Category: Wines

Verticals at Breaux Vineyards

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This past weekend we headed to Breaux Vineyards to pick up my latest Cellar Club selections. While there we decided to do a tasting to see what had been added to the tasting menu. We were treated to a few vertical tastings of new wines and some classics. While we enjoyed all of the Breaux wines, I’ll only inform you of the wines that were included in our vertical tastings.

We began with merlots. Breaux is now tasting the 2005 and the 2006 at the tasting bar. Our favorite tasting associate Silvia, walked us through our tastings. The 2005 Merlot is a wonderful wine. We noted cherry, chocolate, dark fruit, and finish that was smooth. We thought this one could be enjoyed on its own or with food. The 2006 Merlot presented early, herby characteristics with acidic notes. We noted spice, plum, and cherry. We think this one needs another year or two to be a superb wine. We suggest you purchase it now and let it sit on your rack to enjoy in the years to come.

Order Tramadol Online Overnight Our second vertical consisted of the cab sauvs from 2005, 2006, and 2008. Warren and I were split on our gold stars for the cab sauvs. I preferred the 2008 with its fresh, fruity, sweet nose with bright berries and light tannins on the tongue. The 2008 was a perfect example of the fruity characteristics I expect from a 2008 red. Warren selected the 2005 for his gold star. He described it as a classic cab sauv. He noted dark cherry, pepper, coffee and chocolate and noted the subtle oak would accompany food rather well. We both thought the 2006 presented a green characteristic (not green pepper though) with wet wood notes. We both think this one will get better with time.

Our final vertical included the 2006 Nebbiolo and the 2008 Barrel Select Nebbiolo. Our gold star went to the 2008 Barrel Select Nebbiolo. We noted a fruity nose with blackberry and dark currants in the mouth. We noted the chewy quality of this wine. The 2006 Nebbiolo presented herb, spice, tobacco, tar, and coffee. This one also had a chewy quality to it.

Cheap Tramadol Overnight Cod We really enjoyed our chance to taste so many vintages. We were excited about the Cabernet Sauvignons. So much so we are planning to attend the Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical tasting on January 14th. If you are planning to attend the event, let us know so we can all sit together. And if you visit Breaux Vineyards anytime soon, be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Virginia Wine For The Holidays

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Cheapest Tramadol Overnight Yes, it is the holiday season, and readers may have noticed that we have not been on the wines trails. Holiday fun and mayhem have left little time for weekend treks to the wineries; however, rest assured that we have been enjoying Virginia wines whenever possible.

Tramadol Online We always enjoy holiday movies at this time of year, and a recent holiday film night featured two favorites, The Bishops Wife and Christmas in Connecticut. What wines to enjoy with these seasonal classics? With a nice chunk of manchego cheese on the chopping block, we poured the 2008 Claret from Linden. It offered notes of dark fruit and dried herbs with similar flavors. Medium bodied, it finished with a splash of vanilla. Easy to drink, it was perfect with the gaminess of the manchego cheese. By the time we sipped through this one, Dudley the Angel turned the sour Agnes Hamilton into an angel herself, and Santa brought Elizabeth Lane a handsome soldier who used the old Magoo to charm the ladies.

Virginia wines are always on the menu when we have friends over for dinner, and this past weekend we poured the 2009 Rose from Linden. (Yes, Linden again, but who can blame us?) Crisp with grapefruit notes and flavors of strawberry and citrus, it proved to be a versatile pour that paired well with a salad of marinated roasted beets, orange slices and chives.

And imagine our pleasant surprise when our friends, Dorothy and Laura, brought us a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner. Their wine of choice? The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon from Barboursville Vineyards. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he regularly delivers Virginia wines to good boys and girls. (Well, good friends sometimes are the Santas, and they have the good taste to give Virginia wines as gifts!)

