Author Archives: Warren

Virginia v. The World

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We hosted a wine tasting this weekend for colleagues, and the tasting featured a duel between Virginia wines and wines from around the world. How did I select these wines? I pulled the wines from my wine rack; in other words, I did not get too technical about the matter. However, I did try to pair off similar styles of the same varietals, different vintages of the same varietals, etc. to see which ones earned the most accolades. Tasters were provided with a scoring sheet that provided brief descriptions of each wine, and we started the evening off with a 101 on how to taste wines using the fives “S”es. We then sent tasters off on their own to swirl and sip the wines available for tasting. How did Virginia match up? Here are the results:
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White Wines
Riesling: VA Riesling 2011 Ox-Eye v. German 2010 Riesling Kabinett Joh. Jos. Prum
Winner: Germany

Chardonnay: VA 2008 Chardonnay Reserve Gray Ghost Vineyards v. CA 2010 Chardonnay Reserve
Winner: Virginia

Viognier: VA 2010 Viognier Rappahannock Cellars v. France 2011 Viognier Paret
Winner: Virginia
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Red Wines:
Cabernet Franc: VA 2008 Cabernet Franc Reserve Gadino Cellars v. France 2011 Chinon Bernard Baudry
Winner: Virginia

Bordeaux-Style Blend: VA 2007 Meritage Jefferson Vineyards v. France 2010 La Fleur Chateau Haut Piquat
Winner: France in a nail biter. (The 2010 was opened at least 2 hours before the tasting and then poured with an aerator attached to the bottle.)

Norton/Zinfandel: My oddest contest of the evening. In the past, I’ve tossed California Zinfandels into any tasting involving Norton and with interesting results.

VA 2007 Norton Locksley Reserve Chrysalis Vineyards v. CA 2010 Zinfandel Neyers Vineyards
Winner: Virginia The Locksley Reserve was also opened for about 2 hours, and it initially punched the Zinfandel right in the face; however, with some time, the Zinfandel opened up quite nicely and put up more of a fight. I ended up advising tasters to try the Zin before the Norton. In the end, though, the native Norton prevailed at the ballot box.
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Excellent results for Virginia, and I must emphasize the informal nature of the taste off. In fact, the tasting was not even blind; however, few of my guests had experience with Virginia wines. Our goal was to expose tasters to wines and in particular, Virginia wines. The taste off produced lively conversations about wine, and our tasters came away from the experience with more favorable opinions about local wines. (I should also add that in most cases, the Virginia wines were less expensive than their counterparts.)
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Why not host your own Virginia v. the World competition? Visit these and other local wineries to plan your own tasting event. Mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Another Take on the 2012 Harvest

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jakeJake Busching earned a reputation as an excellent winemaker while at the helm of Pollak Vineyards. He is now the winemaker at a new venture called Grace Estate Winery that will open in April of this year. Grace Estate Winery is also the home of the heralded Mt. Juliet Vineyard that is located in Crozet. The winery is located in the Monticello AVA. We asked Busching to offer an early assessment of the 2012 vintage.

1. How would you describe the 2012 growing season overall?

2012 was a peculiar year; it was an early, yet cool spring, and a blazing hot dry summer, followed by intermittent rains during harvest. I didn’t like it. There were too many odd variables within a given vintage including: 1) too close to frosting early; 2) too close to drought late; 3) July Derecho winds, and 4) too close to hurricane rains on ripe fruit. The plants seemed confused. Timing for bloom was off in the reds. Shoot growth was slow. And overall the cropload was down about 30% based purely on berry size.

2. In particular, how was the season for white grapes?

For the whites all of this strange weather had less effect than I would have thought. The aromatics are rich and the mouthfeel is lush. Acid was lower than I like but that is true in nearly every vintage.

3. And what about the red grapes?

The reds had more of a reaction to the vintage. Tannins are in short supply in almost all of the reds. Color isn’t bad but not as deep as I like due to sun intensity. The wines are good and better than many vintages I’ve worked; time will cure most of my rather exacting concerns. I think on a consumer level the wines will be received as being quite good.

4. What will be the hallmarks of the 2012 wines?

For the wines from Mount Juliet vineyards, Viognier and Chardonnay are both showing very well. The Merlot and Tannat are my top reds this year.

DuCard On The Way Home

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We finished our Presidents’ Day Weekend trip to the Monticello area with a visit to DuCard Vineyards. We first visited DuCard when the winery was newly opened in 2010. Owner and winemaker Scott Elliff was on hand to conduct our tasting on a frigid day.
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DuCard Vineyards has made quite a splash with its Signature Viognier with its 2010 version earning accolades at a recent blind tasting held in Richmond. One of the judges was wine expert Steve Spurrier; when the judging was done, the 2010 Signature Viognier scored a tie with a heralded 2010 Condrieu from E. Guigal Vineyards in the Rhone Valley of France. Unfortunately, we have not tasted the 2010 Signature Viognier; however, the 2011 Viognier went toe to toe with the 2012 Viognier that was offered for a side-by-side comparison. My nod went to the very aromatic 2011 Viognier with its peach flavors and bright acidity. The still-evolving 2012 Viognier is destined to find fans; right now, it presents a very fruity nose and palate with a distinct banana note.

Of the red wines, my favorite was the 2010 Petit Verdot. This Petit Verdot was the product of a hot, dry growing season and presents a very dense color in the glass. I detected a whiff of violet with dark fruit elements that include black currants, dark plums and blackberry. A firm tannic presence suggests aging potential; however, if leg of lamb or thick, juicy steaks beckon for this Petit Verdot, open early or decant. I made certain to purchase a bottle for a future dinner party; of course, future could mean next week or five years from now! In any case, Norton lovers should enjoy the jammy 2010 Norton from DuCard. Paul, though, preferred the lighter bodied 2010 Cabernet France with its brambleberry aromas and flavors and spicy finish. I enjoyed this one too, and it could pair well with herb-crusted poultry or pork; however, I think that it could be enjoyed just by itself either beside a fireplace on a cold day or on the deck on a warmer spring afternoon.
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Speaking of a warm afternoon, the 2012 Rose should be a hit in the spring and summer. I like dry roses, and this one was can be considered off-dry with less than 1%residual sugar. This was produced from Cabernet Franc grapes with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its bright pink color and strawberry nose reminded me that warmer days, fragrant flowers, and lasting sunsets are just around the corner!

Scott Elliff was a very gracious host, and we learned that he remains dedicated to producing limited quantities of quality wine. To celebrate the success of the 2010 Signature Viognier, Elliff will include a copy of the wine-themed movie Bottle Shock with case orders of the 2011 Signature Viognier. Why Bottle Shock? This movie recalled the 1970s judging event that put California wines on the international wine map, and it was Steve Spurrier who hosted it. Spurrier likewise judge the so-called Judgment of Virginia in which Virginia Viognier went up against the best from France. It was the 2010 Signature Viognier from DuCard that showed most brightly!
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We made certain to purchase our DuCard favorites and promise to return soon; with spring weather just around the corner, plan a visit to DuCard Vineyards, but mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.