2008 Williamsburg Winery Governor’s White

On June 2, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Governor’s White from the Williamsburg Winery in Virginia. It is their best selling wine and a semi-dry table wine. This wine was purchased for under $7 and is traditionally a blend of Vidal Blanc, Muscat, Cayuga, and Gheisenheim grape varieties. All of these varieties are white grapes. Vidal Blanc usually produces sweet, fruity wine. Muscat is know for its floral character and is ancient in origin. Muscat also produces “grapey” wines. The Cayuga grapes are a New York variety which can sometimes show a musky note. My guess is that the Gheisenheim is a variety from Geisenheim, Germany which is based on Riesling. Anyone know what they are using?

Color

In the glass this wine is a light yellow, straw-like color similar to a Riesling.

Aroma

The nose is quite complex with quite a lot of different aromas showing. There are faint citrus components such as lemon and grapefruit. Dominating the nose is a musky note which might be from the Cayuga. There is also a grape juice aroma perhaps coming from the Muscat.

Flavor

The attack shows a bit of the sweetness, but not excessively. There is a overripe honeydew melon component showing. In the mid-palate I pick up a hint of an orange component. This wine is not highly acidic and surprisingly it is heavier than I would have expected. I believe it is medium-bodied. The finish is short but crisp. This should pair well with spicy food.

Rating

This wine is well priced and is a fascinating blend of grape varieties. For my palate it works better with food than on its own. I rate it 78 points.

I am excited about trying more wines from this producer as I think some of their other wines may fit my palate better. Have you tried any yet?

Credit to My Vine Spot for pointing this wine out to me in Quick Sip: Calling Governor Williamsburg!

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Rapidan River Unoaked Chardonnay

On March 2, 2010, In White, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the non-vintage Rapidan River Unoaked Chardonnay by Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery from Virgina. This 100% Chardonnay based wine is aged in stainless steel for 8 months. It was purchased for under $10.

Color

In the glass it is a very light beige color.

Aroma

On the nose this wine shows good green apple and ripe melon notes. There is also a distinct custard apple note.

Flavor

On the attack there is honeycrisp apple flavors and then in the mid-palate a honey note is present. It finishes with pineapple and grapefruit notes. The acidity of this wine will make it very food friendly and crisp. It is medium bodied and unlike a lot of wines it actually improves as it warms up. Despite the fact that it is a dry wine, the fruit provides a lot of rich flavors.

Rating

I enjoyed this wine and liked the difference between it and Chardonnay under oak. I only wish it was available in a vintage version. I rate it a solid 88 points.

Have you had a Unoaked Chardonnay?

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2008 Horton Vineyards Viognier The Tower Series

On December 14, 2009, In White, By dcpatton

Today we are tasting the 2008 Viognier “The Tower Series” by Horton Vineyards from Orange County, Virginia. We have previously had the 2007 Horton Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Viognier was once a rare white grape of the northern Rhone valley (Condrieu). It is now well established in Virginia. We located this bottle for under $12. One of the cool factors of this bottle besides the nice black with gold design is that the plastic cork lists both the website and the phone number. It is always good to see innovation.

Color

In the glass this wine is light golden in color and due to its age it is a bit frizzante.

Aroma

On the nose there are nice lemon and peach components. We also detect a little oak aroma though it is very mild. Overall it is less aromatic than we hoped. There are no floral characteristics showing right now. Viognier is noted for the floral nose.

Flavor

On the attack it is showing good body and the peach is making the transition from the nose. The mid-palate and finish show a lot of flavor. Mixed in with the lemon and orange is some Muscat like components. It finishes with a creamy vanilla component (probably oak). This is a interesting effort from Horton. Our guess is that it was picked slightly later in the season so it is basically a semi-dry Viognier. It pairs well with spicy dishes.

Rating

This is a interesting wine and offers some complex aromas and flavors. If you like Chardonnay, then give this a try. We rate it 86 points. As always, our palate isn’t yours, so let us know what you think of this wine.

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2007 Horton Vineyards Cabernet Franc The Tower Series

On November 20, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Cabernet Franc “The Tower Series” by Horton Vineyards from Orange County, Virginia. I have sent the vineyard a request for more information about the percentage of grape varietals used in this wine. Horton is a very intriguing vineyard due to their use of many different varietals. It is definitely a place I want to explore more. I found this bottle for under $11. I heard about this vineyard from Charlie Adler (@idrinkonthejob) of www.idrinkonthejob.com. It comes in a gorgeous package with a plastic cork (nice).

Color

It is somewhat thin in the glass with a good ruby red color.

Aroma

What an interesting nose. The oak is definitely playing a strong part. However, there is also some good blackberry and mint. I really like it.

Flavor

The attack has some good fruit. There is cherry and red currant. One thing I like right off the bat is that it isn’t too sweet. It tastes like real wine instead of a sugary substitute. On the mid-palate there is more cherry and some strawberry. The finish shows a little vanilla and the cherry lingers for a decent length. There is also a smokiness on the end. There are not any strong tannins, so it is drinkable now. My only complaint is that the oak is too much throughout. It covers up the taste of the wine and I don’t think it is adding the velvety smoothness that some wines achieve with it. But if you like oak, it will not impede the enjoyment of this wine. It will pair well with beef, pork and tomato sauced pasta.

Rating

I like this wine and think it is a decent value. I really wish they had used less oak treatment. It would have matched my palate even closer. I rate it 88 points. I am definitely looking forward to trying some of Horton’s other offerings. Have you had any? If so, what do you recommend?

Update: Neil Glaser of Horton Vineyards responded to my request and let me know that this is a blend of 86% Cabernet Franc and 14% Tannat. It was aged for 18 months in oak barrels.

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