A few weeks ago we were in the Warrenton area visiting Gray Ghost to pick up some wine when we decided we would visit a few new wineries in the area. Granite Heights Orchard and Winery and Morais Vineyards and Winery are both relatively are new and it was time for us to pay them a visit. We are now up to 144 wineries visited!
Granite Heights – Luke and Toni Kilyk are hands on owners. They do everything on their land from the landscaping to the vineyard management. They have worked with Lucie Morton, who lived on the farm, to set up the vineyards and have worked with wine consultants over the years. They want to make high quality wine and let the wine speak for itself. On their tasting sheets they don’t mention what you should smell or taste. They want tasters to come to their own conclusions. And we did just that.
On the day we visited they had five wines for tasting. We enjoyed them all but a few did stand out as our favorites. Warren enjoyed the 2008 Evening Serenade. It’s a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. Warren noted raspberry, blueberry, and tobacco on the nose. He noted similar flavors in the mouth as well as cedar. While I enjoyed this one as well, I preferred the 2008 Lomax Reserve. It’s a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. My notes included raspberry, plum, tobacco, some pepper, decent fruit, and caramel/toffee.
During our tasting we had a chance to talk with the owners and found out more about the winery, the farm, and their winemaking ideas. They also told us all about their jams and honey. Granite Heights is small winery producing high quality wines. We’re sure you’ll find something you enjoy.
Morais Vineyards – After our visit to Granite Heights we headed on down the road to visit Morais Vineyards. You can’t miss it. It’s a massive concrete structure inspired by buildings in Portugal. The owners are Portuguese. The building was constructed with events in mind. There are huge areas that would accommodate weddings and the like. They have a beautiful tasting bar with lots of space for groups for tastings.
The day we visited they had a full list of wines to taste…six to be exact. Currently they produce small quantities of their wines with hopes to expand in the future. They also have a relatively new wine maker who hopes to put his mark on the 2011 vintage. As with the previous winery, there were some wines that stood out at Morais for us. We both liked the Select White Wine. It’s made with the Rkatsitelli grape. We noticed citrus, grapefruit and an interesting spritz. We thought this one would make a nice sipper for a warm summer day. The Red Select also got our attention. It’s a blend of merlot and cabernet franc. We noted smoke, pepper, dried herb, and blackberry. It’s aged for two years in French oak barrels. We thought this one was a good food wine.
Both Granite Heights and Morais are new wineries. They have room to grow and high hopes for the future. We think we’ll be tasting wines from them both for years to come. If you haven’t visited either Granite Heights or Morais, plan a trip soon. And be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Jim Law of Linden headlined the TasteCamp finale, and he conducted a personal tour of his Hardscrabble site for campers. Jim is something of a god here in Virginia, so this opportunity for campers to meet the man who inspired the sea change in Virginia’s winemaking was truly an incredible experience. Jim’s tour ended with a tasting of his wines, and taste camp ended on the highest note possible.
Taste campers met Jim on a very foggy and chilly morning to tour his Hardscrabble site. Jim has been making wine at the Hardscrabble vineyard since at least 1987, and he began the tour at his block of oldest chardonnay vines; however, lest we think that Jim contently sits on his laurels and lets 25 year- old vines do their thing, campers were informed otherwise. Jim is in the process of renovating and replanting his vineyard so that particular varietals are planted in the most appropriate soils and microclimates. Blocks of merlot are being uprooted and then replanted with chardonnay. Carmenere is being grafted onto merlot to produce more merlot. Poorly performing carmenere will be phased out. New vines will be spaced closer together. Canopy management will change too. A recent trip to Bordeaux vineyards revealed to Jim that merlot grapes actually do not like plentiful sunshine, and overly ripened merlot produces jammy, uninteresting wines associated with the mediocre stuff associated with California. Therefore, Jim will make the necessary adjustments with his merlot vines. What does all of this say about Jim Law? I concluded that Jim stays at the top of his game because he always seeks to improve. Jim constantly referenced his desire to “get better” or “make better wine”; although other area winemakers often acknowledge Jim as their teacher, mentor, or hero, it was obvious to me that Jim still considers himself to be a student. Perhaps it is for this reason that his wines consistently set the bar for quality in Virginia.
Jim then led us to the crush pad for a tasting of his wines. The fog intensified as barn swallows frantically fluttered around, and a Gothic feel permeated the atmosphere as Jim presented his wines. These included the 2011 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc, 2009 Harscrabble Chardonnay, 2008 Hardscrabble Red, and 2009 Avenius Red. As the fog encircled us, it was hard to miss Jim’s Old World style of winemaking. Elegant and focused, integrated and balanced—these wines were indeed at the top of the class. It was here that I heard the highest praises of the weekend with one New York camper commenting that Jim’s wines were “world class.”
Reflections: So what did I learn from taste camp? Winemaking is a tough business, and the phrase, “winemaking starts in the vineyard”, may seem cliché, but indeed it is true. The vineyard management alone should frighten off all but the most dedicated and passionate. There are many decisions and tasks involved just with the vineyard management. Which site to select? Which varieties to plant, and then which clones? What about trellising—smart dyson to maximize production? Mow the lawn or let the weeds grow to soak up some unwanted moisture? Pick now or gamble on the weather? Needless to say, there are many more decisions to be made once grapes are harvested and then fermented and aged. Serious winemaking is not for the hobbyist, and even most seasoned veterans must be opened to changes if they wish to constantly raise the quality of their wines. 
Friday, May 4 (Day 1): TasteCamp was officially launched at the 
