Miracle Valley

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!

Paul’s Pick

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!

Pick Up Party at Breaux

On Sunday we went to Breaux Vineyards to pick my Cellar Club selections. The selections were the 2008 Malbec and the 2007 Lot 751. We picked up the wines at the Pick Up party for club members. Breaux treats their club members very well. They set up the tank room with a long table on one side and smaller round tables on the other. There was a wonderful selection of foods that paired well with the wines. They also had a large screen showing photos from recent events at Breaux. Jen Breaux was there to welcome guests as well as many Breaux tasting associates.

Silvia waved us over to taste at her table. We started with the 2008 Malbec. I really enjoyed this one. It had a dark rich color, fruit forward in the mouth with a hint of tobacco. I think this one is ready to drink now but I’ll probably let it sit on the rack awhile. Next up was the 2007 Lot 751. This is a meritage style blend. Warren jotted down rich and complex. I liked the dark fruit on the nose and in the mouth with a hint of spice. It is young and will definitely be better in a few years. I would suggest putting this one on the rack and forget about it for a few years. With the nibbles they provided we enjoyed a glass of the 2002 Cellar Club Meritage. We noted dark fruit aromas, violet and licorice, tobacco and similar flavors in the mouth. We both noted a longer finish. This one is ready to enjoy now. We could see this with a nice thick steak.

One of the benefits of membership is access to some nice library wines on sale. After purchasing a few of my favorites, we said our goodbyes and headed back out on the wine trail. Next time you visit Breaux Vineyards tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Pasta and Virginia Wine

We visited several Virginia wineries this weekend and plan to share our experiences with you soon. In the mean time we wanted to share our dinner wine. This evening we had linguine with red sauce. To accompany the meal we selected the 2009 Cabernet Franc from Annefield Vineyards. I thought it might be a bit young but Warren said a young red wine would pair nicely with a tomato based meal. Turns out he was right and our selection was perfect.

On the nose we observed raspberry, cherry, and a hint of menthol. In the mouth we noted similar characteristics as those on the nose with earthier, spicy elements. We noted a rich garnet color. Annefield Vineyards is relatively new on the Virginia wine scene but we feel they’ll be making their mark quickly. We tasted their wines back in December at the DC Holiday Wine Mall and enjoyed them all. We hope to visit them in the near future.