Quick VA Trip (Linden, Naked Mountain, Boxwood)

I am reviving this thread as I'll be heading over the river this weekend to the Charlottesville area on Friday/Saturday.

I plan to stop by Barboursville and Horton (Norton re-tasting) to pickup a a few bottles (no tasting) on Friday. On Saturday, I plan to visit Linden and Boxwood to taste their wines.

Any other recommendations? I definitely want to visit Linden but I'm open for something other than Boxwood.

As a side note, there was an interesting article in the WP about RdV, a new winery that plans to charge $90 for their Bordeaux blend (http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/wine-first-growth-virginia-a-fledgling-vintner-wants-to-prove-its-possible/2011/03/07/ABonkTY_singlePage.html) but the experts are doubtful a $90 wine from Virginia will succeed. They don't have a tasting room however.

Thanks,

Dave

Hi David -

Thank you for your writeup on Virginia wines. It's been a while since I have been to Virginia, but I did have a decent Horton Norton at a restaurant there five years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't take a note, and don't know what vintage it was. Too bad that, judging by the comments in this thread, these wines seem to have gone downhill in recent years.

Anyway, I'll look forward to reading more of your Virginia winery notes.

Any other recommendations? I definitely want to visit Linden but I'm open for something other than Boxwood.

Boxwood was much more successful with the 2007 vintage than they were with the 2008 in my opinion. I really did not like the 2008 Boxwood and the 2008 topiary was good but nothing more.

Kind of close to Linden is Rappahanock Cellers. My wife liked them a lot more than I did and we both prefered the whites. Be careful if you go as the shortest route from Linden to Rappahanock as that route takes you on some interesting roads. If you don't like narrow, winding roads some of which are gravel you may want to stay to major roads.

In Front Royal is Glen Manor which I have not visited yet but I have read some nice comments about the wines. The owner/winemaker worked at Linden prior. I plan to stop next trip that way which could be as early as Sunday.

Hi David -

Thank you for your writeup on Virginia wines. It's been a while since I have been to Virginia, but I did have a decent Horton Norton at a restaurant there five years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't take a note, and don't know what vintage it was. Too bad that, judging by the comments in this thread, these wines seem to have gone downhill in recent years.

Anyway, I'll look forward to reading more of your Virginia winery notes.

Andrew - I'm not the "McIntire" that writes for the WP; we just share a similar name.

Any other recommendations? I definitely want to visit Linden but I'm open for something other than Boxwood.

Boxwood was much more successful with the 2007 vintage than they were with the 2008 in my opinion. I really did not like the 2008 Boxwood and the 2008 topiary was good but nothing more.

Kind of close to Linden is Rappahanock Cellers. My wife liked them a lot more than I did and we both prefered the whites. Be careful if you go as the shortest route from Linden to Rappahanock as that route takes you on some interesting roads. If you don't like narrow, winding roads some of which are gravel you may want to stay to major roads.

In Front Royal is Glen Manor which I have not visited yet but I have read some nice comments about the wines. The owner/winemaker worked at Linden prior. I plan to stop next trip that way which could be as early as Sunday.

Brian - thanks for the information; I'll probably visit Linden and Glen Manor and possibly Boxwood on Saturday.

Hi David -

Thank you for your writeup on Virginia wines. It's been a while since I have been to Virginia, but I did have a decent Horton Norton at a restaurant there five years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't take a note, and don't know what vintage it was. Too bad that, judging by the comments in this thread, these wines seem to have gone downhill in recent years.

Anyway, I'll look forward to reading more of your Virginia winery notes.

Andrew - I'm not the "McIntire" that writes for the WP; we just share a similar name. ]


David - Thanks for pointing out the the mistaken identity on my part. Didn't mean to confuse the two of you.

Excellent summary of the state of play in the Virginia wine industry, Glenn, and this is your money quote:

I have been to wineries that seem to put more attention to wine tours, tasting rooms and marketing than they do to the actual wines.

It's hard to grow good wine; site selection is the first thing most new wineries fail to do well (actually, failing to understand how hard viticulture is, and will continue to be, is their first mistake, and everything else follows from that, IMO) Most of the vineyards that I've seen in Virginia have been plunked down in former cow pastures (Hey, no trees to cut down!), rather than on slopes that would promote drainage. Soil testing? Nope, most don't even think about the best kinds of soils for our climate and for the kinds of grapes they want to grow.

Everyone, when they start, vows that they fully intend to make "world class wine", but when that proves too difficult, and of course it is, it's time to start booking the weddings, bachelorette parties, rock concerts and hot air balloon rides that have become the bane of the industry in this state.

IMHO.

What Frank said.

Excellent summary of the state of play in the Virginia wine industry, Glenn, and this is your money quote:

I have been to wineries that seem to put more attention to wine tours, tasting rooms and marketing than they do to the actual wines.

It's hard to grow good wine; site selection is the first thing most new wineries fail to do well (actually, failing to understand how hard viticulture is, and will continue to be, is their first mistake, and everything else follows from that, IMO) Most of the vineyards that I've seen in Virginia have been plunked down in former cow pastures (Hey, no trees to cut down!), rather than on slopes that would promote drainage. Soil testing? Nope, most don't even think about the best kinds of soils for our climate and for the kinds of grapes they want to grow.

Everyone, when they start, vows that they fully intend to make "world class wine", but when that proves too difficult, and of course it is, it's time to start booking the weddings, bachelorette parties, rock concerts and hot air balloon rides that have become the bane of the industry in this state.

IMHO.

All of the Virginia wineries I visited this weekend where on rocky slopes. And maybe coincidently, they all had very nice wines.

Glen Manor's vineyard was on a western facing rocky slope half-way up a mountain - you could see Skyline Drive just a bit further up. On the other side of the mountain, Chester Gap was also on a rocky slope but it was eastward facing (the server said the early morning sun drys out the grapes and prevents the bad things (mold, fungus, etc)). Finally, Linden site was more rolling hills than rocky slope.

To your point though, they probably didn't replant the cow pasture but put some though into it.

David,

As of course you know, having just visited, all three vineyards are within a relatively short distance from one another. Jim Law (Linden) was an early pioneer in that part of Virginia and definitely had to clear his rocky and sloped site before planting his vines. Jeff White (Glen Manor) worked at Linden for a number of years; his most recently planted vineyard is on a really dramatic slope with a breathtaking view. Although Bernd Jung (Chester Gap) never worked at Linden, he might have taken Jim's classes on vineyard and cellar practices (I don't know that for sure), but I think it's probably safe to say that he took a lot of inspiration from Jim's approach.

[James Roscoe]

Ever since Horton decided to be big rather than good I have not tasted a decent Norton.

Chrysalis is rather good. At least it was the last time I was out there.