I have some Black Ankle Syrah. I’ll open it! And if you can find it, the Black Ankle Albarino is crazytown delicious.
I’ve had both and agree. Definitely good. I think I just balked at the pricing. But not going to go there.
Re East coast wines.
I have been to several wine seminars where global warming has been discussed by University Professors.
My summary is as follows:
- There is an unmistakable trend of warming on-going;
- England and New New England are showing signs that they are warming at a rate reflecting that within say, 100 years [they never pinned themselves down], they will be warm enough to grow high quality wines;
- Napa is also warming and already is on the cusp of being too warm to grow high quality wines;
- The California Central Coast will become the premier wine growing region in CA.;
- Not sure how this impacts the rest of the east coast as they were never discussed - but continued warming may be an issue as much of the east coast is not only warm but humid and I have never heard any winery say humidity is anything but a potential and/or actual hindrance to growing high quality wines.
Southern Maryland, close to La Plata. As for when, longer than I would have guessed. The 2010 got angry when it went into bottle and continues to remain angry.
650-850 feet
Joe-
Certainly appreciate your posts and thoughtful responses on VA wines. From a quality to price ratio, I have always found that the majority of VA wines fail as compared to almost any other significant wine-producing region. For example, using a Bordeaux wine as a comparator, La Vielle Cure at a price point of anywhere from $18 to $25 (depending on the vintage) outperforms most of the VA cabs and cab blends I have tasted. And for those VA wines that can come close, they are usually double or triple that price. This is not to say that VA cannot produce very good wine - it can. Linden is one of the VA wineries that produces good to very good wines that can actually age.
I have not tried any of the Rdv wines so I cannot make any comments on those wines, other than there is no way I am buying an $80 VA wine without a track record of excellence. Based on my experience with VA wines (going back to the early 90’s), you would have to convince me with a few tastings.
In contrast, I have tried the majority of the wines produced about 10 miles away at Boxwood and they are mediocre at best. At that price point I would rather buy a Louis Martini Sonoma Cab at $12 any day.
Best,
Greg
This, unfortunately, is quite true. ![[bleh.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/c/cbb27a94fa73081862abf910a8bfa05e2ae2f5c3.gif "[bleh.gif]"){kind=small}
Sorry that I didn’t respond earlier but several thoughts"
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My reaction to the “wine bar” at Dulles is similar to my reaction to Va wine festivals. They make somebody money but do nothing to promote the image of Va wine. Forgive my redundancy but I have been very specific above about which wineries and which wines (at least red wines) I am talking about.
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I am cheap. Serious, I really am. I’m foolish enough to call one of the owners of Bergevin Lane in Walla Walla and negotiate a price if I buy, say, eight cases. Then I’ll call and harass friends and neighbors, “syndicate” them and then call Bergevin Lane back and confirm the eight cases. Then, I’ll negotiate the shipping cost for my eight cases. I’ve done this four years in a row. I must note here that 2010 Bergevin Lane Moonspell cabernet which is a $30 cab @ 22 is unbelievable! Anyway, I also buy from a half dozen places in NJ and have several stores where, again, if I am willing to buy several or more cases I can get 25-30% off.
I write all of this because, again, I am cheap.
The wine I am writing about in VA is not cheap. BUT, there is nothing wrong with buying a lot of it and getting the best price you can. RDV doesn’t discount. Not a cent. Delaplane will negotiate if you buy enough. Glen Manor and Linden are 10% or so with a case, maybe more with another case. Some of the wine I’ve mentioned is really limited; for this I am lucky as hell to get 10% off!
At the end of the day it all comes down to whether or not it is worth it. For the specific wines and wineries I have mentioned ad infinitum (forgive me) I believe they are all worthwhile at their list price. Every penny off of the list price is more incentive for me to buy more.
Bottom line: please judge my comments about the best of VA with the specific wines I have mentioned. If you like them and are willing to buy a case or more then it becomes a matter of getting the best price you can. Linden Boisseau at $36 is an awfully good wine as is Glen Manor Hodder Hill @$43 or Delaplane Williams Gap @$43. Both as several others mentioned are not just “good Virginia wine” but Good wine.
Big Cork chard is quite delicious as is Old Westminster
Absolutely love Black Ankle. Their syrah is very good, the character of their tasting room is exceptional. They also won the MD Governor’s Cup as the best wine of the year for their Crumbling Rock. There is good reason why it is open late on Friday: just a wonderful place to be and to share a bottle of very good wine.
Many years ago, I was in VA and stopped at few wineries. Making a long story short, I ended up buying 2 cases of the Horton Viognier. I think it was the 1993, but could be off on the vintage. It was an absolutely stunning Viognier. I shared many bottles with friends who were shocked when I told them it was a VA wine. I tried a few vintages after that and never was able to get the same wonderful Viognier. Some vingtages were decent, but nothing close to that wine I first bought. I finally stopped trying, but it showed me that there IS something there. I would not be shocked to see VA produce some very fine wines.
FYI - interesting article in the Washington Post Magazine this weekend:
The White Hall Vineyards viognier was very good a few years ago.
Dana Milbank is a wine guy? Anyone in DC know him? Invite him here…
This surprised me too, and I used to work with the guy – or at least in the same newsroom (we rarely crossed paths).
Milbank is a very good political columnist.
I haven’t taken to RdV’s wines, because I don’t pay those prices for even very good wines from anywhere. But VA vignerons make some good wines that are not crazily-priced. Don’t overlook Nebbiolo and cab franc from Barboursville or Chardonnay from Linden. Rausse makes good, fairly-priced vin gris from pinot noir.
There’s a fairly big vinous freak show in VA, but also some princes and princesses.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/vineyards-that-are-putting-virginia-on-the-fine-wine-map/2013/11/21/347a6ffa-3dbf-11e3-b6a9-da62c264f40e_story.html is the link which includes over 20 photographs including several which are noteworthy.
There are actually three articles along with the photos. All I can say is that I have a dozen or more cases of Va wine (RDV, Delaplane, Glen Manor, Barboursville Octagon and Linden) that I have bought over the past year. In years past I would buy a few bottles. The three wineries featured in this article (and Linden) are producing some incredible stuff. Dana Milbank’s comment about Glen Manor’s $48 Hodder Hill being a steal is well taken. I have another thread on here about Linden’s Boisseau which I feel similarly about. I feel the same way about several of Delaplane’s wines, too including the Left Bank Reserve mentioned by the Inn at Little Washington wine director. (Delaplane’s Williams Gap is the other.) I would also suggest that several of the photos are breathtakingly beautiful, capturing the the beauty of this part of Virginia.
But this is about wine. All of them are worth an investment. Whatever their wine cost before, after this major piece in the Sunday Washington Post Magazine, the price is going up.
As it should.
Breaux-not a winery that I am a big fan of-makes Virginia’s best Nebbiolo. It is only sold at the winery. It is $60 a bottle.
It is the cover story of the Sunday Washington Post Magazine including the cover photo and the two page fold inside. Title is “World-class vineyards in Virginia. Really.” 13 pages total with an additional ten photographs. This is the major feature that Virginia wine needs to take them on the national stage.
Which VA wineries are cited in the article as making great wines?