Save that it neglects RdV, which is making the best (and most expensive) red wines in VA by a wide margin on both counts. Jim Dolphin was making excellent wine at Delaplane Cellars, including Syrah (!?) with aging potential. Sadly the vineyard he sourced from was re-planted and he ended up selling the winery to members of his wine club.
The perception that day trippers make up the majority of VA wine sales is probably true, though quality will sell - RdV sells out of its wine to mailing list each year. As Joe notes, Glen Manor and Linden both make excellent wines, with Jim Law of Linden having trained both Jeff White at Glen Manor and Rutger at RdV.
Jim Dolphin also trained in Jim Law’s program at Linden before he and Betsy started Delaplane.
Do you really believe Rutger is selling out of his Lost Mountain every year? FWIW his ‘10 Roundezvous was excellent even at $80. When he went over $100 for Lost Mountain I stopped buying.
Delaplane was almost a home away from home for me when Jim and Betsy owned it. They had a hard core group of fans snd friends that enthusiastically appreciated what they built.
We actually tasted his ‘13, ‘14 and ‘17 Williams Gap’s side by side a few months ago. He felt the ‘17 might have the most potential with time. (I think it’s $65 at Delaplane today and worth every penny.) Also, Delaplane’s Springlot Reserve was grown by a friend and gentleman a few miles away. The ‘10 of this was amazing. Nobody expected what we poured. When everyone had their first taste there was five or ten seconds of silence. Then we all immediately reached for another sip.
Betsy was superb running the front of the house.
Delaplane is still a beautiful, special winery but for us it is not the same without them.
I should have mentioned that Jim Dolphin also trained with Jim Law. Most Delaplane reds are ageworthy, particularly the Left Bank and Williams Gap. Have had both back through 2010 (hey, some think these wines can’t make 10 years) and still have the syrah from 2007/ 2010. Agreed that Delaplane isn’t the same, though will say I don’t miss the song and dance necessary to buy their wine in case quantities. Always required a call to Betsy if she wasn’t on premises.
FYI Lost Mountain is now $195/btl, and sells out.
This is one of the many times I wish that Frank Drew were still with us. His knowledge of VA wines was encyclopedic. He sadly passed away about three miles from both Delaplane and RdV.
I have seen RDV for sale at retail. For example, the local wine shop closest to me here in Arlington VA sent out an email about 2 months ago hawking several newly released RDV wines. Plus, I see RDV on a fair number of restaurant wine lists (or I did pre-pandemic; I have not seen many wine lists period the last 18+ months). That said, I don’t it a lot (nor many other VA wines) at retail much. I suspect that retail is, by far, the smallest sales channel for VA wineries (which makes sense given fairly small volumes; plus the profit margin is certainly higher for direct sales (tasting room is probably highest, followed by mailing list) and for restaurant sales).
This thread reminds me of all the ones I need to visit (King and Early Mountain to be specific). Sadly I only have a few weekends free to do such things anymore
I had a bad experience at Delaplane, but it was rude staff (to the point that I never actually got to try the wines). Might have just been an off day, but still . . . We didn’t enjoy Horton either, but they have a ton of wines and the staff just took our tasting sheet (you picked your own) without any help and gave us plastic shot glasses to take outside to drink. No help, information, guidance. It was weird, and the wines we picked were not good. Maybe the whites would have been if chilled (which they weren’t).
For Barboursville, the cab franc is our least favorite of theirs. The Italian varietals always seem to be at a good price point and the Octagon impresses and is not expensive at all. I didn’t mind the machine-pour tasting room, mostly because there were employees milling about that chatted us up about all the wines, asked what other styles we liked, gave us extra pours so we could try other things we didn’t consider. It was weird to get the wine that way, but the overall tasting experience was still really informative and enjoyable.
Horton makes too many wines to be any good at any of them. I’ve never understood the love for Barboursville wines. We did the regular machine-gun tasting and were unimpressed. The reserve tasting was hardly much better.
The wines brought no joy at all and were tough to get through. Tannic, bitter wines with little fruit. But that’s just my opinion.
Barboursville does a once a year historic Octagon tasting which may include six, seven or more earlier vintages. It is done in their cellar and is an exceptional experience.
I have a lot of older Octagon and the chance to taste a number of these vintages side by side is worth an overnight trip to Charlottesville (a Great university and wine town!).
Again, including RDV, I sincerely believe 2009 Octagon is the best red wine ever made in Virginia. ‘01, 07 and ‘10 were exceptional and ‘17 has a great deal if promise.
I simply believe there is a truly limited market for $195 VA wine no matter what RDV claims it is selling to a small list of regulars. This is almost double the price of Cayuse Bionic Frog and most Saxum, similar in price to Sine Qua Non. But I have not had an RDV Lost Mountain since the exceptional ‘10 vintage. I should note their Friends and Family which is, amazingly, an excellent value but not typically thought of as an RDV wine. Friends and Family through the ‘17 vintage was $39 or $40.
Many of those reading this would sincerely appreciate the annual Octagon tasting. Well worth contacting the winery and being included in the mailing when they announce the date.
It justifiably sells out quickly.
Note: Jim and Betsy sold Delaplane two years ago. We have not been back but this is not a comment on the new owners. We are just close to its founders and, for us, would not be the same. Delaplane Cellars is an extraordinarily beautiful winery.
Well, I was going to come here and give my opinion on Virginia wines but Joe’s post is almost exactly what I would have written, except his is better and more informed
I lived in Virginia 2016-2019, tasted at a lot of wineries and I have very little to add to this post haha. I will say that if you’re looking for value, Flying Fox (Veritas’ kids) sells some good wine for $20, though I do think it is a step down from what others are doing at $30-40, and their loud, spartan tasting room makes this 33-year-old feel like an old man.
Those Delaplane Williams Gaps are outstanding. I likewise haven’t been back since the sale.
Michael Shaps’ wines, both under his own label and at the Barns at Hamilton Station, are well worth seeking out. My favorite of the many good Petit Mansengs made in the state.
Stone Tower also makes surprisingly compelling Bordeaux blends from a relatively young estate vineyard near Leesburg, but the pricing is not competitive ($70) and they seem to be leaning heavily on their proximity to DC to sell good but overpriced wine to wealthy day trippers.
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