On our recent trip to Charlottesville we were able to visit one more winery. Our final stop was at Cardinal Point Vineyard and Winery. We hadn’t visited them in quite awhile. We were looking for some favorites to add to our wine racks. We were so pleased to see Sarah Gorman when we entered the tasting room. It’s always fun to see familiar faces at our favorite tasting rooms. It’s like seeing an old friend we don’t get to see very often. There were nine wines on the tasting menu and we enjoyed them all but here are a few of our favorites.

From the list of white wines, Warren selected the 2011 Viognier. This is an all stainless steel viognier with no malolactic fermentation. Warren noted a floral nose with peach notes with stone fruit and a mineral finish on the palate. I selected the 2011 Green. This is a blend of 50% chardonnay and 50% petit manseng. I noted tropical fruit, pear, green apple and a tart finish. This wine was inspired by Vinho Verde, hence the name Green. I could see enjoying this one on the balcony with some nice cheeses.

From the red wine tastings both Warren and I selected the 2010 Union. We really enjoyed this wine when we first tasted the 2009 vintage. This one is a blend of 75% petit verdot, 13% cabernet sauvignon, and 12% cabernet franc. I’m a big fan of petit verdot so the strong presence in this blend was a plus for me. We noted blackberry, plum, licorice, and tobacco. We noticed the deep, rich color and think this wine would pair perfectly with a nice thick filet mignon.

Before leaving we had a great time catching up with Sarah. We enjoyed a glass of the viognier while Warren warmed up to one of the winery dogs. We then purchased a few of our favorites and said our goodbyes. We always enjoy our visits to Cardinal Point. If you get a chance to visit them anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Cardinal Point Vineyard and Winery released Un•ion on Saturday. Friday evening we had a chance to try it and tweet our impressions of the wine. Un•ion is a blend of 40% Petit Verdot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Tannat. Cardinal Point made only 140 cases of this wine. It will retail for $25. Warren selected the food for this tasting and decided on grilled lamb chops, roasted mixed veggies, and potatoes.

We noted the color to be dense garnet with lengthy legs on the glass. The nose presented anise, violets, and blackberry. We opened the Un•ion an hour before tasting. This is a young wine and we noticed the nose was a little tight. In the mouth we picked up dark plum, blackberry, dark cherry, a little licorice, and some spice. It also has a lengthy finish. By the time we finished tasting the Un•ion an hour and a half later, it had really opened up and we were enjoying it by itself. It paired very well with our food selections. Warren noted the Un•ion could play well with gamey meats and cheeses. As noted, this wine is very young and could really benefit from time. We suggest getting two bottles…one for right now and one for a year from now. When you drink it now, open it a few hours ahead of time. It will pair beautifully with your meal. If you get to Cardinal Point anytime soon to pick up a few bottles of the Un•ion, tell them Virginia WIne Time sent you!