Last weekend we visited Gray Ghost Vineyards in anticipation of their release of the Ranger Reserve. The 2006 Ranger Reserve is the first true Meritage blend to be released by Gray Ghost Vineyards, and the medal counts prove that the Ranger Reserve is a winner.

Many Virginia winemakers are producing Meritage blends. Red Meritage wines are a blend of at least two Bordeaux varieties that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The Ranger Reserve is a blend of all five of these varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon comprising 29% of the mix. The result is a complex wine rich with blackberry and cherry characteristics. Paul detected a hint of mocha, too. Smooth tannins make for a pleasant yet lengthier finish. The Ranger Reserve was aged for 15 months in French oak and should keep on the wine rack for at about ten years.

Al Kellert was very excited about the Ranger Reserve as it has already won numerous medals in national and international wine competitions. Leading the way in medal counts, though, is the 2007 Adieu that just won double gold in San Francisco.

Of course, lunch is always in the trunk, and we enjoyed spicy grilled chicken with a glass of the Ranger Reserve. We always sit outdoors to enjoy the Victorian garden and to do some bird watching, too!

With time to spare and lots of sunny weather to still enjoy, we decided to do a tasting at Chester Gap Cellars. It had been at least a year since our last trip to Cheaster Gap Cellars, and we also wanted to catch up with winemaker Bernd Jung.

The tasting menu presented several new offerings, and of the white wines, I favored the oak aged 2006 Viognier Reserve. Chester Gap’s Viognier Reserve is done in the Condrieu style with a bigger body and honeyed texture. Those who dine at the Little Inn at Washington will find the 2006 Viognier Reserve on the wine list. Paul preferred the crisp 2006 Sauvignon Blanc with its hay-like color and aroma.

Paul, however, was anxious to try the 2006 Merlot, and it immediately earned his star of approval. He noted cherry and chocolate notes with similar flavors in the mouth. “Smooth” was the adjective that Paul emphasized. I was more partial to the 2005 Cabernet Franc that is blended with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Merlot. This one presented layers of mixed berries with some dried herbs on the nose. The 2005 Cabernet Franc is another restaurant favorite and can be ordered at Citronelle perhaps with a favorite beef dish.

As we completed our tasting, it began to rain quite heavily. This gave us the excuse to share a glass of the 2005 Cabernet Franc, but we also chatted with Bernd for a bit. He shared with us that Chester Gap is currently producing 1500 cases of wine, and many area restaurants are now pouring Chester Gap wines. In addition to the ones already mentioned, these include such top-rated eateries as Bistro Bis, Bistro Francais Vidalia, and Charlie Palmer Steak House. Also, Bernd has been very busy building a tasting room; in fact, we were able to sample his well-crafted wines in the new tasting room. Work still remains to be done on the tasting room but sippers can already view beautiful mountain landscapes from deck.

The rain eased up, and we used the opportunity to make a run to the car. We bid our farewells to Bernd Jung and made a dash to car. Thus ended our day of wine tasting and chats with wine makers. However, we know that we will return to Gray Ghost Vineyards and Chester Gap Cellars. Plan a visit to these wineries, and please be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Our visit to Central Virginia wineries included two other stops: Cardinal Point Vineyards and Winery and Barboursville Vineyards.

It’s always nice to run into Sarah Gorman at Cardinal Point Vineyards. Sarah is the sister of winemaker Tim Gorman, and she can usually be found in the tasting room greeting customers. We were anxious to try the latest releases at Cardinal Point and as always, we started with the white wines. My favorite was the 2006 Viognier with its peachy nose and subtle honey texture. Paul’s nod went to the 2007 A6 which is a blend of Viognier and Chardonnay and presented a nice, crisp finish. Summer sippers may want to try the 2007 Rose, a new offering from Cardinal Point. Made from Cabernet Franc, this Rose bursts with ripe strawberry flavors. Of the reds, we both tended to favor the 2006 Cabernet Franc with its smokey/herby nose and bright berry flavors.

As we sipped and chatted, we also found out that Cardinal Point is celebrating its fifth year as a winery. Of course, we offered our congrats, and then savored a glass of the Rose out on the patio after we finished our tasting. It was a perfect wine to enjoy on a bright but comfortable spring afternoon.

No visit to central Virginia wineries would be complete without a visit to Barboursville Vineyards. I’ll be brief here as we always write about Barboursville, but we did sample lots of new offerings this time around. Paul’s own faves were the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2006 Chardonnay. I preferred the 2007 Chardonnay Reserve which is barrel fermented and aged for eight months. Lovely body with this one with nice pear and vanilla flavors. Paul appreciated the vibrant citrus characteristics of the Sauvignon Blanc and noted its bright acidity. Of course, the 2006 Rose is always one to recommend for the summer.

The red wines were likewise well-crafted, and we both starred the fruity 2006 Merlot, a drink-me-now cherry/berry bomb that might win over even the most diehard Merlot critics. Paul purchased a bottle to bring to family a gathering, and it was the hit of the party. For those looking for age-worthy contenders, the 8th edition 2005 Octagon is the winner. A finely crafted blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot, the 2005 Octagon continues the outstanding Octagon lineage. Darker fruit notes and flavors here with leather in the background will make for a fine accompaniment to a heavy beef dish, but do consider this one for a special anniversary, graduation, etc., Aging will only make this one even better! Available for purchase but not tasting is the venerated 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve which took home the Governor’s Cup this year. Barboursville’s wines consistently score well in Wine Spectator, and it’s always a treat to sample their wines. And be sure to reserve for dinner at the renowned Palladio restaurant—Paul was disappointed that we had not planned a dinner there, but we’ll certainly reserve for the next time!

