Thanks to several batches of brownies I have a couple of hours to kill tonight, so I am going to try something new. I have a bunch of posts that have been pending, so I am going to try to knock them all out tonite. But, I am going to use the blogger date and time thing to spread them out over the week, so I don't inundate you all all at once.


Wine: 2005 Afton Mountain Cabernet Franc
Wine: 2005 DelFosse Cabernet Franc




Review: I've mentioned before that I am not a big fan, in general, of Virginia '05 Cabernet Francs. They aren't bad, but they all seem to lack the pepperiness that is one of the defining characteristics of Virginia Cabernet Franc. Both Afton Mountain and DelFosse make good wines and these wines are good, just not excpetional. They are more fruity than a typical Cabernet Franc and very lightly tannined.

I tried both of these when they were initially released and had hoped they would develop more depth as they aged, but so far they have not.

Price: Afton Mountain: $23.00
Price: DelFosse: $23.00

Grade: 80

Something I have not seen from a Virginia winery before. DelFosse is offering a Mediterranean Cruise. From the email I got:

Genevieve and I invite you to join us on the first ever DelFosse Vineyards & Winery cruise! We will be spending an extraordinary 7 days in the Mediterranean sailing aboard top-rated Crystal Cruises. Our itinerary features some of the best of the best, from Rome and Florence, to Monte Carlo and Barcelona. En route, we will be hosting a complimentary wine tasting, a discussion about wine making, and taking part in a very special food & wine pairing dinner in Crystal Cruises' exclusive Vintage Room, where tastings include some of the world's most extraordinary and most expensive wines.

The Vintage Room looks cool :). Bookings start at $3535 per person double occupancy, so that throws it way out of my price range. But, if you want to check out what looks like a really nice cruise you visit their partner and tell them to book you on the DelFosse wine cruise.

I couldn't find a link with the details on the DelFosse website, but I am sure you can email them for more information.

Wine: 2005 DelFosse Cuvee Laurent



Review: This is a unique wine that is a blend of 45% Chambourcin, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc. I first tried this on our trip to Charlottesville and liked it so much I took a couple of bottles home to age.

Surprisingly for a blend, this wine does not feel complex (compared to a Bordeaux or a Meritage). The wine had a taste of chocolate and cinnamon with a touch of strawberry and a soft finish very very few tannins. A really good food wine.

Price: $19

Grade: 90

Wine: 2005 Delfosse Ambrosia



Review: Another really nice summer wine. This late-harvest wine is 100% Viognier with 15% residual sugar...making it very sweet. The wine had hints of apricot, pear and honey it was briefly aged in oak, giving it some body, but nothing overpowering. It is a great wine to pair with cold fruits, or, in my case a chilled, open-faced blackberry pie.

Price: $26

Grade: 90

My final post on the Charlottesville brings us to DelFosse for a wine tasting and a fabulous dinner. The dinner started off smoked salmon and spinach and feta empanadas served with Chardonnay. The main course was a herb-crusted sirloin kebab served with Cuvee Laurent. Dinner was interspersed with soup, salad and rolls all served with an appropriate wine.

Post-dinner we had a chocolate hazelnut torte that they recommended a Merlot with, but most of us opted to substitute the Ambrosia instead.

Our hostess, Alex, was a lot of fun (and don't we make a cute couple ;)) and very knowledgeable about the wines and vineyard.

It was a great way to end a wonderful weekend. And I finished this post just in time for my next wine weekend...this one in Sonoma :).