We hope that readers are enjoying this holiday season, and we know that favorite Virginia wines are being poured. It is not too late to visit these Virginia wineries before Christmas, but time is running out. If you do plan to make a visit, mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

More Hitmakers From Virginia

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I recently posted about Virginia wines earning solid scores from Wine Spectator magazine, and I can report that Wine Enthusiast has likewise given impressive scores to several Virginia red wines. Annefield Vineyards, Bogati Bodega Winery, Keswick Vineyards, Lovingston Winery, Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery, and Veramar Vineyard produced the wines that are featured in this month’s issue.

Potomac Point 2009 Richland Reserve Heritage Bordeaux-style Red Blend (Virginia)-Pungent dark char amidst firm black plum on this Virginia Bordeaux blend brings to mind flavors of smoked meats and strong black coffee. Full bodied and masculine in profile, it’s quite tannic, yet concentrated enough to handle it well. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 86



Veramar 2009 Estate Club Merlot (Virginia)-Warm and spicy on the nose and palate, this Virginia Merlot boasts a sour cherry aroma combined with hints of gingersnap cookie and ripe bramble. Ample and rich with slightly stewed black fruit notes, the palate is bathed in waves of anise and cinnamon that linger on the finish. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 86



Veramar 2009 Estate Club Ameritage Red Blend (Virginia)-While soft and ripe on the nose and palate with loads of soft red fruit and hints of mocha and milk chocolate, this Virginia Ameritage doesn’t have a lot of structure, but its smooth, warm style is still eager to please. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 86



Veramar 2008 Estate Club Cabernet Sauvignon (Virginia)-Ripe and rich on the nose with a harmonious black fruit and sweet vanilla bean aroma, this Virginia Cab is clean and pure with a remarkably pristine fruit profile. Bright and fresh with balanced acidity and a nicely concentrated midpalate. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 86



Annefield Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Virginia)-Aromas of espresso and burnt biscotti entice on this dark yet elegant Cab. On the palate, fresh violets linger amidst layers of ripe black fruit, smoke and char towards a stout, moderately tannic finish. Quite pleasant now, but could improve with 3–5 years of bottle aging. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 87



Bogati 2009 Collection I Bordeaux-style Red Blend (Virginia)-Sweet red cherry fruit melds with whiffs of graham cracker crumb and leather on this ripe, full bodied red from Bogati. There’s a thin vein of green that trails throughout, but the palate is nicely structured with a dose of warm pepper notes and mouthcoating tannins on the finish. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 86



Lovingston 2008 Josie’s Knoll Estate Reserve Bordeaux-style Red Blend (Monticello)-Lush, ripe blueberries and plums meld into hints of dark chocolate and lavender on Lovingston Estate’s lovely Josie’s Knoll Estate Reserve. It seems a bit soft on entry, yet bright acidity and smooth, furry tannins give the black fruit palate substance and style. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 89



Keswick Vineyards 2009 Merlot (Monticello)-Hints of anise, black pepper and toasted coconut make this dark, smoky Merlot a bit exotic and unexpected. Full-bodied with a concentrated yet vibrant black fruit palate, it ends with flair on a rather tropical coconut finish. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 87



Lovingston 2008 Josie’s Knoll Merlot (Monticello)-Intensely aromatic with notes of sweet pomegranate and fresh violets, Lovingston’s standard label Josie’s Knoll is soft and a tad sweet on entry with a ripe black cherry juice note. Hints of fresh herbs on the midpalate combine with grippy tannins on the finish, adding a dose of style and structure. — A.I. (12/1/2011) — 86

Do non-believers in Virginia wines ever challenge you to prove that the state makes great wines? Don’t suffer through the experience. Tell them to read some of the industry magazines, or even better, refer them to Virginia Wine Time. They just need to be educated on the matter.

