Winemaker’s Choice Flight

Sparkling Riesling- Blanc de Blanc

This wine recently won a gold medal in the 2024 Virginia Govornor’s Cup!

This sparkling white wine was made using the Charmat Method.

100% Riesling estate grown at Cave Ridge Vineyard, Mount Jackson, VA. The grapes were picked on September 19, 2022. All grapes were harvested by machine, and yielded 13.1 Tons of grapes.

Harvest Information: Ph: 3.15 Acid: 9.5 gm/L Sugar: 17.3 Brix

Aromas and appearance: Color is clear and bright with a hint of citrus, otherwise distinct aromas are subdued. Small bubbles are indicative of the natural fermentation process.

Flavors: Pronounced green apple flavors finish with a zesty dryness with the 1 gram per liter of residual sugar present in the wine.

Pairings: This sparkling wine does not need food, but fresh fruits such as apples and strawberries provide an enjoyable combination. Shellfish: Any shellfish, but oysters are an amazing pairing. Asian dishes such as sushi will work well with this wine.

2024 Blanc de Cabernet Franc

Grape: Cabernet Franc

Harvested: September 2024

Processed: Whole Cluster pressed, no time on skins to achieve a white wine

Sugar at Harvest: 21.6 Brix of Sugar

Fermented and Aged: Entirely in Stainless Steel for 6 months

Ph at harvest: 3.41

White wines produced from red varieties like Cabernet Franc are not often produced. The process of whole cluster pressing to prevent any red pigments in the juice can be tricky. The process of pressing the grapes must be stopped at just the right time to limit the extraction of color from the skins.

Tasting Notes:

The flavors are unique as there are phenolics from the Cabernet grape that provide body and roundness as in a Chardonnay, but that is the only similarity to Chardonnay. There is more structure to this wine, that makes it unique. The finish lingers and does not diminish as a more acidic wine tends to do. Although there is a small amount of residual sugar, it is not noticeable as its only purpose is to diminish any astringency that is present from the phenolics of this grape.

Food Pairing:

Roasted Vegetables, Quiche, Salads

Herb-Crusted Chicken & White Fish

Cheeses- Goat Cheese

2024 Wild Fossil Hill Reserve

WINEMAKER NOTES

This vintage is different from the 2022 Vintage. You might try them both together to see which you prefer. This vintage of Fossil Hill Wild was in the barrel for 21 months, all French Oak. The Wild version of Fossil Hill, unlike our traditional one with the fossil on the label, is blended at the beginning with all three varieties, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot, fermented together. There are no commercial yeasts used to ferment the sugars. Instead, the indigenous wild yeasts in the atmosphere attack the sugar in the juices and start the fermentation.

This is the tricky part. Wild yeasts are not as aggressive as the commercial yeasts we traditionally use. Therefore, the fermentation must be monitored very closely, or Acetobacter yeasts (the yeasts of vinegar) will dominate and create lots of problems and bad wine.

Wine composition: Unlike our traditional Fossil Hill, there are equal amounts of all three grape varieties in the Wild Fossil; one wine never dominates the blend. The extended time in barrels adds to the smoothness of this wine. It will age well, but is very drinkable right now.

Fandango

Ruby style of Port. Aged for two years in barrels. First in traditional oak barrels, then one year in bourbon barrels. 100% Chambourcin grapes.