Pollak Library Tasting

Pollak has hired Sommelier Guillaume Gasparini as tasting room manager and he led us through a Somm Session on August 9th. This session was a walk through some library wines that are showing up amazingly, and gave us a perspective on aging Virginia Wine, especially some of the varieties on the menu that we are loving now.

I attended with Kathy and Kenny, and we were excited to dig into some older Pollak wines. This seminar was set up with eight wines to taste, done as pairs to compare. Seven of the eight were made during Jake Busching’s time as winemaker at Pollak, and one was made by current winemaker Benoit Pineau.

First up we had the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. These were dark wines that left some sediment in our glasses. The 2008 vintage had a very leathery/tobacco smell and while there was good acid to it, it felt to me like it has just passed it’s prime and it is one to drink right away. I got tobacco and dry fruit notes with a very dry finish. The 2009, by contrast had incredible legs in the glass and presented with brighter aromas. The first sips gave me that minty menthol taste along with super fresh fruit. The 2009 was by far my favorite of the two.

Next we tried the 2009 Cabernet Franc Reserve and 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve. Like the previous pair, the 2009 showed as very fresh – while the nose gave some dry fruit off, the flavors were ripe and the finish was fast and fruity. The 2007 was also giving off that it was just over it’s prime time – and this is really more about the style I prefer. It showed a bronze tint in the glass, gave aromas of dried fruit (I think I picked up apricot actually), and had a musty, licorice note to it. The finish felt like forest floor. A gentleman at our table was ecstatic about this wine, and took some home. My preferences lean towards the fresher 2009 style.

Our third round featured the 2005 Meritage and 2011 Meritage. I’ve had the 11 vintage of this previously and absolutely loved it. But the 2005! It was Pollak’s first vintage, and man has it held up! The fruit remains very intact with hints of spice and berry – and the lingering finish on this wine was beautiful, I was sooo close to buying one to bring home but had my heart set on the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2011 Meritage has shifted since I last had it. It was still good, but it felt less fruit forward and had a creamy texture that I didn’t recall from my last taste of it. I enjoyed it, but the 2005 really impressed me.

The final round compared the 2006 Petit Verdot to the 2009 vintage. Both of these wines showed up with a deep purple color. The 2006 shocked me with the very fresh aromas and it showed up with lovely blueberry and maybe blackberry on the sips. A twenty year old Petit Verdot is still going to carry some of that characteristic long finish with amazing structure. The 2009 vintage had plenty of strength but presented deeper with a bit more tannin. I adored the 2006 in this pair.

This was an amazing walk through aged Virginia Wine. Guillaume provided some insight into the growing conditions from each year, and with the same winemaker in nearly every bottle, it really comes down to the growing season as the variable that produced different results. The real message here is that the 2009 vintage is one for the books – all four wines from that vintage showed well, with the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve being a wine worth buying and drinking now and maybe up to two or so years from now.

I look forward to more events like this. Pollak has intentionally held a library for the purpose of offering events like this to their members and fans. This is a great way for a winery to address any backlog or inventory issues they have and engage their customers in a review of the past few years. I’m so excited to now have a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon for my upcoming Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon post.

What library Virginia Wines are you sipping?