Be sure to plan a trip to Cardinal Point Vineyard and Winery and Barboursville Vineyards, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Seems like forever since the last time we posted, but with summer vacation now underway, I can catch up on some writing! During our last visit to the Charlottesville area we were anxious to sample the latest at King Family Vineyards. We pulled into the parking lot with minutes to spare, but Ellen King was nice enough to accommodate us for a tasting. In fact, a wedding was set to begin on the property; however, Ellen guided through a tasting and chatted with us about the latest news at King Family Vineyards.

King Family Vineyards produces excellent wines, so it was hard for us to award one gold star to only one white wine and one red wine. We both finally decided to place a gold star next to the floral-nosed 2006 Viognier. Nice tropical fruit in the mouth with a crisp finish, this Viognier does spend most of its time in stainless steel with some short time in oak. Think crab cakes here—it should pair quite nicely with any shellfish dish. I must admit, though, that I did store an extra gold star, and this one I awarded to the Crose, a vibrant rose made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Lively strawberry flavors prevail here with a crisp, dry finish. The Crose is always a crowd favorite, so stock up while it is available.

The red wines were next on the tasting list, and King Family Meritage is always hard to beat. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, it is complex with layers of berry fruits, spice, and leather. However, Ellen gave us a sneak preview of our gold star winner, the upcoming 2006 Petit Verdot. The 2006 Petit Verdot presented a deep hue of burgundy and magenta in the glass with dried fruits, spice and tobacco on the nose. Similar fruit flavors and spice prevailed in the mouth, and Paul noted velvety tannins. Beef dishes, leg of lamb with roasted veggies, game meats—anything meat pairs with this Petit Verdot. Think aging, too as this one will only get better with time on the wine rack.

Throughout our tasting, Ellen chatted with us about the latest developments at King Family. Mathieu Finot is now their winemaker. Mathieu succeeds the renowned Michael Shaps, but Mathieu has developed an outstanding reputation in the Virginia winemaking community and continues the tradition of excellence at King Family Vineyards. Ellen also encouraged us to attend their Sunday polo matches; in fact, she even gave us information on how to go about taking polo lessons. I used to ride horses on a more regular basis, so one day I may just learn how to play a chukker or two.

Ellen invited us to stay a bit longer but with the wedding about to begin, we opted to purchase our wines and bid our farewells. We do plan to return to King Family Vineyards soon as it always on our list of wineries to visit while in Charlottesville. Put a visit to King Family Vineyards on your agenda, and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

During a Memorial Weekend trip to Charlottesville, we paid a visit to Oakencroft Winery. Oakencroft is always on our list of wineries to visit when we are in the area; in fact, we always stop off at a local deli to buy lunch items, because we know that we want to enjoy wine and lunch at Oakencroft. An extra incentive was the upcoming 25th Anniversary celebration at Oakencroft, and although we would not be able to attend the event that was to be held on the Memorial Day, we did want to extend our congratulations to Felicia Rogan and the Oakencroft staff.

Of course, sampling the well-crafted wines at Oakencroft is always a treat, and an extra bonus was that Lorraine, the tasting room manager, was available to conduct our tasting. Lorraine immediately recognized us, and we were all chatting away. Wine tasting occurred, too! Lorraine started us off with the white wines, and Paul quickly assessed his favorite to be the 2006 Chardonnay; done in stainless steel, Paul noted apple flavors with a crisp finish. I was deadlocked—both the 2006 Seyval Blanc and the 2006 Viognier were winners in my book. In the end, I favored the 2006 Seyval Blanc. Yet another crisp offering, the 2006 Seyval possesses a lively citrus aroma and flavor. My close second, the 2006 Viognier, presented floral and peachy notes with peach and apricot flavors in the mouth. It was easy to understand why both the Seyval Blanc and the Viognier have been medal winners for Oakencroft Winery. In fact, Oakencroft’s Seyval Blanc may have even thawed the Cold War. In the 1980s, President Reagan presented a bottle of Oakencroft’s Seyval Blanc to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorby enjoyed the wine, and he forged a relationship with Reagan that eventually ended the Cold War!

With a new piece of historical trivia in our minds, we were ready to savor the red wines. Paul favored the medium-bodied 2006 Merlot with its cherry characteristics. My own gold star was presented to the 2006 Estate Reserve Chambourcin. This is a fuller bodied wine rich with dark fruit characteristics and ends with a spicy finish. Inky and dense in color, this 100% Chambourcin will only get better with age. Of course, we had lunch waiting in the car, and for this we settled on the 2006 Jefferson Claret. Fruit forward and juicy was how Paul described this one, and I detected some cedar on the nose. The claret is a blend of Merlot, Chambourcin, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was an easy, accessible sipper and a perfect accompaniment to ham and salami sandwiches that awaited us for lunch!

Dessert wine lovers will also appreciate the 2006 Encore, a blend of Vidal Blanc and Traminette. Floral with apricot flavors describe this sweeter offering.

We finished our tasting, purchased our wines, and made our way to our favorite chairs beside the pond on the Oakencroft grounds to enjoy lunch and wine. Before we left, we bid our farewells to Lorraine and promised to return soon. We were excited about the Anniversary party which would culminate with the release of Oakencroft’s latest Cabernet Franc. We were saddened, then, to later find out that Oakencroft will close at the end of 2008. Felicia Rogan will retire at the end of the year, and the winery has been sold to new owners who will not continue the winery. Felicia is an icon in the Virginia wine making industry, and Oakencroft wines consistently earn medals and accolades from experts and consumers alike. Therefore, be sure to visit Oakencroft Winery soon, and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.