February 13, 2022 - This is still quite youthful. Ruby, little fade and no real browning. Blackberry, plums, roses, and violets on the nose. Sweet blackberry, raspberry, black cherry, tea leaves, and cedar follow. Really nice. 13.5 abv
June 18, 2019 - Unbridled American, juicy stuff with lots of blackberries, yet a fine vertical structure and cool presence, that I like. Still young.
#MA#KKWine
November 24, 2018 - The body is medium/full with a round texture. The wine finishes medium. Not complicated, and worth drinking now.
April 25, 2017 - Being a VA native for 34 years, the first thing I proclaimed to my wife when I smelled this wine was "This smells like Virginia". Hard to describe that, but it just does. Dark Fruit taste, with earth and very balanced out. Wish I had more!
January 9, 2017 - My first Virginia wine, this particular bottle was a gift from a dear friend. First impression—it's developed nicely, with brooding black cherries and plums lending weight to lighter aromas of cedar, earth, spice and pink peppercorn. The 2011 is a polished blend of 69% Merlot, 23% Cebernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot and certainly, it display's Merlot's classic silkiness and fine tannins wrapped around a juicy core. There is a touch of black tea tannin and dried leaves on the finish.
November 7, 2015 - Boy, this wine really needs time to breathe. It goes from kinda light to deep and complex over the course of two hours. After that breathing, the nose is rich and redolent with spice, black pepper, plum, red fruit, citrus peel, and some dry earth. Palate is full of bright fruit sitting over complex spices and forest floor, leading to a long finish. There's an incipient softness starting to peek out. Can't wait to see what this wine will do over the next 5 to 10 years.
August 5, 2015 - A leaner nose of red fruit and dark cherry but only a touch of cassis. Barely noticeable wood. Impression is of a nice Cru bourgeois bordelaise wine in a decent but not overripe year. Tannins are sweet and already developing softness, and the finish is moderate with a nice acidic lift. Not a good QPR at all, but a well- made wine in an off year. Until proven otherwise, the wines of Delaplane (RdV and Delaplane) are the bar-setters for Virginia Bdx.