We had another successful harvest this year and we look forward to releasing the 2009 wines in the coming months. We had particular success this year with exceptional quality Cabernet Franc. Dark, rich, extracted, and with loads of typical black-pepper spice. We’re also aging our Cab Franc and Meritage component wines in new French oak barrels. I’m also excited about our 2009 Chardonnay. Most of what will comprise the final blend was fermented and is aging in French oak barrels. This year we really coddled it and fermented these wines in a temperature controlled room. Other highlights include the acquisition of some high quality Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
We recently bottled our 2008 Cabernet Franc. WOW! It’s simply phenomenal. It’s a dead ringer for high end French Loire Cabernet Franc. It is aging in bottle now and slated for release in about 6 months. We also just released the 2008 Chardonnay. Early reaction to it has been very positive. Slightly more crisp, delicate, and aromatic than either the 2006 or 2007 versions. Fresh and vibrant now, and age should reflect well on this wine. 2007 Meritage has been in bottle for half a year now and is destined to become another overwhelming success. We’ve released the 2006 “R” (super meritage) amongst the fanfare of it garnering a gold medal at the world’s largest wine competition, awc Vienna (Austria) International Wine Challenge.
I started a series of “production tastings” in 2009 that was met with great success. We taste the world’s best wines, regardless of price or origin, and compare it with our Rappahannock Cellars wines. We tend to find that the most expensive wines are not our favorites, and that our own RC wines compare favorably. We will continue these tastings in 2010, starting in February.
- Jason
Vintner of Rappahannock Cellars
