I’m pretty dedicated to my habits, and one of my healthier habits is going to OrangeTheory every morning at 5 a.m. M-F. We started a little over 5 years ago and haven’t looked back. It’s an incredible workout, and the studios are full of really great people.
One of those really great people asked me my opinion of Bluestone Winery. I had to tell her that I had never been. She was on her way there with a friend over the upcoming weekend. Little did I know that on Monday morning after class, she’d be delivering a surprise to me – a 7-mini-bottle tasting that she brought home just for me. I consider myself incredibly lucky that these kinds of things happen to me.
So this weekend it was time to open up the package and check out the tasting! It came with the info sheet on all their wines, some oyster crackers, and seven bottles. This is a really cool option for wineries – being able to package these tastings for people to take home or to friends.
I put the white wines and the Rosé into the fridge to chill and went right into the Malbec. I absolutely love Virginia Malbec – when it grows well it’s incredible. It’s also incredibly hard to grow well – our climate is not a good match as our cold snaps in the winter can easily kill the vines (remember my long period of mourning over Arterra’s Malbec). This Malbec is very pleasant, albeit extremely young as a 2023. While it’s not as deep and resonant and some that I love, there was a nice balance of blackberry and blueberry, and the fruit was very fresh as we sipped. Even husband seemed to enjoy his sip (and remember that he is the ultimate wine critic). This small 50 mL sip was finished pretty quickly. I think this would a nice one to have on a crisp fall day outside, or even indoors by the fireplace.
I moved on to the 2022 Cabernet Franc. This one had some new oak in it, which in my opinion took out a bit of the fruit flavor I enjoy in Cabernet Franc. It was a nice, smooth sipper with just a slight tinge of tannin on the end. I liked it, and could see myself enjoying a glass while overlooking the valley.
The third bottle I opened was the 2023 Quartz Hill Red – a blend that was 2/3 Chambourcin and 1/3 Cabernet Franc. This wine had a lighter color in the glass, which is the trademark of most Chambourcin, I tend to find. I tend to see Chambourcin as a wine that brings big tart cherry when you sip it, but the cherry was subtle on this one – possibly muted by the Cab Franc. It was enjoyable, but this isn’t the style of wine that I tend to favor.
My final taste was the 2017 Houndstooth. 2017 is an extraordinary and memorable year for Virginia Wine – very hot and dry during harvest producing bold and bright flavor in the grapes. This is a Bordeaux Blend leading with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. This wine may have passed its time, or this bottle did not seal well. I had a few sips, but had to let it go, as it didn’t seem to be my style any longer. The blend sounds lovely, and I’m wondering what other years they did this, or if my bottle just wasn’t good for some reason? That happens sometimes.
I cleansed my palate with some oyster crackers and went to the chilled wines, now that they were cold – this is 100% the wrong direction to go in a tasting, but I needed the time for it all to chill, and by now hubby had gone off to nap, so it’s the perfect time to sip and write. I liked this Rosé a lot. It’s 100% Chambourcin from 2022. The tasting notes say it’s perfect for hot summer days, and I agree. Nice and bright – moderate acidity. The fruit was very juicy – again the tart cherry was not as bright as I am used to seeing from this grape, but it was a nice Rosé. I’d pound this one on the porch for sure.
The 2023 Vidal Blanc was made in stainless steel and had that crisp feel of a very clean wine. It was light and fresh, and this is another great summer wine. The 50 mL sample was nice, and finished quickly.
The final sample was the 2021 Petit Manseng. This wine had residual sugar (the website says 2.1%). It is very bright with fruit – apricot and tropical are my best guess, but I also paired with some milano cookies, so my uneducated taste buds were a bit altered by that too. Having the wine with the cookies canceled out the sweetness of the off-dry style. This is another pleasant summer sunshine wine.
All in all, this tasting delivery made me want to visit Bluestone. The pictures of the winery site are beautiful, and it’s not far away in Bridgewater (near Harrisonburg in the Shenandoah). They’ve received recognition for their winemaker and their sparkling wine, and are part of the movement that is elevating wines from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. I’d love to go and check out their Merlot and their Pinot Meunier (this is quite rare in Virginia and I’m very curious!). Have you been? What did you think?
My NoVa Wine Blog 