Season

2010 was an extraordinary winegrowing year in Virginia. High heat and extremely dry conditions prevailed throughout the growing season. Add in an early bud break and no season-ending tropical storms, we enjoyed a long growing season which in turn allowed our grapes time to attain ultimate and full ripeness.

Winemaking

The grape clusters were hand-harvested on September 5 and then chilled for 24 hours to help retain fresh acidity and delicate aromatics. To extract the juice, whole clusters were pressed with the first light press fraction or free run juice being separated from the later moderate press fraction or press juice. This press juice was later sold on the bulk market. The free run juice was cold settled for 24 hours and then racked and inoculated with yeast for fermentation, ⅓ in new 225L French oak barrel and ⅔ in stainless steel tank. Fermentation lasted about 30 days at around 55ºF. After completion of fermentation, the wine was blended into stainless steel barrels to aged on light yeast lees for 16 months and bottled in March 2012.

Varietal

100% Petit Manseng

Production

75 cases of 375 mL bottles

Aging Potential

2012-2030

Season

2012 was an excellent year for growing grapes in Virginia. It was reminiscent of the stellar 2009 vintage. Bud break occurred very early, around the last couple days of March. Flowering was also early, at the end of May. Summer temperatures were normal, with some hot days and some cool ones. Rainfall was rather low for most of the summer, turning very dry in August just before harvest. A couple of minor rain events occurred in late August and early September but after these rains past, the rest of harvest was beautifully dry, sunny and warm during the days and very cool and crisp during the night time hours.

Winemaking

Hand-harvested on October 25, the grapes were then placed in our walk-in cooler/freezer for about 2 weeks until frozen. To extract the juice, whole clusters were pressed while slowly thawing. The first light press fraction or free run juice being separated from the later moderate press fraction or press juice. This press juice was later sold on the bulk market. The free run juice was cold settled for 24 hours and then racked and inoculated with yeast for fermentation, ⅔ into new 225L French oak barrel and ⅓ in stainless steel tank. Fermentation lasted about 30 days at around 55ºF. After completion of fermentation, the wine was blended into stainless steel barrels to aged on light yeast lees for 16 months and bottled in February 2014.

Varietal

100% Petit Manseng

Production

768 bottles (375mL)

Aging Potential

2014-2030

Season

2013 consisted of a troublesome growing season and a beautiful ripening and harvest season. The spring and early summer months were warm and wet resulting in the vines growing wildly and rapid. This, in turn, caused us to work long and rapidly just to keep up. But by mid-August and through October the rains ceased and the vines stopped growing and put their energies into ripening their fruit. There were no tropical systems in our area and we enjoyed many sunny and warm days and very cool crisp nights.

Winemaking

Hand harvested on 6 November, the grapes were then placed in our walk-in cooler/freezer for about two and a half weeks until frozen. To extract the juice, whole clusters were pressed while slowly thawing. The first light press fraction or free run juice being separated from the later moderate press fraction or press juice. This press juice was later sold on the bulk market. The free run juice was cold settled for 24 hours and then racked and inoculated with yeast for fermentation, ⅔ into new 225L French oak barrel and ⅓ in stainless steel tank. Fermentation lasted about 6 months at around 55ºF. After completion of fermentation, the wine was blended into stainless steel barrels to aged on light yeast lees for 9 months and bottled in February 2015.

Varietal

100% Petit Manseng

Production

1400 bottles (375mL)

Aging Potential

2015-2030

Season

The weather of 2015 in Virginia was quite normal——or predictably quite unpredictable. A cold winter, hitting zero a few nights, followed by a cool dry spring with normal bud break around April 15. Early summer had increased frequency of rains but by the end of July the rains stopped and late summer into early autumn once again became very dry with beautiful fall ripening and harvest weather.

Winemaking

Hand harvested on 16 November, the grapes were then placed in our walk-in cooler/freezer for about two and a half weeks until frozen. To extract the juice, whole clusters were pressed while slowly thawing. The first light press fraction or free run juice being separated from the later moderate press fraction or press juice. This press juice was later sold on the bulk market. The free run juice was cold settled for 24 hours and then racked and inoculated with yeast for fermentation, 1/2 into new 225L French oak barrel and 1/2 in stainless steel barrel. Fermentation lasted 4 months at around 55ºF. After completion of fermentation, the wine was blended into stainless steel barrels to aged on light yeast lees for 11 months and bottled in February 2017.

Varietal

100% Petit Manseng

Production

1070 bottles (375mL)

Aging Potential

2018-2030

Season

In late March, temperatures went from 18ºF to 72ºF in less than 12 hours. Some buds were lost in this event but overall yields were not impacted. A ten-day rainy period in April was welcomed for newly planted vineyards but caused excessive growth and high disease pressure in the older more established plantings. August into September was very warm and dry resulting in the most compressed harvest here in 22 years.

Winemaking

Hand harvested on 11 November, the grapes were then placed in our walk-in cooler/freezer for 12 days until frozen. To extract the juice, whole clusters were pressed while slowly thawing. The juice was cold settled for 24 hours, racked off its sediment and inoculated with yeast for fermentation in 2/3 new French oak barrels and 1/3 stainless steel tanks. Four months later, on March 5, 2017, after fermentation ceased, the wine was blended into stainless stell barrels to age on light yeast lees for 10 months and bottled in February 2018.

Varietal

100% Petit Manseng

Aging Potential

2020-2030