Category: Wines

Time to Drink Naked

/ Warren / 3 Comments

It’s that time of year when we go to Naked Mountain Vineyard and Winery to enjoy lasagna and wine. Which wine did we enjoy with lasagna? Well, to figure that out we had to complete a tasting of wines at the tasting bar, of course!

The 2006 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay and the sweeter Chardonnay Riesling were the two white wines offered for tasting. My favorite was the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay with its aromas of pear and vanilla; I also enjoyed its creamy mouth feel. Paul preferred the fruity characteristics of the Chardonnay Riesling, and I think he had visions of a warmer spring day and a refreshing fruit salad when he savored this one.

Speaking of food, we certainly had lasagna on our minds when we sampled the red wines. The Rhone-inspired 2006 Scarlet Oak Red earned my stamp of approval. Created from a blend of 45% Syrah, 45% Mouvedre, and 10% Tannat, it presented a smoky nose with cherry and raspberry aromas with a whiff dried herbs to boot; similar flavors with a toasty edge were evident in the mouth. Paul, however, was more inclined toward the newly released 2007 Raptor Red, a blend of Tannat (31%), Merlot (30%), Petit Verdot (20%) and Cabernet Franc (19%). Darker fruit elements abounded here with a smoky/earthy nose. I concurred that this blend offered a bolder, more complex wine; from the 2007 vintage, it will only improve with time.

So with lasagna on the way, we settled on a glass of our favorite red wines; I enjoyed a glass of the 2006 Scarlet Oak Red, and Paul sipped the 2007 Raptor Red. As we sipped and nibbled, we met cellar master Brooke Walter who hinted at exciting possibilities for the upcoming releases. She was particularly enthusiastic about the possible release of a stand-alone Malbec. Brooke also assured us that new owners Randy and Meagan Morgan were commited to maintaining the strong winemaking tradition at Naked Mountain Vineyards. Needless to say, we promised to return in the near future to sample new releases at Naked Mountain Vineyards and Winery.

We should also mention that the sausage lasagna is amazing at Naked Mountain, so plan to enjoy a lasagna lunch with a glass of wine at Naked Moutain Vineyards and Winery. Please mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Saturday Sips

/ Paul / 2 Comments

Just recently we visited Blenheim Vineyards (more details to come) and picked up a few bottles of the White Table Wine. I decided we would begin our evening with this wine.

The White Table Wine from Blenheim VIneyards is 100% chardonnay.On the nose we noted pear, floral notes, peach, and stone fruit. In the mouth we noted stone fruit, peach, apricot, and a nice round mouth feel. We had this with goat cheese and baguette. It was a perfect pairing with our evening nibbles.

For dinner we were having parmesan encrusted tilapia with wild rice and mixed vegetables. We opted for the 2009 Viognier Water Bent Barrels from Breaux Vineyards from the Wine Club Selection. Right away we noticed the very light color. On the nose I wrote down light airy fruit. Warren noted floral qualities with some ripe fruit. In the mouth we noted floral notes, hints of honeysuckle, mango, apricot, and a nice mouth feel. It was very crisp and paired very well with our meal. We also noticed that as this one warmed up in our glasses, the flavors were much more pronounced. We really enjoyed this bottle of wine!

Friday Pours

/ Paul / 1 Comment

This evening we started with the 2007 Chardonnay from Flying Fox Vineyards. We haven’t been to Flying Fox for a few years. We had this with some nice goat cheese and baguette. On the nose we got pear and melon. In the mouth we got pear, and a crisp finish. We thought this was a very good pairing with our goat cheese and baguette. We thought it was an easy sipper that would go well with most before dinner nibbles.

Our dinner wine was the 2002 Kluge Estate New World Red. We had this with big, fat steaks and roasted potatoes. We noted blackberry, dark cherry, and anise on the nose. On the tongue we noticed blackberry, tobacco, integrated tannins, and a smooth lengthy finish. We also noticed the dense garnet color. While we know the fate of Kluge, we thought we should probably have kept this one on the rack for a few more years. Instead we went ahead and enjoyed it with this meal. It was quite lovely and we enjoyed it very much.

Perfection at Pollak

/ Paul / 3 Comments

While we were in Charlottesville last weekend for the sparkling tasting at Keswick, we planned to stop by a few of our favorite wineries to check out the latest releases. Pollak Vineyards was at the top of my list. It was our first stop on our Charlottesville trip. We are always greeted like family when we visit Pollak. All our favorite tasting associates recognize us and great us with a smile.

