Virginia has long been known for its world-class wines, including heady viognier and Meritage red blends. Winemakers are also making exciting concoctions from less expected grapes, including nebbiolo, native to Italy’s Piedmont region; petit manseng, a white varietal native to Southwest France, and petit verdot, a powerful red that’s generally used for blending in Bordeaux.
Each year, producers across the state are invited to submit wines (and ciders) made with 100 percent Virginia-grown fruit for The Virginia Governor’s Cup. Hosted by the Virginia Wineries Association in partnership with the Virginia Wine Board and the Virginia Vineyards Association, the competition is one of the country’s most stringent. This year, in multiple rounds over a four-week period, a panel of judges led by Master of Wine Jay Youmans blind-tasted and scored a record 544 wine submissions to decide the winners. Ninety-six wines from 47 wineries that scored 90 points or higher were awarded gold medals, with top honors going to the 2015 Barboursville Vineyards Paxxito, a sweet wine made with hand-selected moscato and vidal grapes.
Coinciding with the Governor’s Cup and to encourage residents and visitors to try the state’s stellar wines, the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office recently announced the Gold Medal Wine Trail, an interactive mobile passport with gold medal-winning wineries for wine lovers to follow. Oenophiles can sign up for free on taste.virginiawine.org and redeem the passport by checking in at participating wineries, who can offer deals including free tastings and discounted prices. After visiting 12 wineries, passport holders get a branded wine tumbler.
Eleven other wines comprise the Governor’s Cup Case. Recently, winemakers from all of the case-winning producers joined Youmans and members of the media and trade for a virtual tasting of the 12 top bottles:
Overall Winner: 2015 Barboursville Paxxito ($35): For this offering, Italian-born, third-generation winemaker Luca Paschina riffed on the spelling “passito,” the Italian tradition of making dessert wines from partially dried grapes. Moscato ottonel and vidal blanc grapes are handpicked and stored in 20-pound crates for 100 days in a barn with continuous ventilation before being crushed, pressed, fermented, and aged in French oak. The resulting wine is luscious, concentrated, and complex, with notes of honey and orange marmalade. Try it with soft cheeses or a slice of olive-oil cake with candied kumquats.
2019 Barboursville Vermentino Reserve ($23): Fermented in stainless steel to retain its gorgeous purity of fruit and acidity, this refreshing white is made in the same style and with the same grape variety that Paschina grew up drinking in Sardinia and Liguria. Light-bodied with lemon, minerality, and a hint of mouthwatering saltiness, it’s a perfect option for oysters on the half-shell or branzino baked with lemon and herbs in a salt crust.
2019 Bluestone Vineyards Petit Manseng ($25): Lee Hartman accidentally fell into the winemaking field; today, the Shenandoah-born producer is a huge advocate for Virginia wines. This bottle is made with 100 percent petit manseng partially fermented in new French oak. A floral nose is joined by just the slightest touch of residual sugar for a beguiling wine that would be a match for aromatic curries or other slightly spicy Asian fare.
2015 Michael Shaps Wineworks Meritage ($50), Composed of 39 percent merlot, 28 percent cabernet franc, 16 percent malbec, 11 percent petit verdot, and 6 percent cabernet sauvignon, this Bordeaux-esque blend spent 20 months in oak barrels. Savory and structural with ripe tannins, balance, and concentration, this age-worthy wine drinks like it’s a lot more expensive than its price tag; serve it with well-marbled ribeye with a peppercorn rub.
2016 Breaux Vineyards Meritage ($45): Winemaker Josh Girard deemed 2016 to be a good vintage blessed with great weather. He starts with 57 percent merlot to give the Meritage a solid base, then blends in 19 percent cabernet franc, 18 percent petit verdot, 5 percent cabernet sauvignon, and 1 percent malbec–just to include all five red Bordeaux varietals. A cool fermentation and cold soak along with all that merlot makes this a softer, easy-drinking red with restraint and well-integrated oak. Enjoy it with seared lamb chops or roasted chicken.
2016 Barboursville Vineyard Octagon ($55): One of Virginia’s most famous and most lauded wines, Octagon dates back to 1991. This is its 19th vintage (it’s only produced in the top years), made with 46 percent merlot for red fruit and soft tannins, 38 percent cabernet franc for elegance and texture, and 16 percent petit verdot for structure and grip, and aged for at least 12 months; drink a glass with your favorite cut of steak or grilled spice-rubbed pork tenderloin.
2017 King Family Mountain Plains Meritage ($70): Winemaker Matthieu Finot wanted to make a New World-style red that was bigger, more concentrated, and more age-worthy than its Old World counterparts. He blends 43 percent merlot with 35 percent cabernet franc and 22 percent petit verdot; the result is a wine with good fruit, balanced tannins, and integrated oak. Its big, bold style can stand up to well-flavored meat and game as well as strong cheeses.
2016 Breaux Vineyard Nebbiolo ($62): This wine is made from the same grape responsible for renowned Piedmont reds Barolo and Barbaresco, an early budding grape that’s also the last one to be picked, Girard says. Though it’s known for its high acidity and tannins, he wanted to show its floral and tobacco nuances, too. He ages it in 20 percent new oak and 80 percent neutral oak; the resulting wine shows savory notes of tar, anise, and black olive. Sip it with braised veal shank or short ribs in a tomato ragu.
2019 Carriage House Wineworks Petit Verdot ($31): This unassuming garagiste-style winery in Waterford uses estate-grown fruit for this wine, made with 100 percent petit verdot. Though it’s a grape usually used in blends, winemaker Michael Fritze calls it “friendly to grow in Virginia,” with loose bunches that aren’t prone to mildew or rot from the high humidity. It shows great purity of fruit and soft tannins even in its youth, and might just become your go-to Virginia red (and something surprising to open when friends come over).
2017 Veritas Winery Petit Verdot ($45): Winemaker Emily Pelton says that not only are petit verdot’s loose clusters indeed forgiving, but that the grape can show different styles depending on the elevation and aspect on which it’s grown: rustic and tannic versus floral and delicate, for example. This one is fermented with some of the stems to add a layer of tannins and freshness, and aged 16 months in 50 percent new oak. She recommends aerating or decanting it before serving.
2017 R.A.H. Wine Co. Series 1 ($35): This sweet wine named for her grandmother’s initials is a side project of Maya Hood White, who oversees the vineyards and supports wine production at Early Mountain Vineyards. Made with 75 percent petit manseng and 25 percent malvasia bianca in a passito style with partially-dried grapes, it shows gorgeous notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom along with lively acidity. Intense yet balanced, it’s a great partner for cheese.
2014 Trump Brut Reserve ($80 SRP): Made with 100 percent chardonnay using the traditional method and aged for 5 years on the lees, this sparkling wine shows an autolytic character with hints of toasted nuts, brioche, and bread dough. Winemaker Jonathan Wheeler has worked on this property since 2006, when it was the award-winning Kluge Estate.
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