The Good Wine Guru » Chambourcin

Delfosse Cuvee Laurent 2007

George — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:00:38 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (72% Chambourcin; 22% Cabernet Franc; 6% Merlot)
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $18

Deep red in color with aromas of fruit notes of blackberry and jam. Flavors of bright fruit with soft tannins and slight oak and a mild smokiness. Pairs well with pastas, lighter meats, and cheeses.

Recommendations: My wife picked up this bottle a couple of months ago at the Carytown Food & Wine Festival while I was pouring for Grayhaven Winery. I was familiar with Delfosse having visited them a few times at various Virginia wine festivals, but couldn’t remember this specific wine.

The wine was a dark red in the glass, and I did get berry and fruit aromas on the nose. In the mouth I got none of the oak or smokiness described in the tasting notes, but I did get the bright fruit flavors and a touch of acidity. With a quick dinner of pizza on a cold December night it was a good bottle of wine, though to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure that I’d pay $18 for it again. That’s not to say that it’s not good, and I’m not implying that Virginia wine is too expensive (that’s a discussion that’s been going on a lot in blogging circles as of late), but I know I can get another Virginia wine with similar characteristics for less money.

That being said, if you want to give this wine a try, I don’t think you’ll be wasting your money. While I don’t know how available Delfosse wines are at local stores, they do sell their wines from their website. It was a good table wine, and I’d drink it again, just not at $18 a bottle.

Virginia Wine Country Day 1

George — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:00:17 +0000

So this past weekend my wife and I decided to take a mini-vacation to get out of the house and spend a few days in Virginia wine country. A number of vineyards and a case and a half of wine later and we returned home to return to our 9-5 jobs. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t share the highlights of our trip.

Our first stop was Keswick Vineyards, and while I have nothing but good things to say about all of their wines, I do have to recommend their 2008 Consensus. Each year, Keswick brings in the members of their wine club and they spend a day mixing wine that was either left over, wasn’t what Keswick was looking for, or that they didn’t get enough yield from to have a single varietal.

After spending the day mixing and breaking for food, the members all come back and taste each of the wines that has been made, voting on the best one, which Keswick then releases as their Consensus. Because of that, each year the wine is different and this years blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Chambourcin (28%), and Petite Verdot (12%) is enough to make me want to join their wine club.

Dark cherry flavors mix well with a finish that is smooth thanks to the Petite Verdot, and yet gives you the hit in the back of the mouth that you would expect from a good Cabernet Sauvignon. A great wine worth picking up.

Our next stop was Jefferson Vineyards, whom I will admit I wanted to visit simply because at the Virginia Wine Expo they weren’t tasting their Petit Verdot and I had wanted to bring some home. While they offer several very good whites, including their Vin Blanc and Pinot Gris, at Jefferson it really is all about the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot for me.

Next up was Kluge Estate and Winery, whom you should visit during the warmer months if only because of their gorgeous outdoor area where you can taste wine and relax. I will say that Kluge wasn’t on our list to visit originally but we stopped there for two reasons. First, while at Keswick we purchased a tasting pass that, for $10 each, got us tastings at Keswick, Jefferson, and Kluge. I highly recommend this pass. Second, we were going to visit Blenheim Vineyards, which you get to by driving past Kluge.

At Kluge, April and I set up outdoors for our tasting. While several of the wines were enjoyable, a few bear remarking. The first thing we tasted was a Sparkling Rose’ which I have to admit was refreshing on the warm day. Also worth mentioning, especially as we took it home, was the Albermarle Rose’. My notes on this wine literally read “obnoxiously good.” I’ll be the first to admit that I have had a prejudice against pink wines in the past, but ever since my trip to California back in October, I’ve been finding Rose’ wine more and more enjoyable, especially as the weather begins to change.

Also worth mentioning is their Albermarle Simply Red 2005. We also tasted the 2003, but April and I liked the 2005 better and so brought home a bottle of that. If you’re looking to stop for a picnic, Kluge is a great spot as they also have a great selection of cheeses to compliment their selection of wines.

Our final stop for the day was Blenheim Vineyards. In many ways they were the impetus for this whole mini-vacation as I was such a fan of theirs at the Virginia Wine Expo and regretted not buying more of their wine. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how beautiful their tasting room is and how friendly and personable their Winemaker and General Manager Kirsty Harmon was to both myself and my wife.

As for their wine, I had bought two bottles of their Viognier at the Wine Expo, and so I didn’t pick up more of that while visiting (though I recommend it to anybody that is visiting), but I can’t recommend their 2005 Meritage enough. At $10 it’s an amazing blend of merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot. Speaking of Petit Verdot, Blenheim’s single varietal Petit Verdot is spectacular, along with their Cabernet Franc. Their King Family Merlot may have actually made a merlot drinker out of my wife with its earthy flavors.

