Selections Archive

2009 Seyval Blanc

• Fresh, clean aromas of tropical fruit and lime. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and bottled early to preserve its fresh aromas and flavors. Crisp acidity complements the rich palate. Made from grapes from our estate Glenway vineyard and from Loudoun Co. Drink now and through the next 12 months. 100% Seyval Blanc.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

• The king of the Bordeaux varieties makes a rare appearance in the Rappahannock Cellar line-up. Cassis, eucalyptus, and coffee define the aromas in this limited-production wine. The palate follows with jam, toast, and vanilla character. Aged for 12 months in American and Hungarian oak barrels. Full malolactic fermentation. Drink now and for the next five years. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot.

Continue reading March 2010 Club Shipment

2009 Viognier – Ducard vineyard

• From the Ducard vineyard in Madison County, this is the first release from the 2009 vintage. Partially fermented in oak barrels, this wine is classic Virginia Viognier. Ripe aromas of apricot, honeysuckle, honeydew melon, and citrus fruits persist through to the palate. Short barrel aging highlights the fruit character while letting the fruit dominate. Malolactic fermentation was blocked, retaining the natural acidity which provides a crisp finish. Drink now and through the next 12 months. 75 cases made.

2007 New World Red

• A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from the family’s vineyard in northern California and Cabernet Franc from our estate vineyard at the winery. Intense ruby color accompanies aromas of black fruit and toast against a robust palate. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 12 months. Complete malolactic fermentation. Will age for at least 5 years.

Continue reading February 2010 Club Shipment

2008 Claret

• A rich nose of cocoa, black cherry, and vanilla spice characterize this Cabernet Franc-dominated wine. The palate is completely dry and offers medium tannin and acidity, though tempered with a creaminess from complete malolactic fermentation. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. This wine has not been fined or filtered and will benefit from aging at least until 2015.

Solera

• This is a non vintage wine made from Vidal Blanc in the style of Spanish Sherry. The most important facet of the production of Sherry is the Solera system of fractional blending. Every year’s bottling is dominated by the most-recent vintage (2008 in this case), but is also blended with every previous vintage, which can date back to the founding of the winery. At Rappahannock Cellars, the Solera was established in 2000. This wine is characterized by aromas of almonds, cashews, and citrus fruits. The palate is rich in texture with a sweetness that balances the strong acidity of Vidal Blanc. 8% residual sugar. Will last forever. Sulfite free since 2006.

Continue reading January 2010 Club Shipment

2007 Chardonnay

• Sad to see this gem go. Aging beautifully now and still teeming with fresh fruit. Barrel fermented and aged in French and Virginia oak. Malolactic fermentation mostly complete for a style very similar to Burgundy. Runner up in the 2009 Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition and described as reminiscent to outrageously expensive Puligny-Montrachet (Burgundy). Drink within the next two years.

2008 Cabernet Franc – DuCard Vineyard

• Very aromatic, expressing quintessential northern Virginia terroir. Medium bodied with a rich garnet color. Smooth and refined tannins on the palate followed by a slight toasty finish. Complete malolactic fermentation and 12 months aging in French oak. 100% Cabernet Franc from DuCard vineyard in Madison Co. Age for up to 5 years.

Continue reading Winter 2009 Club Shipment

2008 Chardonnay

• Fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak barrels for five months. Aromas of kiwi, orange, lemon, fresh oak, and butter give way to a lean body with medium acidity, finishing with a slight nutty aftertaste. 100% Chardonnay. Complete malolactic fermentation. Drink within two years.

2007 New World Red

• A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from the family’s vineyard in northern California and Cabernet Franc from our estate vineyard at the winery. Intense ruby color accompanies aromas of black fruit and toast against a robust palate. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 12 months. Complete malolactic fermentation. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc. Will age for at least 5 years.

Continue reading November 2009 Club Shipment

2008 Noblesse Blanc

• A dry wine for this vintage, aged ever so softly in French oak barrels. This wine offers clean and delicate tropical fruit (banana, coconut) characters on the nose, reappearing again on the palate followed by a dry and refreshingly acidic bite. Citrus aromas (orange, lemon) appear on subsequent visits to the glass. A perfect end of summer wine. Enjoy chilled. Drink within a year. 60% Chardonnel with the balance made up of Vidal Blanc. Malolactic fermention blocked.

