Hiddencroft, A Little Bit of Something for Everyone

Many people know some of my own personal favorites as far as vineyards go, and one of them is Hiddencroft. I've long appreciated all of their wines, and their offerings continue to get better and better. During this summer, they released a few new offerings that I feel are very much worth discussing.

The first new offering is a Rosé specifically 2011 Chambourcin Rosé  This is the first time they've done a one, and it was not initially planned. They had more Chambourcin fruit than they would use for the barrels, so they decided to take what was left over and produce this. What resulted was a very crisp and bright Rosé with a beautiful color. I'm really not normally a Rosé person, but I really do enjoy this. It's a dry style Rosé, but with great fruit up front and a burst of acidity.

The next 2 releases are both 2011 Traminettes. Clyde Housel, the winemaker, has in previous years done either a dry style or a semi-sweet, with usually one appealing to some but not others. For this release, he had enough fruit to produce both. Both Traminettes are 90% Traminette and 10% Vidal Blanc. The Dry Traminette has no residual sugar while the Semi-sweet has 1.5% residual sugar. Both have the spice and floral notes that you'd expect a hybrid of the Gewurztraminer grape to have. These are each priced at $18/bottle.

They've also released their latest Dutchman's Creek Blend. This a non-vintage blend, but the latest of this is just wonderful. I noticed quite a few self-confessed non-red-wine drinkers actually really comment on how smooth this is. Their Dutchman's Creek Blend (named after the creek that runs along the property) is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Tannat. This is priced at $23/bottle.

Last, but most certainly not least, is the 2008 Tannat. Prior to this release, they were offering a 2009 Tannat, while they still had the 2008 in the barrel. The 2008 is aged 3 1/2 years in the barrel and has produced a very smooth, full bodied Tannat. They even have a note in bold on the tasting notes to try to  bring this wine to the attention of dry red wine lovers. I was a fan of the 2009, but I'm an even bigger fan of this one. It has aged very well, and while drinkable now, it will age very well 5-7 years from now. They left the price the same on the 2008 as it was for the 2009, $40/bottle.

They do still have limited amounts of the 2010 Traminette, and the 2009 Tannat left available for sale.

If you haven't been to Hiddencroft within the last 3months (or ever), quite honestly, you're really missing out. I've been pleased to see just how this vineyard progresses and grows.  This is one of the vineyards on my list for when I'm taking a group with varied tastes in wine, or someone who is really new to wine.

They also have a new addition to their winery cat family. Meet Jack:

OH! And here's a peek at some yummy goodness just after harvest:

So, anyone wanna guess which grape that is? :)