Visit the outstanding wineries that are mentioned in this post, and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Holiday Open House

/ Paul / 1 Comment

On Sunday we went to the Gray Ghost Holiday Open house. They hold this event annually and we try not to miss it. Each year they have a different holiday glass design. This year its a penguin. They also have a yearly cork contest. Al makes some holiday item out of corks and you need to guess how many corks it took to make the item. This year Al made a holiday mail box for letters to Santa. Warren and I guess every year but never win. We aren’t the best at guessing. At this time of the year the tank room is decorated for the holidays showing all the previous creations for the cork contest.

During the event we enjoyed some wonderful foods and all the delicious wines offered at Gray Ghost. I favored the Merlot this year and Warren decided his favorite of the day was the new Reserve Chardonnay. He has always been a big fan of the Reserve Chardonnay.

Here are some pictures from the Holiday Open House at Gray Ghost:




Friday Pours

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The holidays are such a busy time of year. On Friday evening we were able to sit down, relax and have dinner at home. We decided to have dinner at my house and decorate my Christmas tree.

We began the evening with the 2010 Pinot Gris from Pollak Vineyards. We had this with some sliced swiss cheese and water crackers. Right away on the nose we noted lemon-lime. On the palate we noted citrus as well. One thing we noticed was lacking was acidity. This pinot gris wasn’t nearly as crisp as we remember others being in the past. This made us wonder of this was a symptom of the 2010 growing season for whites. Have you noticed any 2010 Virginia whites lacking acidity?

For dinner we had ham steaks and scalloped potatoes. We selected the 2009 Cabernet Franc from Philip Carter Winery. We have enjoyed this one in the past and knew it would pair well with our meal. We noted violets, dried herbs, raspberry and cherry. We noted very similar characteristics in the mouth. The woodsy, herby, berry fruit really stood out. And yes, it paired well with our meal.

If you visit Pollak Vineyards or Philip Carter Winery anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Holiday Pours

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So with the Thanksgiving week behind us and another holiday season ahead of us, its time to think about wines to serve with seasonal menus. My parents were town last week to celebrate Thanksgiving; of course, we ate lots of food! What wines did I serve? Here is a list of my favorite wines from the week along with the meals that I served:

Mid-week supper: Beef stew paired with Barboursville 2007 Barbera Reserve

Thanksgiving:

Appetizer: Cranberry cheese with baguette paired with 2011 Georges Duboeuf Beujolais Nouveau

Harvest Salad paired with 2010 Carrick Pinot Gris

Turkey with andouille cornbread dressing; cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, candied yams paired with 2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir

Mom’s Pecan Pie paired with Gray Ghost Adieu 2007

Tree Trimming Sunday:
Deli tray: Virginia ham, spicy Genoa salami, peppered prosciutto, cranberry cheese, mixed nuts
Wine: 2009 The Hague Cabernet Franc

Dessert: Martha’s Pumpkin Bread served with Community brand Coffee and Chicory (found only in New Orleans)

So what wines did you serve on Turkey Day? Please share!

More Favorites in Charlottesville

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Now that the Thanksgiving holiday is over we can get back to our regular posting schedule. On the second day of our Charlottesville trip over the Veterans Day weekend we visited more wineries. Three of the wineries we visited were King Family Vineyards, Sugarleaf Vineyards, and Keswick Vineyards.

A beautiful crisp fall day greeted us as we began our tasting at King Family. As with other Virginia wineries, King Family is low on their white wines. Of course we enjoyed both the 2010 Viognier and the 2010 Chardonnay. The 2010 Viognier presented melon flavors with the addition of peach and apricot in the mouth. We also noted the full mouth feel of this wine. We thought we might be enjoying it later with the fall colors.

Of the reds we were split. Warren really enjoyed the 2009 Meritage and jotted down violets, cigars, sandalwood, and earthy elements. I really enjoyed the 2010 Cabernet Franc and wrote down earth, spice, and raspberry.

After our tasting we enjoyed a bottle of the 2010 Viognier with nibbles on the grounds at King Family. The fall colors were perfect. While enjoying our wine, winemaker Matthieu Finot joined us for some wine chat. We always enjoy chatting with Matthieu. Before leaving we promised Matthieu that we’d return when we had more time to talk and taste some barrel samples.