Most of the wines we tasted this time were new. We started our tasting with the whites. First up was the 2009 Chardonnay. We tasted this one in the barrel back in March of 2010 and enjoyed it then. I loved it even more this time. We noted pear, green apple, and some nice minerality. I knew I’d be leaving with some of this one. We followed this one with the 2008 Chardonnay Reserve. I noticed citrus notes with a smooth, round mouth feel. The final white was the 2009 Durant White. I really enjoyed the 2008 Durant White and knew I’d enjoy this one as well. I picked up pear, and lime. This is a great sipper for before dinner nibbles. It’s a blend a three different whites. Again, I knew I’d be leaving with a few bottles of this one. I was disappointed they were sold out of both the viognier and the pinot gris. We’ll have to return in the spring when they are released.

The first of the reds was the 2009 Durant Red. This is a cabernet franc, merlot blend. This one was probably the biggest surprise of the tasting. We didn’t remember tasting it before. The color was beautiful and we noted lots of ripe, red berry fruit. It reminded us (as the tasting sheet notes) a beaujolais. We think this one would make a great pizza or burger wine. Another one to add to the list! THe 2008 Merlot was next. With this one we noted dark cherry, blackberry, and a full mouth feel. The 2008 Cabernet Franc spent 14 months in oak and presented cherry, jam, and black pepper. The last red was the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. Since the petit verdot is sold out, this was the biggest red on the tasting. We noted lots of big cherry, dark fruit, and a lingering finish. That finish makes you want more.

With our tasting complete, we had a glass of the 2009 Durant Red by the fire while deciding how many bottles of each wine to bring home. I settled on a mixed case with mostly the 2009 Chardonnay. I completed the case with the Durant White, Durant Red, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I have always enjoyed Pollak Vineyards wines. The wines are consistent across the board. Jake Busching is a talented winemaker. I look forward to returning in the spring to taste the viognier, pinot gris, and the petit verdot. If you visit Pollak Vineyards anytime soon, please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Virginia Sparklings Impress at Tasting

/ Warren and Paul / 4 Comments

Paul and I were invited to a tasting of sparkling wines which was held at Keswick Vineyards. Stephan Barnard and his wife Kat hosted the event, but the logistics (including the procurement of sparkling wines) were superbly handled by Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like and the Dynamic Duo who write Swirl Sip Snark. A number of palates were on hand to lend their opinions on which sparkling bubbled most brightly, and these included: Swirl Sip Snark, John Witherspoon of the Wine Cellar Wine Shop, John & Jean Haggarty of Haggarty On Wine, Stephen Barnard, winemaker at Keswick Vineyards, Joel Timmons of Virginia Wine Snob, Richard Leahy of Richard Leahy’s Wine Report, Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like, and Rick Collier & Nancy Bauer of Virginia Wine in Your Pocket.

So twelve sparklings were poured for our critical judgments, and all but two were from Virginia. The tasting was done blind. How did Virginia fare? Quite well. In fact, the two non-Virginia sparklings did not show well at all with the offering from France scoring at the bottom. The other, a bubbly bearing the Barefoot label, ranked #6. Without further ado, here are the rankings based on the panel’s decision:

1. Thibaut-Janisson FIZZ, $21
2. Prince Michel Sparkling Wine, $30
3. Afton Mountain Vineyards Tete’ de Cuvee, $30
4. Kluge SP Blanc de Blanc, $24 (tie)
4. Veritas Scintilla, $30 (tie)
6. Barefoot Brut Cuvee, $9.99
7. Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay, $30
8. King Family Brut, $30
9. Barboursville Brut, $18.99
10. Potomac Point Sparkling Wine, $0 (received as tasting sample)
11. Ingleside Vineyards Virginia Brut, $20
12. Chateau Gaillard Cuvee Charlette Voyant Touraine, $19

After tasting the wonderful sparkling we were able to taste several viogniers. We had three from Virginia and two from California. Stephen even shared a 2009 Viognier from the Keswick Signature series. We spent some time socializing and enjoying the wines. It was great getting to spend time with and getting to know our fellow Virginia wine writers. We would like to send out a huge Thank You to Frank Morgan, the folks at Swirl Sip Snark, Stephen Barnard and his wife Kat, and the Inn on Poplar Hill for providing the flutes. We appreciate all the help that went into creating a wonderful tasting afternoon!

Here are some pictures from the afternoon.

