Tag: Glen Manor Vineyards

Cellar Tasting at Glen Manor

/ Paul / 2 Comments

On Saturday we headed out to Front Royal, Virginia to visit Glen Manor Vineyards. We were attending the December 2018 Cellar Tasting. We always enjoy tasting wines from the barrel to see how they are developing.

We started with the 2018 Dry Petit Manseng. It’s 100% petit manseng. Being so fresh in the barrel it’s obvious that it needs more time. However, we did note a nice level of acidity. We know when its released it will be a nice dry version of petit manseng.

The second wine was the 2017 St. Ruth. It’s a blend of 43% merlot, 35% cabernet franc and 22% petit verdot. The blend for 2017 is a bit different then it is for the current release, 2014. There is less merlot and more petit verdot. We think the blend is perfect and would easily enjoy a glass right now. But we’ll wait until it is released in the future.

The final wine we tasted from the barrel was the 2017 Hodder Hill. The 2017 Hodder Hill is a blend of 63% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot and 16% petit verdot. This may not even be the final blend. They will go through more blending trials to get to the final blend. The Hodder Hill has always been one of our favorites and this blend doesn’t disappoint. We know it will be a few years before it will be ready to enjoy but we’ll wait patiently knowing it will be worth the wait.

After the barrel tastings we went upstairs to the tasting room and tasted the other wines on the tasting menu. We then decided to enjoy a glass of the 2015 Cabernet Franc before leaving. We also bought several of our favorite wines. The next time you visit Glen Manor Vineyards, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Glen Manor Vineyards

/ Paul / Leave a comment

It was gloomy and rainy on Saturday.  We decided to head to Glen Manor Vineyards to brighten our day. We didn’t want to miss the Sauvignon Blanc this year.

Luckily when we stepped up to the tasting bar, the Sauvignon Blanc was still on the menu. We tasted the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc first. We noted citrus and fresh herbs. However the 2016 was available for case club members. We decided to have a half bottle of the 2016 and a glass of the 2015 to do a little comparison. After our tasting we enjoyed both with our lunch items. While the 2015 was lovely, we decided we preferred the 2016 with food. We noted citrus, a weightier mouth feel and a whiff of stone fruit. It paired well with our Gruyere and Manchego cheeses.

Of course the Sauvignon Blancs were not the only wines we tasted. We were surprised by the 2014 Cabernet Franc. It’s 100% Cabernet Franc. We noted dark fruit through the palate with a medium tannin structure. It would compliment a lean cut of beef. Drink now or let it rest on the rack awhile.

If you are looking for a pizza, pasta, burger wine you can’t go wrong with the 2014 Vin Rouge. This is always one of our favorites. Grab this off the rack to go with pretty much any during the week meal.

And we are heading into warmer weather. You can’t forget the 2015 Morales Rose. Rose goes with everything! Ripe berry flavors dominate this rose. If you haven’t been to Glen Manor recently, it’s time to return. Even though it was a rainy day for us, there are sunny days ahead. Plan a visit to Glen Manor soon and when you do visit, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!