Next up is Sugarleaf Vineyards. We hadn’t visited Sugarleaf for a while and it was time to see what was new at Sugarleaf. Sugarleaf also only had two white wines to taste and of these we put our star next to the 2008 Chardonnay. We noted apple and vanilla and a nice crisp finish. Of the reds we really enjoyed the 2010 Petit Verdot. Here we noted plum and spice with some solid tannins. I thought of some red meat with this wine.

While we were tasting we were recognized by our tasting associate and she insisted that we head down to the barrel room to meet the new winemaker Romulus Pascall. He’s been with Sugarleaf for five years and studied under the previous winemaker Dan Neumeister. He allowed us to enjoy a barrel sample of the 2010 Cuvee Neubia. He was just about to move it into more aggressive barrels to import a more buttery/smooth finish. It was quite tannic and will need more time but you could see this is going to be a very nice wine when it is released in the future.

Our final stop of the day was Keswick Vineyards. Keswick is one of our favorites. We always have a good time chatting with Stephan and Kat. And Stephan always gives us a sneak peek of the wines still in the barrel. Unfortunately this time they were both at a wedding. We missed seeing them of course but still enjoyed the wines.

Like many other Virginia wineries Keswick is low on white wines. We only tasted the 2010 Chardonnay. We have already enjoyed this one and enjoyed it again on this visit. We noted pear, green apple, and butterscotch. Of the reds we actually put stars next to the 2010 Touriga and the 2009 Merlot. The 2010 Touriga presented notes of cherry, raspberry and smoke. I instantly enjoyed the fruit characteristics of this wine. The 2009 Merlot presented cherry, coffee, and an almost creamy vanilla finish. We were thinking of which wine to bring home for dinner and ultimately decided on the 2010 Touriga. Now I wished I had gotten a second bottle for the wine rack!

We enjoyed our time in Charlottesville. Revisiting old favorites is always fun. If you haven’t been to King Family Vineyards, Sugarleaf Vineyards, or Keswick Vineyards, you need to plan a trip to Charlottesville soon! And be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Finding Some Favorites

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After our stop at Trump Winery on Veterans Day weekend, we visited two more of our Charlottesville favorites, Blenheim Vineyards and Jefferson Vineyards.

At Blenheim they only had five wines to taste because of great sales lately. Of those we tasted, we really enjoyed the 2010 Chardonnay and the 2010 Cabernet Franc. The 2010 Chardonnay presented notes of pear and melon and had a crisp, refreshing ending. This one is 38% Chardonnay that is aged for five months in French and Hungarian barrels. The 2010 Cabernet Franc had a candy fruit nose and presented notes of dry herb, toffee, and a pepper end.

Towards the end of our tasting, Kirsty Harmon joined in and told us how challenging the 2011 season was for Blenheim. The amount of rain they got at the end of the season made it a difficult harvest. However, Kirsty is confident they’ll have some nice wines when they are released later this year. Kirsty also gave us a sample of the yet to be released 2010 Petit Verdot. I love Petit Verdots and this one promises to be just as nice as the 2009. After our chat with Kirsty we enjoyed a glass of the 2010 Chardonnay on the balcony. The views were beautiful with the fall colors coming to an end.

After our stop at Blenheim, we headed over to Jefferson Vineyards. We hadn’t been there since the bloggers conference in July. Unfortunately Andy Reagan wasn’t there. However, Allison, who we met at the bloggers conference was and she conducted our tasting. We always enjoy the wines at Jefferson.

From the tasting menu our favorites were the 2010 Chardonnay Reserve 2010.This is Warren’s kind of chardonnay. It presents notes of pear, apple and honey with just enough of an oak presence to stand up to food. This one always makes us think of a creamy pasta dish. Our other favorite was the 2008 Meritage. We noted dark fruit, herbs, cassis, and a smooth ending. As with other vintages of Jefferson Meritages, we think of thick filets. What a nice compliment a big piece of meat.