Please plan to sample these bubbling beauties at the Virginia wineries that produce them, and mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

Busy Weekend

/ Paul / 2 Comments

We had a weekend full of wine and friends in the Charlottesville area. On Saturday we visited Pollak Vineyards and King Family Vineyards. In the afternoon we met many other Virginia wine bloggers and others for a very special sparkling tasting hosted at Keswick Vineyards. The attendees were:

Swirl Sip Snark
John Witherspoon, Wine Cellar Wine Shop
John & Jean Haggarty, Haggarty On Wine
Stephen Barnard, Keswick Vineyards
Joel Timmons, Virginia Wine Snob
Richard Leahy, Richard Leahy’s Wine Report
Frank Morgan, Drink What You Like
Rick Collier & Nancy Bauer, Virginia Wine in Your Pocket

On our way home on Sunday we went to Blenheim Vineyards and had a great visit with Kirsty Harmon. We then stopped at Barboursville to check out some new wines. In the days and weeks to come we’ll be posting about all these weekend events. Stay tuned!

Friday Pours

/ Paul / 1 Comment

Our evening sipper was the 2009 Pinot Gris from Pollak Vineyards. On the nose we noted peach. In the mouth we also noted peach but noticed a nice creamy mouth feel. Warren noted some apple as well. We paired this with white cheeses and crackers. It was a perfect sipper before dinner.

For dinner we had the 2008 Viognier from Jefferson Vineyards. On the nose we noted light mineral or stone. In the mouth we found honeysuckle, peach, and white pepper. This one also had a nice creamy mouth feel. We paired this one with grilled chicken a simple white wine sauce and rice. The viognier paired well with our meal.

Piedmont Vineyards

/ Paul / 2 Comments

Recently we stopped at Piedmont Vineyards to visit with our friend and winemaker Gerhard von Finck. We always enjoy catching up with Gerhard and tasting his latest releases. This time he also treated us to some barrel samples!

The current lineup of white wines consist of three different chardonnays. Piedmont is known for chardonnay and this lineup doesn’t disappoint. We started with the 2009 Hunt Country Chardonnay. This one is unoaked and presents a crisp edge with fruit all around. This one received my gold star. Next up was the 2009 Native Yeast Chardonnay. Warren noted this was a complex wine with creamy notes. The final chardonnay is the 2009 Special Reserve Chardonnay. This one was aged nine months on the lees in Hungarian oak. It is a nice round, buttery chard with hints of oak and a long finish. This one received Warren’s gold star.

We started the reds with the 2008 Hunt Country Red. This one is merlot based. We noted ripe, red fruit, with an easy finish. I think this one would go well with pizza. Next up was the 2009 Cabernet Franc. This one is 100% cab franc and spent nine months on oak. We noted a raspberry nose and big, smooth raspberry notes on the tongue. This one became our gold star winner for the reds. Warren and I both enjoyed this one. Next up was the 2006 Merlot. This merlot spent 30 months in oak yet has enough fruit left to sit nicely on the tongue. The last red was the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. We noted some earthy elements, cedar, and nicely integrated tannins.

After our tasting Gerhard took us to the barrel room. We were able to sample a few wines still in barrels. We were able to taste chambourcin that was going through ML (malolactic fermentation) and was quite yeasty. However, you could see the direction it was going. We also tasted a cabernet sauvignon and a merlot. Both of these were really developing well in the barrels. I really enjoyed the merlot and look forward to it being bottled. It’s always fun to see wines in the process and attempt to figure out what they’ll be like when bottled.

Once we finished the sneak peek from the barrels, we selected the 2009 Cabernet Franc to have with lunch. We had a prosciutto and mozzarella roll with crackers for lunch. Gerhard joined us and chatted about wine the whole time. What a great afternoon! Plan a trip to visit Piedmont Vineyards soon and tell Gerhard Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Another Newbie: Crushed Cellars

/ Warren / 1 Comment

During a recent trip on the Loudon County trail, we paid a visit to newly opened Crushed Cellars. The finishing touches were still being placed in the tasting room, but the tasting bar was ready for business.

Owner and winemaker Bob Kalok guided us through a tasting of the three wines available to sample and purchase. The first wine was a crisp, dry 2009 Seyval Blanc with its characteristic citrus and mineral elements. This one was my favorite of the wines that we tasted, and I think it would pair well with goat cheeses, poultry or shellfish. As an aperitif, the fruitier (and slightly sweeter) 2009 Vidal Blanc should prove to be popular. Paul enjoyed the vibrant 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon with its cherry and plum flavors and lingering finish.

Bob hopes to expand the offerings at Crushed Cellars in the new year to include Petit Verdot and Syrah. He also sells locally produced eggs, butter, and cheeses in the tasting room; in fact, he paired the wines with cheeses produced from local dairy farms. Bob also promised to keep his operation rather small but focused on quality wines.

Of course we will return to Crushed Cellars to taste new releases at Crushed Cellars. If you are planning to visit soon, mention to Bob Kalok that Virginia Wine Time sent you.