2007 Meritage

• Our flagship red wine is the perfect representation of the blockbuster 2007 vintage. Dark in color, rich, and extracted. Tons of black fruit character integrate with aromas of toast and a hint of spice. The palate carries the aromas against a strong backbone of tannin, slight oak, and mellow acidity. Complete malolactic fermentation and aged 16 months in French and American oak barrels. Age up to 10 years. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot, 2% Malbec.

Continue reading September 2009 Club Shipment

2008 Chappell Charlemagne Chardonnay

• Made from 100% Chappell Charlemagne Vineyard Chardonnay grapes; then stainless steel fermented to retain it’s fresh fruit character, blocked malolactic fermentation to retain it’s natural crispness, and 30 days in French oak barrels to add complexity. A veil of fresh lemon citrus (typical of this vineyard) on the nose, crisp acidity, and chalked full of Chardonnay character. Only 110 cases made for our club members only. Try this Chablis styled Chardonnay with most any summer fare; such as a crisp butter leaf lettuce salad with blue cheese, candied walnuts, and an apple-cider vinegar and oil dressing.

2008 Norton

• Made from 75% Norton, tempered with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fermented in our special “Ganimede” tanks to intensify the color and flavor extraction, then French oak aged for 6 months. Intense inky-black color, berry aromas, followed by an earthy veil on the palate. The natural Norton brisk acidity is tempered by oak aging, leading to a long and “full” finish. Try this wine with your summer barbeque; or dig back to grandma’s cookbook and try it with a well spiced beef and pork blended meatloaf.

Continue reading August 2009 Club Shipment

2008 Viognier

• A beautiful wine that captures the classic elegance of Viognier. Subtle apricot and slight grassy aromas highlight the terroir of northern Virginia. Clean and crisp on the palate, delicate yet exuberant fruit character. Reminiscent of the 2007 vintage, but with less robust alcohol (13.6%). Stainless steel fermented then aged in French oak barrels for two months. Drink now or age for about two years. Completely dry and blocked from malolactic fermentation.

2007 Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon

• This superstar Bordeaux variety makes an appearance in our 2007 red line-up. Aromas of blackberry, sweet spice, and slight tar are reminiscent of an old-world style. Dusty tannins and integrated fruit linger on the palate. Aged for 18 months in French and American oak barrels. Dry and full malolactic fermentation in barrel. Drink now or age up to five years.

Continue reading July 2009 Club Shipment

2008 Noblesse Viognier

• A bumper crop of Viognier in 2008 allowed us to make this off-dry white. Bright acidity and clean, fresh aromas characterize this wine. The nose is reminiscent of orange and lemon peel, complemented by moderate sweetness and acidity on the palate. Very similar to the double-gold winning 2006 Rappahannock Cellars Viognier. Serve cold with grilled chicken and green pepper kebabs. 100% Viognier. 1.6% residual sugar. Drink within a year.
• Gold medal – 2009 Tasters Guild Wine Judging

2007 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

• Seductive aromas capture classic Left Bank Bordeaux character. This is a dark and robust wine. A beautiful integration of fruit, oak, spice, and dusty tannins. This may just turn your world upside down. Serve with grilled steak and green salad topped with gorgonzola cheese. This wine was made here at the winery in Virginia from grapes grown in California. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. This will cellar for at least ten years.

Continue reading June 2009 Club Shipment

2007 25% Viognier / 75% Chardonnay

• Now with a little “age,” this wine is developing nicely. The aroma seems dominated by Viognier, with a fresh, floral nose. Hiding behind the Viognier is the wonderful Chardonnay aroma of fresh butter but without the oak. On the palate, the Viognier and Chardonnay are more equally balanced and showing fruit, butter, and a hint of honey. Drink now.

2006 Meritage

• This wine has now been in bottle for 12 months, and continues to impress me every time I taste it. This is still a young wine, characterized by focused fruit and acidity. Classic red Bordeaux aromas and flavors of black/red berry fruit backed up by a hint of toasted oak. This medium-bodied red will age well for many years to come. Just announced last week:
• Silver medal at the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards in London. Rappahannock Cellars was the only winery outside the states of CA/OR/WA to be awarded a silver medal or better at this, the largest and most competitive competition in the world.

Continue reading May 2009 Club Shipment