Part 3 – Kluge Estate
Founded in 1999 by Patricia Kluge, this is a winery that has cash. The tasting room is fantastic (good cheese selection too), there are lots of new vineyards, with more coming. There’s lots of potential here, but it could easily be overwhelmed by hype/glitz.
Kluge SP2004 Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) – Very youthful and yeasty. There’s nice potential here, with dry citrus character, but at $42 it’s way overpriced. Roederer Estate, at less than ½ the price, is still a noticeably better wine.
Kluge SP 2004 Rosé (89% Chardonnay, 11% Pinot Noir) – Tart berry aromas and flavors. Very astringent on the palate. Perhaps the only wine of the day that was out of balance. A tough sell at $45.
2006 Rosé (blend of the five Bordeaux varieties) – Chalky, astringent strawberry flavors. Tastes like it spent too much time on the skins. The fruit flavors are nice, but it’s tough. $13.
2005 Viognier – Remember when I said that most Virginia wineries let the Viognier fruit shine through? Well here’s one that uses oak, and the spice buries the fruit. This ain’t Guigal’s Condrieu Dorianne folks. Ease up on the oak. $26
2003 Simply Red (36% Cab Sauv, 28% Cab Franc, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot) – Very smooth and soft. There’s light berry fruit, and it’s easy to drink. $22.
2002 New World Red (50% Cab Sauv, 35% Merlot, 15% Cab Franc) – Blackberry, black cherry, solid but supple tannins and good length. This is a very nice wine, but it’s only the equal, not the superior, of other reds I tasted this day, and at $62 vastly overpriced.
2006 Cru (100% Chardonnay) – Now this is an incredibly interesting wine. It’s all Chardonnay, fortified with local brandy and aged in used Jack Daniel’s barrels. It’s smoky, fruity, way too easy to drink, and would also be fantastic served over some chipped ice with a twist of lemon. It’s not at all hot/spirity despite the fortified nature (it is served cold), and the peach, citrus, smoke and vanilla flavors meld very well. Yum! It’s also a good value for what it is, at about $28 for 750ml.
So there’s a last minute save, as the final wine was the best and best value of the tasting. Kluge is making some interesting wines, but overall I think they are over-reaching right now in terms of image and price. If quality continues to go up then that might very well come into balance soon. I would ease up on both the prices and the Cabernet Sauvignon.