Let’s be honest. If you know me, you know that when I go to Arterra there is a case coming home with me. Of course the 2021 red wines release is no exception. While it was 96 degrees out, we enjoyed the shade and forest bathing and a nice breeze that made being outside amazing. I was joined by Wine Friend 1 and that other wine blogger.
If this is your first visit here, and you haven’t heard about the innovative stuff Arterra is doing, well sit right down and I will tell you! Arterra is really about producing wine with low intervention, focusing on native yeast fermentation and using neutral oak. You don’t get additives that change the flavors of what nature produced in those grapes during that year. That’s what makes what Arterra is doing so interesting.
Part of what I love so much about Jason Murray’s work is that he loves unpacking the reasons the wine turns out the way it does, based on the growing season and the specific sites where the grapes grew. He does this in an intro video, sharing his thoughts about the 2021 red wines with all who watch. I find that these videos are best watched a few times, especially after tasting the wines, so you can really get a sense for what he is communicating about winegrowing during that season. I watched it before I got to the winery so I’d have some sense of what I was tasting. Sadly, Jason was busy harvesting, I think Albariño, and if you cannot spend time talking to Jason, then knowing that he is harvesting this grape to make Arterra’s first release of it is pretty satisfying too.
I remember 2021 very fondly – it’s when I retired from one job and relocated to greater Charlottesville and built a dream retirement home – I got a new job that I love and will stick around at, defying my expectations for retiring completely before 55. I also remember it being hot and fairly dry, and thus a great season for grape growers, maybe less so for other farmers. And thus we get some of the best aspects of 2019’s long hot dry summer, but with a little better rainfall and some cooler periods too. The wines reflect that with very bright fruit, great expression and I expect a likelihood of aging for a good bit. I’m looking forward to putting a few on the rack to hold on to for a while.
So without further ado, let’s get started.
The release tasting had seven (yes SEVEN) reds on it. There was a remix of a wine we haven’t seen in a while, plus a new twist on an old best friend. The only one missing was our new friend Norton, but that, I am told, will age a bit longer in order to develop – I’m very excited to see that one come around too.
First up, a true fan favorite, the 2021 Cabernet Franc. As we know and love this wine from Arterra to be, it was fruity, a light easy drinker, and very expressive. Their Cab Franc is really kind of my go-to evening sip that doesn’t have to be paired with anything at all – just enjoy as is. This was good stuff.
Second on the list, and different from the typical lineup, was Petit Verdot. We’ll get to why the order changed in a little bit. We found this one to be wound a little tight – I don’t think she was ready for her close-up quite yet. The structure of PV was evident, nose was great and with a few more months in bottle, it will be great. I grabbed one for my Arterra PV Library, because I’m confident, and Arterra PV does NOT disappoint.
Third in the flight was the 2021 Tannat. We know Tannat so well. The hotter it gets, the bigger the wine gets. For this hot, drier year, we get a big, round, juicy, full Tannat that is dark and wonderful. Plum and forest floor and depth is what I get overall. It’s less intense than we’ve seen in recent years, and it’s good stuff. I took two home of this one. One will sit and age for a good long while, and one will be consumed with a good medium-rare cut of steak.
The fourth wine in the tasting flight was Petite Sirah – normally this shows up as the second wine and is light and pleasant. Not from 2021 though. This was big stuff, bigger than the tannat. There was a long finish with a good amount of spice in it. This is a winter winner wine. I put this as my #1 for the day, and grabbed 4 bottles, because if this lasts, I will be shocked. I see myself by the fire with it this winter, especially if there is a big snow. The dark red fruit and spice come together beautifully in the glass. Get this wine now.
Ahhhhhhhhh my pressshhhhhhhhhhhhhhous. Crooked Run 2021. You’re in my life again. A great example of the estate blend – I adore this wine. Wine Friend 1 adores it too, and she isn’t a big fan of Tannat and PV. The Petite Sirah isn’t heavy at all in this blend – 17%, but the impact shows. I love the way these three grapes from the same site play so well together, and this is what Jason does so well – putting this blend together to truly represent the growing season at the site. You know I took three home because there is a lovely rack dedicated to a Crooked Run historical perspective. Two I will take care of in due course.
There were bonus wines. First, the Trilogy 2.0 – a new take on the previous release. The first one was blend that had Fer Servadou from Hillsboro Vineyards. I don’t remember liking that grape from my trip to Hillsboro five years ago. I didn’t hate the blend containing it, but it wasn’t a wine I purchased. I know a few people who raved about it and collected it, and they did run out, so it had a home. This one does not use any of the Fer, rather it has Tannat, PV and Zweigelt. The blend has this interesting creamy thing happening with it. I didn’t bring any home – I’m curious to see how it changes over time and what Jason may do with Zweigelt moving forward.
Finally, another star of the show. Zero Petit Verdot. Zero intervention, no sulfites, all from the Seven Oaks site in Purcellville. It was far more open than the Estate Petit Verdot was, and it had the tiniest spritz happening in it. I actually love this one, and I suspect it may even be good with a slight chill on it. Three bottles came home, and one will go to the beach to test the chill theory.
Matt and I seemed to generally be in agreement over the wines here – with Petite Sirah being the big winner and the zero PV being an awesome surprise. Wine Friend 1 agreed that the zero PV was fun and interesting too, so we’ll see what she thinks about a slight chill on it at the beach.
We took the lazy Sunday afternoon in the shade and I enjoyed glasses of Rosé, zero Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc. I was thrilled to see the white wines were still available and grabbed two more zero chardonnays – one for the beach! Wine Friend 1 will be joining us there at the end of this month, and she cannot spare one of the zero chard’s she bought, so it’s on me. Alas, friendship is about giving.
Hot dry 2021 is bringing forth some wonderful red wines. It brought amazing changes to my life, and the wine is really great too. Get to Arterra and enjoy these soon!
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