Our first day in Virginia Wine Country was amazing, and trust me, the second day was just as much fun. Thanks to Keswick, Jefferson, Kluge, and Blenheim Vineyards for being so welcoming and to all my readers out there – please go and support these amazing vineyards.

Stay tuned for Day 2 of George and April’s Mini-Vacation in Virginia Wine Country.

West Wind Farm Galena Creek Red

George — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:04:50 +0000

Varietal:  Red Table Wine (merlot, cabernet franc, chambourcin)
Region:  Virginia – USA
Cost:  $16

Medium to Full-bodied, the Galena Creek Red from West Wind Farm Winery is a dry red featuring berry flavors that lead into a very dry finish with high levels of tannins.

Recommendation: I paired this wine with a steak, and it’s a good thing I did. The tannins on this wine give it a very dry finish that is perfect for pairing with juicy red meat such as steak or lamb, but would probably be a bit overwhelming by itself unless a very dry wine is something you like to enjoy by itself. At $16 it’s just slightly pricy for an every day red table wine, but it’s still a good value and an excellent substitute for a dry chianti to pair with a meal of pasta and meat sauce. If you’re not a fan of wines with a dry finish, this probably won’t appeal to you, but if you like a red wine that hits you in the back of the throat and isn’t shy about its tannins, this is a wine you should try to get your hands on.

Lake Anna Winery Spotsylvania Claret

George — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:34:13 +0000

Varietal:  Claret (50% Merlot; 20% Touriga; 15% Cabernet Franc; 8% Chambourcin; 4% Petite Verdot; 2% Tannat; 1% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Region:  Virginia – USA
Cost:  $15

A medium-bodied wine of ruby/garnet coloring offering flavors of herb and berry, most notably raspberry. A slightly dry, tannic finish is reminscent of Chianti, but the overall smoothness of the wine allows it to be paired with a wide variety of foods.

Recommendation: My wife and I enjoyed this wine with a pair of steaks, and it was a great compliment to them. The wine didn’t overwhelm the meat, but the slightly dry finish was a great balance to the juiciness of the steaks. Even after the meal had been finished, I still enjoyed finishing the bottle by itself, a quality I find desirable in any wine I drink – being able to be enjoyed without food. What I liked best about this wine was that while the dryness on the finish worked great with juicy steaks, it wasn’t so dry as to require something like that, and would compliment a dryer meal as well. While I won’t go so far as to say that this is a substitute for Chianti if that’s where your tastes lie, this is a great blend to serve for guests when you’re not sure where their tastes lie. Definitely worth picking up, particularly at this price point.

Lake Anna Totally Red

George — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:00:25 +0000

Varietal:  Red Table Wine (45% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 18% Tannat, 8% Touriga, 7% Chambourcin)
Region:  Virginia – USA
Cost:  $13

Very simple, straight forward table wine. Lake Anna labels it as: ”No red cherries. No spicy berries. No toasty nuances. No suggestive notes.” Good for enjoying by itself or with a meal. Great value for the price.

Recommendation: I’m a big believer in the table wine, a wine that isn’t overly complex, but nice and simple that goes well with a simple meal and doesn’t cost much, and Lake Anna has been kind enough to supply us with one. The Totally Red table wine from Lake Anna is perfect for anybody looking for a bottle of wine that will go great with steak, pasta, chicken, pork, appetizers, chili….I think you get the point. As red table wines go, this definitely ranks as one of my top ranked ones, and is one that I am sure to continue to keep in my wine cellar, and that I recommend you do as well. Enjoy.

2006 Rockbridge Tuscarora Red

2006 Rockbridge Tuscarora Red

George — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:02:51 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Table Wine – Chambourcin (55%), Cabernet Franc (15%), Pinot Noir (15%), DeChaunac (15%)

Region: Virginia – USA

Cost: $10

Tart, slightly fruit forward on the front end, with a peppery finish. A lot of alochol on the nose (though only 13% by volume). Very much in the style of an Italian red.

Recommendation: I really like this wine, and it’s perfect as a red table wine. There’s nothing fancy or elaborate about it, but it’s great with pasta or pizza given the dry, peppery finish to it. This wine is great for those looking for a red table wine that they can also cook with when making red sauces, and for the price you can afford to cook with it without feeling guilty about it. Perfect for those looking for a good red table wine to enjoy with a meal, but you might want to avoid this wine if you’re looking for something to enjoy by itself.

White Hall Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Franc

George — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:00:33 +0000

Varietal: Cabernet Franc

Region: Virginia – USA

Price: $14.99

A very mellow Cabernet Franc, nice and smooth with aromas of fresh cedar and blackberry. Leading with smoke and roasted fennel seed flavors, this wine finishes with oak and hints of ripe olive. A mixture of 88% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, and 4% Chambourcin.

Recommendation: If you’ve never had Cabernet Franc before, this is a nice way to ease your way into it. However, if you’re an experienced Cab Franc drinker, there are better ones made in Virginia. Buy it if it’s on sale, but pass for full price unless this is your first Cabernet Franc.