For my inaugural blog, I will start with an unusual, but delicious choice…
Virginia wines have come a long way from when I first tasted one many years ago and was not impressed. Now, one can find quite a few good vineyards with some very good wines – they may not be ready to compete with the best of the great wine regions, but they are still a pleasure to drink.
Some grapes have been found to grow very well in Virginia and rank among my favorites – petit verdot and tannat, to name two. Then there are many of the other usual suspects…and then, every once in a while, there is a surprise.
Barboursville, located in the wine country around Charlottesville, is one of my favorite Virginia vineyards and they offer a great selection of quality wines. One which I did not expect to find there and have rarely seen grown in Virginia is Sangiovese.
The Barboursville 2019 Sangiovese Reserve was a very pleasant surprise. On the nose, it smells of earth, leather, and red fruit, with maybe a touch of pepper. On the palate, it tastes of red cherries and raspberries, with a hint of blackberry. It is somewhat dry, with medium acidity and low/medium tannins, for a silky smooth feel on the tongue. It is medium bodied, with an elegant feel.
Overall, it is a very enjoyable wine from a grape that I’ve not often found in Virginia – and at a very reasonable price. Unfortunately, they have pulled up these vines, so this is Barboursville’s last vintage of Sangiovese – for the near future, at least. I recently traveled dow there to purchase more and I will enjoy it while I can!