Merlot Vertical Tasting at Pollak

It pays to know people. It’s a good adage to live by, and knowing good people opens doors. As such, Kenny is a member of the Smuggler Society at Pollak Vineyards, and he invited Kathy and I (and hubby) to meet him at Pollak for a Merlot vertical sampling. A vertical tasting provides samples of wine made from the same grapes on the same site over several different vintage years. I adore vertical tastings to see the influences of different years on the wines, and in this case, several winemakers too! We had a great day.

Pollak’s beautiful setting is a fascinating microclimate. Even on this visit, there was a thunderstorm going around the vineyard along the mountains. We heard the thunder, saw the lightning, and saw nearly no raindrops at the vineyard. This produces wonderful vintages that often reflect what Virginia as a whole experiences, but also avoids some of the challenges vineyards across the state feel.

The point of today’s tasting was to have the 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023 vintages of their Merlot. These arrived in four lovely pours:

On top of this, Nick, GM of the wonderful Pollak team, brought us each a taste of the 2007 Merlot – the oldest vintage on their library tasting flight right now. What a treat! Membership clearly has benefits!

Within the tasting, we all enjoyed different aspects of the lineup.

2017 – came across as fully integrated with the oak (notes say 40% new) – the tannins at the end were clear and astringent. It has some nice dark fruit and was a pleasant drink. Kathy absolutely loved this wine.

2019 – this felt to me like a ton of oak and even a little bit of pine to it. It was super silky and smooth and had a very leathery feel. I enjoyed this, it was a touch of opulence even. There was a bit of sediment left in all of our pours, and I wondered whether this had been filtered, or whether tartrates had simply settled – I find this so interesting.

2022 – This was a much simpler wine – it wasn’t layered. I got the blueberry and plum the tasting notes mentioned and felt nearly no oak influence on it at all. Enjoyable, easy drinking, not a wine for aging, in my opinion.

2023 – this was pure joy. this wine had lovely ripe tannins, big cherry feel and gorgeous fruit. Hubby and I agreed that this would likely age well, and was a high value buy now, drink now and hold as many bottles as you have the willpower to hold this wine. I think if I can, I’d want to hold a bottle for quite a while to see what it is like in 5, 10 or so years. See below.

2007- I smelled leather and tobacco in this glass. From the first sniff I thought “old world wine.” On the tongue I got leather, tobacco, and tea leaves. This was fun to sample. While Kathy and Kenny swooned over this one, I found it really interesting as a study of what Merlot turns into over time, and I enjoyed my taste, but it was not my jam overall. This was, yet again, proof that well-made Virginia red wine can age beautifully and hold its own over time.

Pollak had John D’Earth playing jazz on the porch all day, and the sounds filtered into the smuggler lounge nicely – it was actually perfect because I could hear the music and I could hear my friends talk about the wine.

After the Merlot flight, I grabbed a bottle of the 2024 Rosé (you know, the one that is 25% Nebbiolo) and we enjoyed that. I’ve raved about how great this Rosé is. Hubby also enjoyed a cookie from the Albemarle Baking Company.

This was a great way to spend the afternoon. We made a quick stop at Greenwood Grocery on the way in to grab sandwiches (OMG roast beef and horseradish with chives cream and arugula…………. I’m gonna need this on the regular). This winery is not far from me and has earned a spot on my short list of winery clubs I’d join if I can get my financial life sorted (and make some room on my wine rack!).

If you haven’t been to Pollak, I think it’s a nice, lower key spot to visit. The setting is incredible with great views, the covered porch is a great break from the sun and the indoor space is fantastic for conversations. Even out on the patio, the tables have umbrellas to shield you from the intense sun. The wines are truly lovely. While I much prefer their reds, they have an ample selection of white wines for you to enjoy. These vertical events are reserved for club members, but find you a good friend and get yourself invited along for events like this. This was a total blast.

Speaking of knowing people, you hopefully know someone who has one of these shirts. Whether you’re trying to find refuge from the dumpster fire in America right now, or whether you’re feeling proud even if it’s not June anymore, there is a Va Wine Lover shirt that is made for you. Get one as soon as you can!