Tasting - Barboursville Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Barboursville Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Orange County, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $16

Winery Review: Effusively fragrant, crisp, juicy and bright with distinctive pear and passion fruit flavors. Hints of citrus appear on a gently herbal frame.

My Review: This wine had BIG aromas. It was very fragrant with herbal, grassy notes missed with pear. It had the undeniable taste of passion fruit which was a new wine flavor for me. It was short on the finish. This was a very enjoyable wine. This was the youngest wine of Barboursville that I tried but it didn’t matter. I would drink more of this.

Tasting - Barboursville Chardonnay

Name: Barboursville Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Orange County, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $13

Winery Review: Cold fermentation in stainless steel yields a fresh and exuberant wine with crisp acidity and clean varietal flavors of apple, pear and lemon.

My Review: This wine had nice aromas to it. Fruity with hints of pear, apple, and citrus on the nose. The taste was slightly buttery with more of those apple and citrus notes. It had an acidic finish but was smooth. This was a dynamic wine. I was a bit impressed with this Chardonnay as I’ve had trouble finding a good one. It was enjoyable.

Tasting - Barboursville Pinot Grigio

Name: Barboursville Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Orange County, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $15

Winery Review: Romantic and youthful-spirited, made in a true Italian style of winemaking. Extremely flavorful, with apple, pear and a touch of pineapple. Dry and well balanced with a glowing and poignant finish.

My Review: The Pinot Grigio had a nice subtle smell to it. Not overly fruity but it is there. The taste was better than the aromas. I got hints of pear and citrus. I found it to be off-dry to sweet which was nice. It had a long finish. It was pleasant but not over the top.

Tasting - Barboursville Brut Rose Cuvee 1814

Name: Barboursville Brut Rose Cuvee 1814
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Orange County, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $25

Winery Review: A collaboration with our founder’s Tenuta Il Bosco estate in Oltrepò Pavese, this sparkling wine is created in the metodo classico and is 100% Pinot Noir of DOCG designation. A true rosé, the radiant color is imparted by brief contact with the skins, after pressing. Ideal for celebrations as well as for fine companionship with dining, the Cuvée 1814 honors the date of Thomas Jefferson’s design for Governor Barbour’s landmark mansion at our estate, a Virginia historic landmark.

My Review: This was a lot like the other Barboursville Brut that I tried. It was fruity on the nose also with that red wine smell. It was really dry but not as dry as the other Brut. This had a little bit of underlying sweetness to it. It was subtle though. I liked it better than the other one but again it was just okay and nothing I would return to.

Tasting - Barboursville Brut Cuvee 1814

Name: Barboursville Brut Cuvee 1814
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Orange County, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $25

Winery Review: A collaboration with our founder’s Tenuta Il Bosco estate in Oltrepò Pavese, this sparkling wine is created in the metodo classico and is 100% Pinot Noir of DOCG designation. Our winemaker developed this wine in collaboration with his counterpart in Italy and in consultation with Nicolas Seconde, from Champagne. Ideal for celebrations as well as for fine companionship with dining, the Cuvée 1814 honors the date of Thomas Jefferson’s design for Governor Barbour’s landmark mansion at our estate, a Virginia historic landmark.

My Review: It was fruity on the nose. Even though it was a white wine it had the typical smell of a red wine possibly owing to the fact it was made from Pinot Noir. It was really dry. I didn’t get a lot of flavors from the wine. It was just okay and nothing I would go back to. 

Tasting - Yalumba The Signature

Name: Yalumba The Signature
Variety: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Shiraz
Region: Barossa
Country: Australia
Year: 2010
Price: $54

Winery Review: A seductively aromatic wine, this is one of the very best Signatures. Opening with very cool, bright and almost fresh menthol aromas that merge with red currant fruits, tobacco leafy notes and cedary spices all supported with fine violet and cherry florals.

My Review: This was the big boy from Yalumba. Also this was the second Cab-Shiraz blend I tasted from them. This was big wine right from the nose. Very aromatic with currants and cherry and tobacco. The taste was super smooth and was just great. More cherry hit the palate with currants and some spice. I could pick out the Cab Sav and the Shiraz taste in the wine. Just a beautiful wine all around. 

Tasting - Yalumba The Scribbler

Name: Yalumba The Scribbler
Variety:  54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Shiraz
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $18

Winery Review: The Scribbler opens with a savoury nose full of earthy tones followed by bloodplums, cedar and smouldering dark aromatics. This is a generous wine with great concentration and a tight frame.

My Review: This was the first of two Cab-Shiraz blends I tasted by this winery. This one was crafted nicely. Even the label catches the eye with its creative design. The nose opens with plums and cherries some raspberries. The taste is much the same with the raspberries taking more notice. The finish was medium-long. It was a quality wine but maybe a little hot that disrupted the flavor profile. Not a bad effort though.