Category: Wines

Dry Mill Sippers

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Continuing our quest for summer sippers we recently stopped at Dry Mill Vineyards and Winery. Dry Mill has a full list of wines on the tasting menu but we concentrated on those we thought would make nice summer sippers. After tasting all the wines we focused on three wines.

First up wass the 2009 Steel Chardonnay. On the nose we noted pear and apple. In the mouth we picked up citrus, grapefruit, apple and pear. This one would make a nice sipper for a warm afternoon or a pre-dinner sipper.

The second wine we selected was the 2009 Viognier. This one gets our gold star for the day. It’s aged in French oak barrels. We noted a floral nose and tropical flavors on the tongue with a hint of honey and a round mouth feel. We think this one would compliment seafood dishes. And since viognier is now the state grape, consider adding this one to your collection.

Most of our summer sippers have been white wines. However, our final sipper here is the 2008 Chambourcin. We selected this one because its lighter bodied and would go really well with summer barbecues. We noted cherry on the nose with tart cherry, herb, and spice on the tongue. This one would be perfect for hot dogs and hamburgers.

After our tasting we decided to enjoy a bottle of the 2009 Viognier. We brought some sandwiches to enjoy with our wine. The wine paired beautifully with our lunch items. Our search for more summer sippers will continue the rest of summer, but in the mean time be sure to check out these wines at Dry Mill Vineyards and Winery. And if you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Summer Sippers at Naked Mountain

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Naked Mountain Winery & Vineyards has been through somewhat of a renaissance in the past year. Randy and Meagan Morgan bought the winery last August and have been working hard to continue the tradition of Naked Mountain as well as introduce their own branding and ideas. There is a new logo, website, labels and winemaker. Seth Chambers is the winemaker at Naked Mountain. You might be familiar with his work. At one time he was the winemaker at Philip Carter. We were visiting Naked Mountain to check out the new wines and look for summer sippers. We found three!

The first sipper our our list is the 2010 Unoaked Chardonnay. This is 100% Chardonnay and didn’t go through malolactic fermentation. On the nose we noted apple, pear, and melon. On the tongue we noted green apple, lemon, and Warren jotted down banana. This is a nice crisp, fruity wine that would be perfect for a warm afternoon.

The next sipper was the 2010 Rose. It’s a blend of 73% Cabernet Franc and 27% Mourvedre. It weighs in at 2.5% residual sugar but you don’t notice it very much at all. On the nose we picked up strawberry and watermelon. In the mouth we noted melon and strawberry. We also got some cherry on the smooth finish. When we taste Rose`s we always think of a picnic on the lawn at Wolf Trap while enjoying a concert. This one would go well with picnic foods.

Our final sipper was the 2010 Riesling. It has 3% residual sugar but like the Rose it’s hardly noticeable. On the nose we picked up melon and peach. In the mouth we also noticed melon and peach but also noted lemon-lime. It has some nice crisp acidity as well. Another nice summer sipper.

During our tasting we were able to chat with Seth Chambers about the evolution of Naked Mountain and some of the upcoming changes taking place. We look forward to the new wines coming out soon and the changes in the labels. We love the new labels and logo. Nice job, Naked Mountain. So if you are looking for some summer sippers to add to your collection, consider the three mentioned here. And if you visit Naked Mountain anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Tasting at Zephaniah

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On a recent trip to Loudoun County we decided to visit Zephaniah Farm Vineyard. We hadn’t been there in a few years and thought it was time to catch up with their wines and see what was on the tasting menu. As most of you know, our summer search is for sippers to enjoy during the summer. Having this in mind we were looking for white wines. Unfortunately Zephaniah was sold out of their Chardonnay. Instead, they were pouring the Glen Manor 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. After a quick taste we moved on to the reds.

We started with the 2009 Merlot. It’s aged in neutral French oak barrels for 16 months. We noted a big fruity presence that gives way to medium tannins. We noted black cherry and a lengthy finish. This is a food wine.

We then moved on to the 2008 Cabernet Franc. It’s aged in neutral French oak barrels for 14 months. We noted cherry, raspberry, black pepper, a hint of spice and light to medium tannins. This one got my gold star.

Next up was the 2009 Cabernet Franc. Aged in neutral French oak barrels for 16 months. This one starts out with some nice fruit up front but then the tannins hit you. We noted more spice on this one than the 2008. This one is also blended with a little chambourcin and norton. It’s a young wine and will benefit from time. Save this one on your rack for a good year.

The 2009 Chambourcin was next. This one is aged in neutral French oak for 11 months. We noted dark fruit…plums, current, cherry. We picked up some smoke up front and a medium earthy body. It had a very inky color as you would expect from a Chambourcin.

The final wine was the 2009 Chambourcin Reserve. This one is also aged in neutral French oak barrels for 11 months. We noted concentrated dark berry flavors with some smoke. We also noted the smooth finish.

After our tasting we had the chance to talk with Bill Hatch, the winemaker and vineyard manager. We were able to get a barrel sample of the 2010 Chambourcin. Right now it’s fruitier than the 2009 but it still has time in the barrel. He showed us the barrel room and explained their process from vineyard to bottle. You can tell Zephaniah has a passion for wine. They take their time during the tasting, letting you enjoy the wines and ask questions. You should plan a trip to Zephaniah Farm Vineyard soon and when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

2007 Cellar Selection Meritage

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On a recent Saturday evening we found ourselves having one of our typical meals of filet and wild rice. What wine would select to pair with this meal was the question. Being a club member at Breaux Vineyards gives us access to some wines that we might not other wise get to experience. We perused the wine rack and decided on the 2007 Meritage from Breaux Vineyards. It’s one of the Cellar Selection wines. We thought it might be too soon to enjoy this one but no, it wasn’t.

Some 2007s are still a bit young. Just to be safe we poured this one through our Soiree to give it some air since we hadn’t opened it too much before dinner. Right away we noticed the dark, rich garnet color. That was a good sign. On the nose we picked up concentrated dark berries and anise. On the tongue we noted concentrated mix of dark cherry, blackberry, and raspberry. We also noted a hint of black pepper and firm tannins. While it’s true that this one probably could have benefitted from some more time on the rack, it was too good to let that happen. It paired beautifully with our filets and wild rice.

If you visit Breaux Vineyards anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you and think about joining the wine club to have access to wines like this one.

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