Shortly after the Governor’s Cup winner was announced we headed over to Cana Vineyards and Winery with some friends to taste the winning wine and the current line up of wines.

We decided to start with tasting flights of some of their wines. Jill and I selected the white wine flight which consisted of three of their current whites. We both agreed the 2021 Rhapsody in White was our favorite. We thought it was a perfect white for warm afternoons with light fair. The tropical notes were particularly delightful. I also liked the 2020 Chardonnay. I noted lemon curd, apple notes and a creamy ending. I thought it would pair nicely with some fish dishes or even oysters.

Warren and Michael picked a flight that consisted of one white wine and two reds. They both liked the zesty nature of the 2020 Albariño. Michael really enjoyed the 2019 Petit Verdot. He tends to like bigger reds and noted the cherry and chocolate notes of this one. The tasting room manager, Don treated us to a few more tastes. We tasted the 2021 Rose of Cab Franc. We enjoyed the strawberry notes. We also appreciated the dry, crisp and refreshing nature of this one. Our next taste was the 2019 Melbac. It had a nice dark color, a fresh fruity palate. Don told us it was blended with some petit verdot. Our final taste was the 2019 Le Mariage which was selected for the Governor’s Case and won a gold medal. This one is a Bordeaux blend with cabernet sauvignon making up 43% of the blend. This was the most complex red we had tasted at this point in our tasting. We noted plum, black cherry, a hint of spice and ended with some soft tannins. We saw why it was selected for a gold medal and a member of the Governor’s Case.

After our tasting we decided to splurge and share a bottle of the Governor’s Cup winning 2019 Unité Reserve with our lunch items. The 2019 Unité Reserve is a blend of 65% Petit Verdot, 29% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot. Dark fruit notes were present with vanilla and oak notes and moderate tannins. It paired nicely with our roast beef slices and hard cheeses. Warren thought it would pair nicely with his famous leg of lamb. What a nice bottle of wine! We added this one to our list of wines to bring home.

Since we were in Loudoun County we decided to visit a new winery after our time at Cana. We selected the Old Farm Winery at Hartland.

From their website:

Open since November 6th, 2021, Old Farm Winery at Hartland lies on 35 acres of preserved 18th century farmland and newly-planted vineyards in Aldie, Virginia, with a charming renovated 19th century farmhouse and barn, outdoor bar, and expansive outdoor seating area. We bring an authentic working farm winery experience just one hour away from the hustle and bustle of Washington, DC. Old Farm Winery at Hartland is located in the heart of historic “hunt country” of Loudoun County and is rich with colonial and Loudoun’s famous fox hunting history.

Old Farm Winery is the sister winery to the Winery at Bull Run.

Our tasting associate, Bill Ellis expertly walked us through the six wines on the tasting menu. The 2020 Rosé was our favorite of the whites side of the tasting sheet. We noted lots of berry notes and Warren picked up some mint as well. He also thought it would pair well with lamb chops. Bill also let us taste the 2021 Tally-Ho – a white blend with stone fruit notes, white pepper and ginger.

We then moved on to the reds. The 2020 Meritage is a Bordeaux blend finished in American oak barrels. We noted smoke, red fruit notes, plum, spice and medium tannins. I put a star next to this one. Bill also let us taste the 2018 Meritage – another Bordeaux blend with seed berry notes and bigger tannins. While it was very nice, we did prefer the 2020. We also enjoyed the 2020 Petit Verdot. It’s one of my favorite grapes. We noted some nice fruit up front, tart cherry and savory notes at the end. Warren wrote down sage. Another really nice red.

After our tasting we shared a bottle of the 2020 Meritage with some hard cheeses and crackers. It was nice to get to add another winery to our list of wineries visited. This is number 198. Before leaving we picked up a few bottles of our favorites and thanks Bill for a wonderful tasting experience. If you are looking for a new winery to visit, think about Old Farm Winery at Hartland. Of course plan to visit Cana and pick up a bottle of the Governor’s Cup winner while supplies last. And when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!