This past Saturday, we treated ourselves to an elegant evening of wine and food at Gray Ghost Vineyards. The occasion was a vertical tasting of Reserve Cabernets (93, 97, 98, 99, 01, 02) and Merlots (03, 04, 05, 06). Pictures will tell the story for most of this entry, but I will share some of our notes from the evening as well as some exciting news from Gray Ghost Vineyards.
The evening started with a pre-event social in the tasting room. Featured here was Gray Ghost’s first ever release of a Riesling. The Gray Ghost 2007 Riesling presented lovely floral notes with grapefruit flavors and was served with hors d’oevres that paired well with a dry Riesling.
Before long we were invited to the wine library where the evening’s event was to take place. The setting there was truly elegant with candles creating a perfect ambiance for a night of fine, award-winning wines and dinner. We were first treated to the flight of Merlots and a first round at the buffet which featured such dishes as chicken and pasta, roasted pork loin, and venison teriyaki. Assorted cheese and dried meats were also served; of course, all of the buffet items complimented the wines. Also, Cheryl Kellert, who could probably pursue a second career as a chef, did all of the cooking
Once we all served ourselves a round of food, the room began to buzz about the Merlots. Of course, we all had our own favorites. I preferred the 05 followed closely by the 03. Both were packed with rich cherry flavors and nicely structured due to a limited yet appropriate time in oak. I also noted that the 03’s perseverance had to be due to quality wine making as 2003 was the year of rain, rain, rain and a special visit from Hurricane Isabel. Paul placed the 2006 offering at the top of his list, but his second favorite was also the 2003!
Round two at the buffet table, and this time to pair with the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons. A special feature was the 1993 Reserve Cabernet; this was the first Reserve Cabernet poured by Gray Ghost, and it earned them numerous awards and rave reviews. I say special because this was the last time that this wine will be poured; remaining bottles will continue to rest in the library. So enough nostalgia—what Cabs were the faves? I kept grabbing the 1998 and placed this one at the top of my list. To me, this one represented a fine integration of aromas and flavors; I thought it was still nicely balanced. Paul went with the sentimental favorite, the 1993 Cab.
At the end of the evening, we were treated to a pairing of a rich chocolate dessert and a glass of the 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. As the revered 1993 goes into final retirement, I predict that the 2004 will take its hallowed place at the verticals! We’ve written about this one before, and it only gets better every time we try it!
We ended our evening with conversations with Al, Amy, and Cheryl. Exciting developments include the future release of its meritage blend called Ranger Reserve which has already won a silver medal in a California wine competition. In fact, several Gray Ghost wines have won medals in California already this year and include the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay, the 2006 Cabernet Franc, the upcoming 2007 Gewurztraminer and 2007 Adieu. We’ll return to Gray Ghost to sample these upcoming releases; so, put a trip to Gray Ghost on the agenda, and tell the Kellerts and Gray Ghost that Virginia Wine Time sent you!