Last Sunday Warren and I headed to Loudoun County for a day of horseback riding and wine tasting. We began the day at Providence Farm for a trail ride. There was still snow on the ground and fall colors in the trees. Besides the beautiful views, we saw deer, all kinds of birds, and other wild life. After our memorable trail ride, we headed to Breaux Vineyards for some wine tasting. We were also there to pick up my latest Cellar Club selections.
The snow on the ground with the fall colors on the trees made for some beautiful pictures at Breaux!
One of our favorite tasting associates Silvia conducted our tasting. We always enjoy chatting about wine with Silvia when we visit Breaux Vineyards. We’ve tasted all the wines on the regular tasting menu several times but enjoy seeing how they are evolving in the bottle. The 2010 Viognier is really evolving. We tasted it for the first time at the Wine Bloggers Conference back in July. We then tasted it again in September. This time we noticed honeysuckle really standing out. It’s a complex wine that will continue to delight our palates. The non-vintage Equation is also evolving nicely in the bottle. Each time we taste it something different arrives on our tongues. This time the plum and berry flavors really stood out. This one is a great sipper and would go well with pizza or burgers.
During our tasting we were able to chat with Jen Breaux and taste some of the Cellar Club selections. We were able to taste the 2010 Lot 10-08. This is a blend of Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc. Its light and crisp and presents citrus and stone fruit notes. It had a tart finish with a hint of merinality. I decided this one would make a great sipper for the beginning of a dinner party. I brought home two bottles for that exact reason. The 2008 Six Degrees is a blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera. Warren noted violet, plum, blackberry, dried fruit, and tobacco. He thinks it would pair well with prime rib. Yum!
After our tasting we enjoyed some of the 2010 Lot 10-08 with cheese and baguette slices. Jen treated us to a glass of the 2001 Nebbiolo! Thanks Jen! The 2001 Nebbiolo is a stand out wine. It is developing beautifully in the bottle. Its light and smooth and is effortless to enjoy. If you ever get the chance to try this one, you simply must. We had a great afternoon at Breaux enjoying the wines and running into our friends Jeff and Stacey! If you visit Breaux Vineyards anytime soon, meet some friends, enjoy the wine, join the club, and be sure to tell them Virginia WIne Time sent you!
Tag: Breaux Vineyards
Friday Wines
Our sipper for the evening was the 2008 Viognier from Corcoran Vineyards. We had it with a soft creamy cheese and baguette. We noted a floral nose with lime and ripe pear in the mouth. It was refreshing on the cool fall evening. It paired well with our Friday evening nibbles. We don’t think Corcoran is making a viognier anymore and it’s just sad because this one is so nice.
For dinner we had turkey cutlets and angel hair pasta. Warren selected the 2009 Breaux Vineyards Viognier. We have loved the Breaux Viogniers in the past and just knew this one would go well with our meal. On the nose we noted honeysuckle and mango. In the mouth we picked up honeysuckle and mango, tropical fruit notes. It had a full mouth feel and a lengthy finish. And yes, it went well with our meal.
Hurricane Preparedness
We have been preparing for hurricane Irene. Warren bought caned foods, water, and batteries. He’s a veteran hurricane survivor and knows just what to do to prepare for such a storm. As part of our hurricane preparedness, we enjoyed some Virginia wines last night around dinner time.
Our hurricane preparedness sipper was the 2009 Hunt Country Chardonnay from Piedmont Vineyards. We enjoyed this wine with some swiss cheese and crackers while sitting on the balcony trying to enjoy the humid weather. We noticed a whiff of pineapple and pear on the nose and a touch of citrus and a crispness in the mouth. Of course it paired beautifully with our cheese and crackers. It also helped manage the humid temperatures on the balcony.
For dinner we opted to move indoors and enjoy the air conditioning. We were having steaks and roasted potatoes for dinner and we selected the 2007 Petit Verdot Cellar Selection from Breaux Vineyards. This was a perfect wine to prepare for the oncoming hurricane. We noticed characteristics of concentrated dark fruit, lots of dark plum, dark cherry, leather, tobacco, and carmel. Warren even noticed some pepper. We did pour it through the Soiree to help give it some air as we filled our glasses. When we poured the last drops into our glasses, we were wishing we had another bottle! The wine paired wonderfully with our dinner choices.
Are you prepared for the hurricane? Make enjoying some Virginia wine part of your preparing for the storm. If you happen to visit Piedmont Vineyards or Breaux Vineyards in the near future, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!
Weekend Wines
We had a very busy weekend and had the chance to enjoy some really nice Virginia wines. Each evening there was one wine that stood out. While we normally write about all the wines we enjoyed, we thought we’d focus on just two this time. Unfortunately I didn’t have my big spiffy camera to take some nice photos. The first one was taken with the iPad and the second was taken of an older vintage of the same wine.
On Saturday evening we decided to have some nice filets for dinner. Warren selected the 2001 Cellar Selection Merlot French Oak Select from Breaux Vineyards. How many ten year old Virginia wines do you get excited about? This one was amazing. We opened it about an hour before dinner just to let it breath. We had thick filet mignon, roasted potatoes, and veggies for dinner. This wine went perfectly with the filets. It started with a dark fruit nose which gave way to dark fruit and tobacco flavors in the mouth. What amazed me was how smooth it was. Ten years in the bottle treated this wine well. Even after dinner we continued to enjoy just sipping it. It’s the kind of bottle you don’t want to end. The next time we’re at Breaux, we need to see if they have any more!
Sunday evening we had some friends over for dinner and served the 2009 Seyval from Linden Vineyards. We had this with soft cheeses, crackers, and olives. On the nose we noticed lime and melon. On the tongue we noted wonderful lemon flavors that complimented the cheeses and olives. The acidity and crispness of this wine was perfect for a warm evening. Our guests talked about how much they enjoyed it. I think I have one more bottle on my rack. Even though the weather has cooled down somewhat, this one still remains one of our summer favorites.
What wines did you enjoy this weekend? If you visit Breaux Vineyards or Linden Vineyards anytime soon, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!