Time for the Awards

There is more excitement than ever in Virginia Wine, with the Monticello AVA being named the Wine Enthusiast Wine Region of the Year. The 2023 vintage promises to be not just memorable, but exceptional in terms of flavor, quality, and longevity. And the flagship competition in Virginia, the Governor’s Cup, has released the medal awards for 2024. Chances are, you already know this, are aware and have looked at the list.

If you’re a longtime reader, you know I’m skeptical at best of points, scores and awards. However, I do pay attention to them, and I’ve met a handful of the folks involved in the judging, and I follow them on social media and generally respect their opinions, guidance, and recommendations. I’m probably softening how I feel about these things, although I maintain wine preferences that diverge from many of the trade publications and professionals.

The entire competition has changed, (read Frank Morgan’s unpacking of his preparation for the process) with new leadership and a very different judging panel. I scoured this year’s list just to get a sense of what’s happening, and I’m pretty pleased with what I see for a number of reasons. For one, I see a much wider variety in terms of wine styles and winemakers than I have previously seen. It is crucial for the state’s primary governmental agency in charge of promoting agro-tourism and wine actively supporting and assisting in maintaining the diversity of winemakers and styles in the Commonwealth. The variety extends to varietals too – I see Albariño, white blends, and so many wineries I’ve never seen on the list. I suspect more wineries have entered the competition due to so many factors (having enough wine on hand to enter and sell, reaching a comfort with their wine quality, and just having more vineyards period) and that’s exciting.

A few thoughts on wines I love that are in the list:

Gold medals for Ankida Ridge 2022 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – While I do find the ’22 Pinot Noir a little bit young for my taste, it is becoming an absolutely charming red wine, especially after some time in decanter. I think it’s very close to perfect coming out of the bottle, definitely by the end of this calendar year. I’ve got 21s and 22s on the rack for the long haul (along with my secret stash of 17 Pinot Noir Reserve). Ankida Ridge makes gorgeous wines that store well and drink well for a long time.

Gold medals for Hark 2019 Merlot and Spark – that Merlot made my list of Ten Bottles I Loved in 2023, and is really a great wine. I have one left so be watching for your invite… but these are solid wines that provide great fruit flavor, they are eminently drinkable whether paired with food or by themselves, and these medals are well-deserved.

Gold medals for Mountain and Vine’s 2021 Petit Verdot Reserve and 2022 Chardonnay – I don’t know that I’ve had the Chardonnay, but the PV was great and provides a gorgeous backbone in their red blends. I truly enjoy what they’re doing and am excited to see Stephen Barnard’s influence come there. The 2022 Screaming Hawk earned a silver medal, a bit of a shock since the 2021 vintage won the Cup in 2023 – and the 2022 is really quite nice with plenty of echoes of the 2021 lovely fruit and depth. This year’s panel was very different from last year’s, and brought different perceptions to the table. But that is great, as it will highlight other wines and wineries. That’s what I am after here.

Gold for Southwest Mountain Vineyards 2021 Cabernet Franc and 2021 Petit Manseng – I did not sample the 2021 Petit Manseng that I can recall (maybe I should re-read my own post!). Their Cabernet Franc I remember being solid in terms of how it exemplified the varietal and compares to other Virginia Cab Franc. It’s exciting to see a new winery on the scene get these awards. They also got bronze medals for their 2019 and 2021 Petit Verdot. You know I adore PV, and these two are excellent examples….. I’m guessing they did not enter their “Reserve” versions of these, as those are tremendous wines in my book.

Gold for Walsh 2021 Paeonia – I adore this white blend from their Bethany Ridge vineyard. It’s so refreshing and possesses texture and depth – great to pair with a meal or sip alone on the deck on a warmer night. I even drink it inside by the fire when it’s cold. It should have been on my Ten Bottles list. So many silver medals for so many Walsh wines I adore – Bethany Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, Tannat, Cab Franc, and Chenin Blanc…. it surprises me those didn’t do better, but I have to remember that I don’t often agree with the critics and tend to prefer different characteristics than those preferred by the professionals/experts. And that really is OK, because it really is about variety, and as Frank Morgan himself says, “Drink what you like.”

At the end of the day, I enjoy watching these lists not because I agree or disagree with the list of awards, but because it’s interesting to note what others enjoy, see how wines I’ve tasted were ranked, and get ideas for places to visit. I note that some wineries I adore have not historically entered. In the Before Times (pre-covid), I even blogged about my fantasy award case of Virginia Wine, and while I could do that annually, it would really only reflect my tastes and preferences and if you and I actually agree about wine normally, it could point you to some other wines you’d love. Let’s make a deal, you post your case, I’ll post mine and we can fight it out and then settle it over a blind tasting. I’m down if you are.

When you take a look at the awards, what resonates with you? What are your reactions? I will be interested to see the final case and the overall cup winner, but again – do whatever you wanna do, and drink what you like.