2021 King Family Vineyards “Mountain Plains Red” Crozet VA

2021 King Family Vineyards “Mountain Plains Red” Crozet VA

ABV: 14%
SRP: $85
Grapes: 45% Cabernet Franc, 37% Merlot, 18% Petit Verdot
269 cases
sample for my review

Matthieu Finot, born in Crozes-Hermitage in the Rhône Valley, comes from a family of viticulturists and wine enthusiasts. He studied viticulture and oenology in Beaune, Burgundy, and worked in renowned wine regions across France, as well as in Italy and South Africa. Matthieu moved to Virginia in 2003, where he has worked with various wineries, co-founded the Winemakers’ Research Exchange, and served on the Monticello Wine Trail Board. He enjoys contributing to the local winemaking community, honing his skills at King Family, managing Turk Mountain Vineyards, and expanding Domaine Finot with his brother in France.

Why Virginia? VA is very rewarding, says winemaker Matthieu Finot. Right now, he’s experimenting with Nebbiolo, but he says his favorite grape to grow is cab franc, and how he can make a lighter style or decide to ripen more to have the kind of cab franc he wants for the Mountain Plains Red.

When he arrived in 2003, wineries were trying to improve quality with Barboursville being a big leader, he said “I was very excited by the challenge of crafting better wines … to work together to make a mark on Virginia and put Virginia wines on the map.” To do so, he’s learned how to work with weather and terroir adapting vineyard practices to get the best every year.

Appearance:  Dark medium density, ruby, fuchsia rim

Aroma: Cherry, cherry pipe tobacco, roses, inticing and inviting, sandlewood, cedar, sweet oak,

Palate: Cherry, cherry tobacco, licorice, clove, very dry, mellow tannins, sage, eucalyptus, black current tea, nice bottle of wine, the oak has integrated nicely,

Pairing: The wine has a nice complexity that goes nicely with all of the elements of the meal, everything in the meal had an earthy sweetness which works so lovely with the wine. the wine has very nice balance, great with the earthy sweetness of the beets and the creamy goat cheese, it even enjoys the sweet smokiness of the ham, the herb crust on top of the squash gratin was beautiful. This wine went so well with everything on the plate.

2017 Barboursville Vineyards “Octogon” Barboursville VA

2017 Barboursville Vineyards “Octogon” Barboursville VA

ABV: 13.5%
SRP: $95
Grapes: 62% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot
270 cases
sample for my review

Octogon is considered one of Virginia’s iconic wines. Grapes are 100% estate-grown with a traditional approach to fermentation and blending after 12 months of aging. Winemaker Luca Paschina has 35 vintages under his belt at this estate; he hails from Alba, Italy where he graduated from the Enology Institute of Alba. and has 35 vintages at the estate. He fell in love with the possibility of making wine in Virginia, and the ability here to do new things— to focus on the technical aspects of making wine, not bureaucracy, which he finds very liberating.

Appearance:  Dark, medium density, ruby, violet rim, very colorful

Aroma: Toasted oak, mulberry, earthen, rich. soil, tobacco , wet earth, loamy soil, sage, plum, dark stone fruit,

Palate: Big bold tannins, cherry, cherry wood, toasted oak, this is a wine for mezcal drinkers, this wine has definitely been built to lay down, very dry, iron, metal,

Pairing: This wine yearns for food, The smokey characteristics the wine works nicely with the earthy squash, surprisingly beautiful with the beet salad loving the sweet earthy beets and toasted pecans as well as the creamy goat cheese. It would have put the dish over the top if there was some crispy ham cubes or crispy bacon crumbled over the top of the salad. The wine loves the sweet and savory ham. The way that the ham has been cured really highlights the wine perfectly.

Appearance:  Very deep and dark, dense, purple/plum, ruby rim

Aroma: Fresh sawn wood, mulberry, blue fruit, mud, dry roses, violet, eucalyptus, Dr. Pepper, cherry cola, vanilla, oxalis, charcoal.

Palate: Plum, cherry, schezuian pepper, fruit forward, blue fruit, fresh ground black pepper, oxalis, cocoa nibs,

Pairing: When paired with food all of the big bold fruit is completely present in the wine and the palate is happy with the combination of food and wine. the blend of the wine ticks all of the marks when it comes to how the wine works with the food. This holiday meal went perfectly with this wine. the sweetness of the ham with its basking spices, maple syrup and stone ground mustard, heightened the lovely experience in the wine. The rich earthy beet, toasted pecans, and goat cheeses worked beautifully, then there was the gratin with the earth sweet rich flavor and bright flavorful herbs that matched the earthy richness of the wines.

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