Selections Archive

2007 Vidal Blanc (375 mL)

• A late harvest style wine expressing fresh peach and apricot aromas. With 8% residual sugar, this wine is rich and viscous without being cloying. The naturally tart character of Vidal Blanc balances the residual sugar to create a robust and refreshing aperitif. 15% alcohol. Drink within a year.

2005 Claret

• The last of the 2005 Claret. A beautiful, medium bodied wine showing just the right amount of age. Aromas of cigar box, strawberry jam, and spice dominate, while the palate offers just the right combination of tannin, fruit, and alcohol for a long finish. Drink within a year.

Continue reading June 2008 Club Shipment

2007 Noblesse Blanc

• This wine is teeming with aromas of fresh fruit – orange, lemon, melon, and pineapple. The palate gives way to aromas of orange zest against an off-dry background complemented by robust acidity. A blend dominated by Vidal Blanc, with Seyval Blanc, Viognier, and Chardonnay. Pair with lighter fare such as salads and cheeses. 0.8% residual sugar. Drink within 1 year.

2006 Cabernet Franc – 3rd bottling

• This wine has seen 17 months in barrel and its extensive élevage has yielded a wine with beautifully developed tannins and harmonious integration with the fruit and oak spice. Lots of mellow tannins provide for substantial weight and sweetness on the palate. Aromas of mocha, caramel, and graphite against a classic Bordeaux base of restrained fruit. Cellar for several months and drink through 2010. 77% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Petit Verdot.

Continue reading May 2008 Club Shipment

2007 Chappell Charlemagne Vineyard Chardonnay

• The second vintage of our stainless steel Chardonnay, this wine reprises the 2006 with upfront aromas of orange, kiwi, lemon, and melon that linger on into the palate. New for 2007 is a complete malolactic fermentation that provides a hint of creaminess that pleasantly contrasts the bright acidity. 100% Chardonnay from a specific block of grapes in the Chappell Charlemagne vineyard in Faquier County that exhibits a unique orange blossom character over time in the bottle. Due to limited quantities in 2007, this wine is available only to club members. Drink now through May 2009.

2006 Claret

• Dense layers of chocolate, cherry, and spice embrace your nose in this full-bodied Bordeaux style red. A deep, rich garnet color foretells a robust and opulent, yet smooth structure on the palate. 14 months in French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels have mellowed out ample tannins to yield a lush, fat, and sweet mouthfeel that lingers on well after you set your glass down. 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 12.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12.5% Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2012.

Continue reading April 2008 Club Shipment

2007 Seyval Blanc

• The first of our 2007 releases. Stainless steel fermented and bottled early, this wine exhibits lots of upfront tropical fruit and a hint of boxwood, similar to that of Sauvignon blanc. Dry, austere, and with bright acidity, this is a serious white that will complement seafood dishes. 100% Seyval Blanc. Drink within one year.

2007 Rosé

• Made from 100% red Vitis vinifera (European) grapes, this is an off-dry roséwine made in the French Loire style. Lots of weight in the front and back palate and complemented by a red jam character unique to the 2007 vintage. A limited supply of grapes from the 2007 vintage means this wine is available to club members only. Made mostly from Cabernet Franc with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot for complexity. Drink within one year.

Continue reading March 2008 Club Shipment

2006 Meriwether Vineyard Chardonnay

• The last of our stainless steel Chardonnay, this is the Chablis style wine that has never seen any oak. After a year in the bottle this wine is developing beautifully, showing a classic integration of fruit and mineral made famous by its French counterparts. Crisp, austere, zero residual sugar, and showing very well right now. Drink before February 2009. 100% Chardonnay.

2006 New World Red

• Our New World Red is a blend of Virginia Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mariani vineyard in northern California; it showcases the best of Virginia’s red wine with California’s most famous red. This is a medium bodied wine that is developing great structure on the palate, complementing a background of Virginia oak and jammy fruit. Will age well through 2010. 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 100% produced here at the winery in Virginia. Made in limited quantities only for our Wine Club members.

Continue reading February 2008 Club Shipment

2006 Glenway Vineyard Chardonnay Reserve

• This wine is distinguished by having spent an additional two months in new French oak barrels. A robust Chardonnay, the aroma delivers powerful fruit highlighted by spicy oak. Viscous on the palate, with subtle tannin, fruit, and spice against a classic Chardonnay background of straw and mineral. 100% Chardonnay.

