Virginia's Finest...?
Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.
Tasted Saturday, June 23, 2012 by isaacjamesbaker with 650 views
Flight 1 - A whole lot of Virginia wines (7 Notes)
These Virginia wines were all gold medal winners. I really want to like Virginia wines, and every now and then I come across a solid one, but these "award winners" did not exemplify Virginia in a positive way. The judges must be crazy. Who on earth would give out all these Virginia wine awards and not even include one viognier? I was surprised by the number of red wines that won, considering I've always found Virginia's white wines to show more promise.
Flight 2 - Palate Cleanser (1 Note)
I needed a muscadet to cleanse my palate of some of that sweet, oaky taste.
Flight 3 - Virginia's Big Reds (6 Notes)
A lot of these reds weren't just disappointing, they were not well-made. Overall, most of them tasted startlingly similar, showing sweet red fruit, too much oak, and some bitter tannins.
Flight 4 - Non-Virginia Wines (5 Notes)
Afte all that sweet plonk, it was time for some more serious wines...
2008 Trump Winery Blanc de Blancs 86 Points
USA, Virginia, Central Virginia, Monticello
Reticent nose of lemon-lime, some chalk. The palate shows tangy acid and green apple fruit. The bubbles seem a bit weak, but overall this is a nice sparkling wine. Nowhere near good enough to justify the price point, but that's Trump for ya.
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2010 White Hall Vineyards Gewürztraminer 83 Points
USA, Virginia, Central Virginia, Monticello
Aromas: sweet lychee fruit, mixed nuts, white grapes. Rich and oily on the palate, almost like green grape jelly. There's some sweetness here, and lots of chunky tropical fruit, but also some white pepper and spice to keep it interesting. It's hard to get too excited about a gewurz that doesn't have any of the mineral flavors I love in wines from Alsace. Still, this is an impressive effort.
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2010 Tarara Winery Viognier Honah Lee 60 Points
USA, Virginia, Northern Virginia, Loudoun County
Wow, I can't believe this wine got a "gold medal." It's unbearable. Aromas of white grapes, oil and marmalade. The palate tastes bitter, like someone crushed grape seeds in with the fruit. However, the alcohol clocks in at 15.5%, making this taste like some bizarre cocktail gone wrong. Bitter fruit, overbearing alcohol. Disgusting flavors. How someone could vote to give this wine a gold medal is beyond me. It's quite miraculous to taste a wine this bad that doesn't have a specific chemical flaw. It's like they set out to create the worst wine possible.
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2009 Linden Chardonnay Hardscrabble 90 Points
USA, Virginia, Northern Virginia
We snuck this "silver medal" wine into the tasting... which begs the question... who the hell are these judges and why did they not give this wine a gold? It's insane. This chardonnay is well-made and delicious. Aromas of green apple, white flowers and fresh pear. Lots of gummi fruit flavors, white peach and green apple, balanced by solid acid. It got better with two hours being open. This is a great Virginia chardonnay that gives me hope for the state's white wines.
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2010 Keswick Vineyards Merlot 71 Points
USA, Virginia, Central Virginia, Monticello
The first red of the tasting didn't bode well for the rest of the Virginia reds. It smells like sweet cassis, oak and cherry jam. The palate is full of sweet fruit, lots of grippy oak, it kind of tastes like spiked grape jam. Cough syrup lingers on the finish. Ugg.
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2008 King Family Vineyards Meritage 87 Points
USA, Virginia, Central Virginia, Monticello
Okay, now we're dealing with a legit Virginia red wine. It smells like dessert: cherry pie, cheesecake topping and black cherries. Lovely nose. The palate shows grippy tannins, sweet cassis, and a distinct note of iron and rare meat. It's very Napa-esque, but even a bit sweeter. This wine had the most petit verdot in it, which could contribute to that extra weight and grip that a lot of the other reds were laciking. It's a good wine, but when I heard it was $70+, I thought... no friggin' way.
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2010 Jefferson Vineyards Cabernet Franc 70 Points
USA, Virginia, Central Virginia, Monticello
Aromas of sweet cherries, musk, tobacco and some old barn. The palate is sweet with cherry fruit and oak. This wine is mouth-coating, and it tastes sweaty. There is absolutely no acid. To be honest, this wine is a total mess, and it's nowhere near Virgnia's best example of cabernet franc.
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