Virginia is for Wine Lovers?

One of the challenges with this blog is that I often don't have my notebook by me and by the time I get around to trying to write about it I often forget the details. That doesn't make for a dynamic post. So I'm going to try something new.  I'm writing the post as I do a taste test.

I traveled this weekend to Virginia to help my son get set up for his summer internship in DC.  While I had some time in my room before heading to meetings tomorrow, I thought I would taste some of Virginia wines.

While we know California for our best wines, Virginia was really the birthplace of American wine.  It began after Thomas Jefferson returned to this country after being in France, he helped established a vineyard next to Monticello.

This is a unique challenge because of the climate. The winters can be harsh and the summers can be hot and humid.  Not exactly the same type of climate as California.

To test these wines, I chose three different Cabernet Franc from three different wineries.  The first is the 2009 Cabernet Franc from Prince Michel Vineyards. This wine has a strong dark cherry aroma. The strong fruit flavors come through first with a hint of spice. Overall a very smooth tasting wine.

I've not had a Cabernet Franc as a single varietal.  In the past, I've had several wines where Cabernet Franc is used in blending but not as a stand alone wine. This is a unique experience. This grape is pretty hardy so it can withstand the climate.

While not my favorite wine so far it is drinkable.

On to wine number two, the Jefferson Vineyards Monticello Cabernet Franc.  I'm tasting a non-vintage Cabernet Franc. This wine has a very different aroma than the first.  It's not as overtly fruity as the first. It does have a black cherry aroma but there's more vanilla coming through. This is a very dry red wine.

Not bad.  I'm undecided about the first two.

The third was a recommendation from a wine store in McLean.  It was the answer to my question about the quintessential Virginia wine. It's from Horton Vineyards. It has a more similar aroma as the Prince Michel only there's more spice.  It doesn't have the strong cherry as the Prince Michel. It reminds me of several good meritages from California.

This is certainly the best of the lot. The wine was a lot more complex than the first and I liked it better than the Jefferson Vineyards.  The history buff in me wanted to love the Jefferson wine but it wasn't enough.

At the end of the day, the wines were good -- and perhaps better than I thought -- but still not up to the standards set by other wine making regions of the United States most notably California, Oregon and Washington.  But I'll keep on trying.