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 red grapes time to attain ultimate and full ripeness. These are hedonistic red wines.

Winemaking

The grapes were hand harvested and chilled overnight. A double sorting, (pre- and post-destemming) was performed and the berries were destemmed without crushing. The whole berries filled small one-ton fermenters and then cold soaked for 4 days. Moved into the fermentation room, the bins were warmed to 60ºF and inoculated with yeast. Fermentation lasted about 7-10 days with 2 cap punch downs each day. After about 2 weeks of additional maceration, the wine was pressed off, allowed to settle overnight and racked into barrels the next morning. The barrels were inoculated with a malolactic culture and this fermentation lasted from 30-60 days. Once ML fermentation was complete, the wine was racked out of the fermentation room back into our cellar and allowed to rest. During the summer of 2011, the final blends were made and the wine was transferred from primarily new French oak barrels to older, neutral barrels for further aging. Bottled unfiltered in March 2012.

Varietals

40% Cabernet Franc, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot

Production

75 cases

Season

2011 was a fine growing season but ended on a down note with a very challenging and wet harvest season. Bud break occurred normally, around mid-April and flowering too was normal, around the first of June. Summer temperatures were normal, with some hot days and some cool ones. Rainfall was normal for most of the summer, turning very dry in August just before harvest. On August 26th, 1.5 inches of rain fell from the remnants of hurricane Irene. Then on September 4, the onslaught of tropical storm Lee began, bringing 5 inches of rain, and the rains did not stop for another 30 days. We left our red grapes to hang through the rains and when it was all over they had gained ripeness but about 50% was lost. All of our red grapes required bleeding off juice soon after crushing to reduce the dilution effect from these rains.

Winemaking

The grapes were hand harvested and chilled overnight. A triple sorting, (at picking in the vineyard, and on the crush pad, pre and post destemming) was performed and the berries were destemmed without crushing. The whole berries filled small one-ton fermenters and then cold soaked for 4 days. Moved into the fermentation room, the bins were warmed to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and inoculated with yeast. Fermentation lasted about 7 to 10 days with 2 cap punch downs each day. After about 1 week of additional maceration, the wine was pressed off, allowed to settle overnight and racked into barrels the next morning. The barrels were inoculated with a malolactic culture and this fermentation lasted from 30 to 60 days. Once ML fermentation was complete the wine was racked out of the fermentation room back into our cellar and allowed to rest. During the summer of 2012, the final blends were made. Bottled unfiltered in August 2012.

Varietals

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Petit Verdot, 14% Merlot

Production

300 cases

Aging Potential

2012-2016

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. Harvest began in late September and lasted through the middle of October.

Winemaking

The grapes were hand harvested and chilled overnight. A triple sorting, (at picking in the vineyard, and on the crush pad, pre- and post-destemming) was performed and the berries were destemmed without crushing. The whole berries filled small one-ton fermenters and then cold soaked for 4 days. Moved into the fermentation room, the bins were warmed to 60ºF and inoculated with yeast. Fermentation temperatures reached into the mid-80s and lasted about 7-10 days with 2 cap punch downs each day. ML fermentation began in the bins after primary fermentation was complete. After additional maceration time of from 2-3 weeks, the wine was pressed off, allowed to settle overnight and then racked into new and older French oak barrels where ML fermentation completed. The wines rested for five months before this blend was assembled during the summer of 2014. This wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined in February 2015.

Varietals

47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot

Production

425 cases

Aging Potential

2015-2020

Season

Following an extremely cold winter, spring was wet and cool and the first half of summer was wet and hot. In August, the rains stopped and we enjoyed a relatively dry and warm harvest with no tropical storms moving through our area. Harvest began in late September and lasted through the middle of October.

Winemaking

The grapes were hand-harvested and chilled overnight. A triple sorting, (at picking in the vineyard, and on the crush pad, pre- and post-destemming) was performed and the berries were destemmed without crushing. The whole berries filled small one-ton fermenters and then cold soaked for 4 days. Moved into the fermentation room, the bins were warmed to 60ºF and inoculated with yeast. Fermentation temperatures reached into the mid-80ºs and lasted about 7 to 10 days with two cap punch downs each day. Malolactic fermentation began in the bins after primary fermentation was complete. After additional maceration time ranging two to three weeks, the wine was pressed off, allowed to settle overnight and then racked into new and older French oak barrels where malolactic fermentation completed. The wines rested for five months before this blend was assembled during the summer of 2015. This wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined in May 2016.

Varietals

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot

Production

450 cases

Aging Potential

2016-2025

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

The grapes were hand harvested and chilled overnight. A triple sorting, (at picking in the vineyard, and on the crush pad, pre and post destemming) was performed and the berries were destemmed without crushing. The whole berries filled small one-ton fermenters and then cold soaked for 4 days. Moved into the fermentation room, the bins were warmed to 60ºF and inoculated with yeast. Fermentation temperatures reached into the mid-80ºs and lasted about 7-10 days with 2 cap punch downs each day. ML fermentation began in the bins after primary fermentation was complete. After additional maceration time of from 2-3 weeks, the wine was pressed off, allowed to settle overnight and then racked into new and older French oak barrels where ML fermentation completed. The wines rested for five months before this blend was assembled during the summer of 2016. This wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined in February 2017.

Varietals

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot

Production

370 cases

Aging Potential

2017-2025

Season

A wet winter, including a 26 inch snow event in January, followed by a cold (18F) to hot (72F) April, followed by 19 days straight of rain in May started the vintage off bad. But August through early October was hot and dry making the vintage a great and memorable one. Wines are big, concentrated, and well-structured.

Winemaking

Fermented in small one-ton bins, 14 days of post fermentation maceration, gently pressed, then aged for 17 months in French oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Varietals

68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot

Aging Potential

2018-2025

Season

A benchmark Virginia vintage. Everything went right in 2017. Normal bud break, flowering, and fruit set. Ample sunshine and heat but not too hot. On the dry side but again not too dry. A very uneventful harvest, weather-wise, allowing decision making based solely on fruit flavor and aroma.

Winemaking

Fermented in small one-ton bins, 14 days of post fermentation maceration, gently pressed, then aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered.

Varietals

68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot

Aging Potential

2019-2030