2006 Petit Verdot – 2nd Bottling

• Our second bottling of 2006 Petit Verdot, this wine has spent 12 months in French and American oak barrels. This full-bodied red delivers classic Petit Verdot aromas of black fruit, pepper, and spice. On the palate, there is an elegant integration of fruit, tannin, acidity and alcohol that finishes with a hint of creamy oak. One of the 5 classic Bordeaux varieties, this wine has found resurgence as a varietal wine in Virginia. 100% Petit Verdot.

Continue reading January 2008 Club Shipment

Solera (2007 bottling)

• Our most recent bottling of the Solera contains 50% 2006 vintage wine. This wine is made from Vidal Blanc and subject to our version of the Spanish Solera system. This is a blending process by which there is always a portion of the original vintage wine, in this case, vintage 2000. Robust, sweet, with an aroma of roasted nuts, amber in color. Enjoy this wine as an aperitif or after a meal with a cup of black coffee. 15% alcohol.

2006 Cabernet Franc – 2nd bottling

• The second bottling and second blend of our 2006 Cabernet Franc. A year in barrel has let the wine develop its full potential, showing mineral, spice, jam, and toasty characters. Medium bodied in nature, this is a versatile wine that will pair with green salads to grilled red meat. Will cellar well till 2010. 77% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot.

Continue reading Winter 2007 Club Shipment

2006 25% Viognier – 75% Chardonnay

• The bumper crop of 2006 Chardonnay allowed us to make 4 blends of Chardonnay and to try something different with each one of them. The Viognier component is the same as the double-gold winning Viognier that we quickly sold out of this summer. It contributes a pleasant floral/citrus nose. The Chardonnay component comes from our Glenway and Sunday Rock vineyards. It was aged in new Hungarian oak puncheons that give it an exotic spice. The combination is a harmonious blend of bold fruit with a hint of spicy oak. Pair with grilled poultry.

2006 Rosé

• The last of the 2006 Rosé. This traditionally-made rosé is still brimming with fresh characters of strawberry and watermelon. The palate is uniquely rosé, crisp and balanced but not acidic or tannic. Made in the tradition of the Loire rosés of France, this wine is made from red grapes, primarily Cabernet Franc, before the juice has extracted the all the color and tannins from the skins. Just off dry at 3 g/L (0.3%) residual sugar. Pair with pastas and pork dishes.

Continue reading December 2007 Club Shipment

2005 Wild Ferment Chardonnay

• The last of the ’05 Wild Ferment Chardonnay. Aged to perfection in our cellars, it’s showing off big, robust fruit and butter character followed by a long finish of well integrated toasted oak. Pair with pasta, cream sauces, and white meat such as grilled chicken. Gold medal winner.

2006 Headwaters Norton

• Our second release of 2006 Norton. This blend is characterized by a slightly more earthly element than our house 2006 Norton. Dark and robust with intense fruit, but without the over the top floral character sometimes present in Norton. Norton’s natural intense acidity is mellowed by a complete malolactic fermentation. Aged 4 months in bottle. Medal winner at the ultra prestigious 2007 National Norton Wine Competition in St. Louis. Pair with eggplant, sourdough bread, and intensely flavored cheeses such as gorgonzola. 75% Norton, 25% Cabernet Franc.

Continue reading November 2007 Club Shipment

2006 Noblesse Blanc – 2nd bottling

• Second bottlings allow us the opportunity to further enhance a blend. Such is the case with this 2nd bottling of 2006 Noblesse Blanc. The already fruit-forward nature of this wine was increased with an addition of Vidal Blanc. Vidal Blanc is known for its intense fruit character as well as its acidity, so this blend will come across as clean and crisp. It shares with the first bottling lots of floral and citrus character. Off-dry, with 0.8% residual sugar. Pair with appetizers, salads, and sea food.

2005 Meritage – 2nd bottling

• The second bottling of the 2005 Meritage is distinguished by having spent an extra 6 months in barrel. The result is a bit of softening of the tannins that are more mellow on the palate. This is a big, robust wine reminiscent of a California red. Drink now or age up to 10 years. Gold medal winner at the 2007 Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition (and one of only two Gold medal-winning Meritage wines)! Pair with grilled red meat.

Continue reading October 2007 Club Shipment