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Virginia Wineries Tour
Loudon County, VA
Tasted August 13, 2019 by VlgJeff with 86 views
Introduction
A one day tour of five wineries in Loudon County, VA.
Flight 1 - Doukenie Winery (7 notes)
White
2017 Doukénie Winery Pinot Gris
Tasting sample at the winery. A medium bodied wine with a bit more personality than some pinot grigios. Tastes of green apple, some pear, nice acidity, but a very slight bitterness on the finish.
White
2017 Doukénie Winery Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting sample at the winery. Very pleasant version of Sauvignon Blanc. Medium bodied with lots of grapefruit, and touches of pineapple and gooseberry, with very nice acidity. Bought a bottle.
White
2016 Doukénie Winery Chardonnay
Tasting sample at the winery. Aromas of coconut. The wine goes through full Malolactic as it ages for 11 months in 100% new oak. Medium to plus bodied with tastes of apple and pear, and OK acidity. Too much oak overlay for us, but we do like the ML.
Red
2015 Doukénie Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting sample at the winery. Clear pale ruby in color. On the palate there was relatively light red fruit, earth, OK acidity, and lots of drying tannins. May need more time in cellar. Will not rate, but impression is far below other ratings here,
Red
2016 Doukénie Winery Zeus
Tasting sample at the winery. Blend of 40% Tannat, 30% Cab Franc, 30% Merlot. Pleasant red fruits on the nose. Not as much red fruit on the palate, lots of earth, and OK acidity. Not as 'rough' as we expected. Probably needs more time in the cellar.
Red
2016 Doukénie Winery Vintner's Reserve
Tasting sample at the winery. Blend of Cab Sauvignon. Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot. Nice showing of red fruits, earth, and some tannins, with good acidity.
Red
2014 Doukénie Winery Merlot Dionysus Block No. 1
Tasting sample at the winery. Quite earthy, with some red cherry fruit, and balancing acidity. Seemed a bit weak, with not as much presence as expected.
Flight 2 - Sunset Hills Winery with 50 West (6 notes)
White
2017 Sunset Hills Vineyard Chardonnay Clone 96 Shenandoah Springs
Tasting sample at the winery. Use of neutral oak with slight malo. Medium bodied with tastes of apple, pear, and good acidity.
White
2017 Sunset Hills Vineyard Viognier
Tasting sample at the winery. Use of neutral oak, Nice floral aromas, with a bit of musk? Floral dominates the palate, with some citrus, and a touch of tropical, plus very slight bitterness on the finish.
Red
2016 Sunset Hills Vineyard Cabernet Franc Reserve
Tasting sample at the winery. Blended with 25% Petit Verdot. Aged 18 months in French oak. Lots of red cherries on the nose. A very generous palate of red and dark red fruits - especially cherry, a dose of earth, and good acidity. Nice wine.
Red
2015 Sunset Hills Vineyard Mosaic
Tasting sample at the winery. A 'meritage' blend of Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot that is aged in a combination of Hungarian, French and American oak. Red cherries on the nose that follow on to the palate along with some earth notes and a bit more acidity than needed to balance.
White
2017 50 West Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting sample at the winery. All stainless steel. The wine was a bit 'weak' in that the fruit flavors were hard to find, but the acidity was good.
Red
2015 50 West Aldie Heights Cuvee
Tasting sample at the winery. A blend of 34% Tannat, 34% Petit Verdot, 24% Cab Franc and 8% Merlot. Light red fruit aromas that follow on to the medium bodied palate, along with abundance of drying tannins. May need more time in the cellar.
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Flight 3 - 868 Estate Vineyards (6 notes)
White
2017 868 Estate Vineyards Chardonel
Tasting sample at the winery. A hybrid grape from chardonnay & sauvignon blanc. The wine is neither here nor there. It has a weak presence of some of the flavors of chardonnay, with the solid acidity of sauvignon blanc. Pass.
White
2017 868 Estate Vineyards Chardonnay
Tasting sample at the winery. Mostly green apple with a touch of pear, and more acidity than needed to balance. Pass.
Red
2017 868 Estate Vineyards Cabernet Franc
Tasting sample at the winery. A blend of 82% Cab Franc, 9% Cab Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. Nice cherry aromas. A medium bodied wine with a good balance of red cherry, earth, and acidity. (might score mid-80s).
