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Six to sampleOctober is wine month in Virginia, and these six wines that can be found on local shelves are recommended for sampling this, or any, month.White Hall Vineyards Viognier ($14.99) -- Aromatic with big apricots, honeysuckle. Mid-weight on the palate, crisp, dry. Would go with crabcakes, baked ham. It's big enough that it will hold up with pork but light enough that it's not going to overwhelm lighter, elegant dishes. -- Bill Robinson, Grape and Cheese Horton Cellars Winery Tower Series Viognier 2006 ($12.99) -- Floral aroma, a little bit of honeysuckle on the nose. Not sweet, though. Would work with poultry, pork, even soft, lighter dishes. -- Dave Clemons, Total Wine and More Gray Ghost Chardonnay 2007 ($16.99) -- Soft, medium-bodied wine has the classic Chardonnay flavors of pear, honey and apple. The French oak barrel fermentation and six-month barrel aging provide the smooth, toasty oak nuances. It should compli ment seafood dishes, poultry dishes and milder cheeses. -- Ian Kirkland, The Caboose Wine & Cheese Pollak Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2006 ($21.99) -- Estate-grown and 100 percent Cabernet Franc, bottled unfiltered. Pairs well with grilled meats or beef or veal stew. -- Frank Call, Belle Kuisine Gray Ghost Cabernet Sauvig non 2005 ($27.99) -- Bordeaux-style Cabernet that was blended with small amounts of Cab Franc and Merlot. Goes best with any red meat, chocolate. Stands up to strong cheese, such as bleu or stilton. -- Ben Harris, Once Upon a Vine South Pollak Vineyards Meritage 2006 ($27.99) -- This Bordeaux-style blend (44 percent Cabernet Franc, 43 percent Merlot, 13 percent Petit Verdot) has a rich full body, soft tannins and abundant fruit on the complex nose. Grilled meats or beef or veal stew would be good food matches. -- Frank Call, Belle Kuisine |
What better way to start Virginia wine month than to celebrate with a solid-gold wine of the year.
Fletcher's Chardonnay 2006 from the Winery at La Grange is that wine. It recently was named Best in Show for the Virginia State Fair competition, and its taste won over judges who named it best among the 198 wines entered.
The only unfortunate aspect of the wine is that it's available only at the winery, located just off U.S. 15 in Haymarket. To make arrangements to get the wine, contact the winery (703) 753-9360 or make the two-hour jaunt north.
The drive would be worth it. Green-apple flavors dominate this slightly crisp Chardonnay and wowed the judges so much that its score was more than a point better than the runner-up wine in the blind judging.
The wine was available for tasting at the 20th anniversary of October Virginia Wine Month with a Capitol Tasting a week ago at the state capitol. The event, hosted by the Virginia Wine Board, drew a large crowd, including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and former Gov. Gerald L. Baliles.
It also drew 24 state wineries pouring their best juices -- medal-winning wines from 2001-07. The tasting again proves Virginia has come a long way in wine quality.
La Grange's Chardonnay hung with the best that night, and in earlier competitions. The State Fair Best in Show was the third high honor for this wine. It also was awarded Best of Show Gold Medal at the 2007 Town Point Wine Competition and won the 2008 Virginia Wine Showcase People's Choice Award.
La Grange winemaker Rob Cox says there's a reason it stands out.
"First, I think the style of this Chardonnay sets it apart from other Chardonnays," Cox said. "I don't think you can really make Chardonnay more difficult to make than the way this one is made.
"It's barrel fermented, which is more labor intensive then tank fermenting. It's nonmalolactic, so the wine has to be quickly protected after primary fermentation and monitored closely through its barrel aging so malolactic does not start.
"And we also do it sur-lie and stir the lees [dead yeast cells, seeds, pulp stem and grape-skin fragments] in the wine every 10 to 14 days. Fletcher's Chardonnay is truly a handcrafted wine. It's also very important to note that the grapes came from Meriwether vineyard, which is one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in the state and annually produces high quality and concentrated fruit."
And Cox's take on the aroma and taste?
"The main aromas that come through to me are a toasted-bread and vanilla component and the fruit flavors of crisp green apple and juicy pear topped off with a vanilla finish," he said. "I think the wine is just packed full of all those long-lasting flavors that appeal to everybody."
The "Fletcher's" part of the Chardonnay's name is easily explained.
Fletcher Henderson is a good friend of Cox and was the general manager of La Grange when it opened in 2006. Before that, Henderson was helping at La Grange's sister winery, Pearmund Cellars, and was instrumental in developing a French-style Chardonnay. Henderson then moved to LaGrange and carried that style with him.
If you're looking for an award-winning red from La Grange, the 2006 Cabernet Franc would be a good choice.
"[It's] a good wine and a good representation of how well the Cabernet Franc varietal can do in Virginia and how important of a varietal it is to the state," Cox said. "It has a good floral aroma of fresh cherries and that same red fruit coming across on the palate with a spicy peppery smooth finish."
Worth the drive to Haymarket, methinks.
"Vines & Wines" appears alternate weeks in the Food section. Contact Jack Berninger at jberninger@timesdispatch.com.
