While visiting Charlottesville on the very wet Columbus Day weekend, our intent was to participate in a barrel tasting at Barboursville Vineyards. When we pulled into the parking lot there were two busloads of people entering the tasting room, and we knew that we were in for a busy afternoon at Barboursville Vineyards. We were excited nonetheless, and we opted to play the barrel tasting by ear. In the meantime, we enthusiastically joined the crowd for a sampling of Barboursville’s latest releases with an eye on the vertical tasting table that caught our attention. We made our way to the white wine bar and sampled the offerings. Of note was the 2005 Pinot Grigio and the 2005 Chardonnay; Paul found the Riesling especially enjoyable. Moving right along, we then reached the red wine bar; particularly pleasing was the latest Merlot with its rich cherry flavors. The gold star, however, had to be the Octagon 7th edition. This bolder red presents a Bourdeaux-style blend that is heavy with dark fruit, tobacco, and spice.

With the crowd getting even larger, we made the decision to spend more time with the vertical tasting at the expense of the barrel tasting—not an easy decision. However, we were not disappointed as the vertical tasting gave us an excellent opportunity to gauge just how far Virginia wines had come along over the past 15 years.. At the first table we were treated to a flight of Cabernet Sauvignons. The Cabernets began with the 1991 vintage and continued through 2003; an extra treat was the inclusion of a corresponding flight of Reserve Cabs. Of course, we started with 1991, and we must admit that these earlier vintages were not very good—good vegetable stock, but not good wine. However, we noticed that as we progressed through the vintages, the wines got better and better. The turning point seemed to be 1996, and the improved quality was most evident with the 1998 vintage shining very brightly at both the reserve and non-reserve tables. At the second table our tasting associat e guided us through a flight of Cabernet Francs, and here again, noticeable improvements were noticed as we progressed through the vintages. Warren’s favorite was the 1997 vintage. We took this experience as a affirmation that the quality of Virginia wines turned a dramatic corner in the mid-1990s.

At the final table we were able to taste a small flight of Pinot Noirs. Barboursville only produced Pinot Noirs in 1991, 1992, and 1993. They were still selling some of the 1993 vintage at the tasting table. The Pinot Noir was surely an experiment at Barboursville in the early 1990s, and we understood why they stopped producing it when we completed the tasting. Much of winemaking is trial and error, and we commend the attempt and the decision to stop production of Pinot Noir. These type of important decisions have allowed Barboursville to excel at other varietals such as the Barbera and Merlot.

From the vertical tasting tables, we made our way back to the tasting bar to sample the dessert wines. Phileo is always a treat to sample, and our tasting associate surprised us with an exclusive taste of the Barboursville Brut. The Barboursville Brut is a must try if possible and destined to delight guests at holiday parties. Nice apple flavors and a dry finish complement the effervescent bubbles in the glass; for the quality, the price cannot be beaten!

We will certainly attempt the barrel tasting another time. However, we enjoyed our time at Barboursville Vineyard, and with purchases in hand we hit the wine trail for our next stop. Check in later to see where we ended up!