Red
2017 868 Estate Vineyards Altezza
Tasting sample at the winery. A blend of 63% Nebbiolo and 37% Merlot. Light aromas of red fruit. The medium bodied palate showed red fruits, some earth, good acidity, and some tannins. Nay need more time in cellar.
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Red
2017 868 Estate Vineyards Meritage
Tasting sample at the winery. A blend of 37% Merlot, 30% Cab Franc, 28% Cab Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Nice balance of red fruit, earth notes and acidity. (might score mid 80s).
White - Off-dry
2016 868 Estate Vineyards Vidal Blanc Late Harvest
Tasting sample at the winery. Off dry (8% residual sugar), but with a 'grapey' taste.
Flight 4 - The Barns at Hamilton Station (6 notes)
White
2017 The Barns at Hamilton Station Viognier
Tasting sample at the winery. Light floral aromas that follow onto the palate, along with some peach, some apricot, good acidity, and only a very slight bitterness on the finish. In all, a good effort.
White
2017 The Barns at Hamilton Station Cascina
Tasting sample at the winery. A blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Petit Manseng. The nose is dominated by the Sauvignon Blanc aromas. On the palate, the fruit presence is a bit light, but the acidity is good.
White
2017 The Barns at Hamilton Station Petit Manseng
Tasting sample at the winery. Light aroma of pineapple. Palate offers a variety of tropical fruits (e.g., pineapple), some juicy acidity, and a hint of honey on the finish. A good effort.
Red
2017 The Barns at Hamilton Station Bank Barn Red
Tasting sample at the winery. A blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, Merlot and Chambourcin. Some aromas of smoke and earth. On the palate there is red fruit, some earth, some smoke, OK acidity and some tannins. Would probably benefit from more time in the cellar.
Red
2017 The Barns at Hamilton Station Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting sample at the winery. Some Cab Franc blended in. Very nice palate of dark red fruits, some earth, balancing acidity, and lots of tannins. Keep in the cellar for another 2 or 3 years to allow it to soften. Good effort.
Red
2016 The Barns at Hamilton Station Meritage
Tasting sample at the winery. Approximately equal parts Petit Verdot, Cab Franc and Merlot, with 12% Cab Sauvignon. Aromas of smoke and earth. These follow onto the palate along with a good dose of dark red fruits, nice acidity, and some tannins. Would probably benefit from another year or two in the cellar. Good effort.
Flight 5 - Casanel Vineyards (6 notes)
White
2017 Casanel Vineyards Pinot Gris Ellianna Estate
Tasting sample at the winery. All stainless steel. Notes of lemon and lime on the nose. These follow on to the medium bodied palate along with some pear and minerality, and juicy acidity.
White
2017 Casanel Vineyards Pinot Gris Patricia Marie
Tasting sample at the winery. Aged in American and French oak. Medium bodied wine with lemon, melon and noticeable oak on the palate.
White
2017 Casanel Vineyards Chardonnay
Tasting sample at the winery. Was told that the wine did not go through Malo, but sees a combination of stainless steel and French oak. Mostly lemon on the medium bodied palate, along with some pineapple, some pastry notes, and good acidity.
Red
2016 Casanel Vineyards K2
Tasting sample at the winery. A blend of 40% Merlot, 33% Cab Franc, 13% Cab Sauvignon, 7% Carmenere, and 7% Petit Verdot. Aged in French oak for 15 months. A medium bodied wine with lots of red fruits and black cherry, balancing acidity and lots of drying tannins. Needs another 1 to 3 years in the cellar to soften. Good effort.
Red
2016 Casanel Vineyards Carménère
Tasting sample at the winery. Aged 16 months in French oak. A touch of lilac on the nose. The medium to plus bodied palate showed lots of red fruits (esp. cherry and raspberry), some earth, and good acidity. Probably needs a year or two in the cellar. Good effort.
Red
2016 Casanel Vineyards Petit Verdot
Tasting sample at the winery. Nice red fruits and a touch of violet on the nose. Lots of dark red fruits and blueberry on this medium bodied wine. Good acidity with some violets on the finish. Keep this wine in the cellar for a couple of years to soften and integrate the hefty tannins. Very good effort.
Closing
A relatively wide range of quality and drinkability. Some bright spots. Wines are not rated, but some comments contain opinions.