2015 Michael Shaps Tannat Honah Lee Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 90.5 points

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  8/14/2023 - steveed Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Deep purple - pronounced nose of oak, baking spices, vanilla, dark fruit, sage, rosemary, cedar, wild mushroom. Bold tannins and above average acid. Full body with a velvety mouthfeel. Solids have begun dropping out of suspension. Wish I had another to try in 5 to 10 years. I'm not sure it can get any better than it is now, but it has a long way to go before it declines. The grapes benefitted from a nearly ideal growing season and excellent terroir of the Honnah Lee vineyards at about 1,000' elevation in Virginia's Piedmont. One of 12 wines selected for the Governor's case in the 2019 Virginla Governor's Cup competition.

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  4/15/2022 - Mike6743 Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Extremely dry and full of tannin. Good chocolate flavor. Not overly aromatic. Serve 62°.

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  1/16/2020 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points

  Virginia wines: Deep purple color. On the nose, a deep core of tart currant and black cherry fruit, mixed with lovely mesquite, incense, pepper, cocoa, tons going on but it needs a lot of air. Full but fresh on the palate, solid grip, this is young but balanced. Tangy black cherry and cassis mix with lots of complex barbecue, anise, pepper, grilled herbs, and dark chocolate notes. The freshness is really attractive, and the wine finishes with deep mineral and graphite elements. I’d love to see this with five to eight years of age on it.

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  1/14/2018 - Benj Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Deep purple color. Fairly tight nose, medium-high tannin, medium acid, good balance, well-made. Needs time. I'm not quite sure about 100% Tannat in Virginia - it seems to perform best when blended with Petit Verdot - but I'm glad Michael Shaps is giving it a go.

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