while watching the sunset and enjoying one of our last days of summer. The 2011 Mandolin is a blend of traminette and vidal. We noted lemon, orange, and a slightly sweet ending. It paired perfecting with our cheese and crackers. If you visit Doukenie anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

On another note, did you know we have another wine blog? We sometimes visit Maryland wineries. When we do, we write about them on our other blog, Maryland Wine Time. We recently visited Black Ankle Vineyards and wrote about it on the blog. Check it out!

More Catching Up: Loudoun Trail

/ Warren / 3 Comments

This post will be a round up of reviews from visits done within the past month and will feature Casanel Vineyards, Doukenie Winery. and Fabbioli Cellars.

Casanel Vineyards: As the weather is warming up, white wines are bound to be more popular. At Casanel Vineyards, the fruity Batucada Viognier was rich with floral aromas and apricot flavors. The Batucada Norton is a rose made from the Norton grape and is fermented as a white wine. I got red hots in the mouth; Norton fans may appreciate this version of the grape with barbeque. The earthy 2007 Chegada Cabernet Sauvignon took a gold at the Virginia State Fair.

Doukenie Winery: A summer favorite is always the Mandolin, a blend of Traminette, Vidal Blanc, and Seyval Blanc; however, this was not available for tasting on the day that we visited the winery. The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc was aged in acacia barrels and certainly had a fuller mouth feel; citrus flavors abounded here. Of the reds, the 2008 Petit Verdot presented the characteristic inky color with aromas of violet, dark fruit, and tobacco. Of course, Hope’s Legacy is the raspberry wine that all visitors enjoy especially with a piece of dark chocolate.

Fabbioli Cellars: It’s always a pleasure to taste Doug’s wines. We enjoyed the current tasting set up which allows guests to sit at a station with a personal tasting associate; Nadia conducted our tasting on this particular visit. Our notes suggest that Doug will be releasing a Traminette, and this may have already happened as of this writing. The 2009 Rosa Luna, a rose, was dry with characteristics of grapefruit and bright berries and should prove to popular for the summer. The juicy 2009 Cabernet Franc was Paul’s favorite red with its elements of brambleberries and spice. I preferred the more complex 2009 Tre Sorelle, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. An age-worthy wine, it should be enjoyed with a steak!

Pay these wineries a visit to sample the current releases. Be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!