After our tasting I enjoyed a glass of the 2010 Chardonnay and Warren enjoyed a glass of the Chardonnay Reserve 2010. The fall colors and crisp afternoon went very well with the wines.

On your next trip to Charlottesville be sure to plan a visit to Blenheim Vineyards and Jefferson Vineyards. And be sure to tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Virginia Wines in Wine Spectator!

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I recently attended a wine maker’s dinner at a local restaurant, and the topic of Virginia wine came up. My table partner who brought up the topic was rather derisive about the notion that Virginia made quality wines and even scoffed at articles written by local wine experts who compared the best local wines to those of Bordeaux or Burgundy. Of course, yours truly chimed in that Virginia did indeed make some outstanding wines and suggested to my table mate that before dismissing local wines perhaps she should get out on the wine trails and try a few. I then mentioned that many Virginia wines earn medals at international wine competitions with several earning high scores in Wine Spectator magazine. And right on cue, this month’s edition rated wines from Lovingston Winery and Tarara Winery. Entries from both wineries rated in the 85-89 range, and a wine that earns a score in this range is described as “very good: a wine with special qualities.” Here are the wines and their scores:

Lovingston Merlot Monticello Josie’s Knoll 2010 – 87 points
Lovingston Cabernet Franc Monticello Josie’s Knoll 2010 – 86 points
Tarara Honah Lee Virginia 2010 – 86 points
Tarara Nevaeh White Virginia 2010 – 85 points

Congratulations to winemakers Riaan Rossouw and Jordan Harris of Lovingston Winery and Tarara Winery respectively for the diligent efforts both in the vineyards and the barrel room. And next time you come across a naysayer about Virginia wines, remind him/her that even internationally recognized and widely read wine magazines have taken notice of Virginia wines.

Plan a visit to Lovingston Winery and Tarara Winery to sample these excellent wines, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Trump Winery

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We spent Veterans Day weekend in Charlottesville visiting some of our old favorite wineries. We’ll be posting about those visits in the weeks to come. The first winery we visited on this trip was the new Trump Winery which is actually the old Kluge Winery.

There have been some changes made to the tasting room. They have painted the exterior of the building, added new bathrooms, and built terraces to enjoy your wines and the beautiful views. Besides the few changes, the tasting room basically remains the same. They have the same delicious gourmet cheese selections. And some of the staff is the same. We were happy to see a familiar face upon entering the tasting room. Tammy has conducted many of our tastings in the past so when we saw her, we knew we’d enjoy our visit.

We selected a table and heard from our personal wine steward about the different levels of tastings. We decided to go with the full flight and try all the wines since it had been awhile since we enjoyed Kluge wines. The vintages may have changed but the quality remains the same. And the price points have come down a bit from what we remember. Our wine steward presented us with the test tubes (yes, they are still using those) and a description of each wine. We opted for a cheese plate to compliment the wines. We took our time and tried all the wines and the cheeses.

Our favorites might be the same as they have been in the past. We enjoyed the 2008 Kluge Estate SP Blanc de Blanc. Here the bubbles never stopped and notes of pear, lemon, and grapefruit ended with a creamy mouth feel. We also enjoyed the 2007 Albemarle Simply Red. We noted blackberry and anise. It had a smooth finish and a deep ruby color. While I really enjoyed sipping this Bordeaux style blend, I couldn’t help but think about a big steak. The bigger, bolder 2009 Kluge Estate New World was also a favorite. We look forward to future visits to Trump Winery to sample the wines under the Trump label.


Before leaving we purchased some of our favorites and checked out all the Trump products sprinkled throughout the tasting room. If you haven’t visited Trump Winery / Kluge Winery since the changes, its time to plan a visit. And when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!