Since my laptop has been on the fritz, I have been remiss in writing about my favorite subject, wine, specifically Virginia wine, but I shall make up for it by discussing two blends from one of my favorite wineries, Delaplane Cellars. From this winery, located in Fauquier County out I66 going west, comes some of Virginia’s finest wines. Today I’d like to discuss two: the 2013 Melange Blanc and 2012 Melange Rouge.
There are many single varieties that represent Virginia well, but I’ve found, just is I have in Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley, that blends not only do well, but they usually add a bit of complexity. Delaplane’s 2013 Melange Blanc is a gorgeous expression of four of Virginia’s most grown varieties: Vidal Blanc (59%), Chardonnay (22%), Viognier (12%), and Petit Manseng (7%); all French varieties except Vidal Blanc, which is a French-American hybrid. According to Delaplane, the grapes were whole cluster pressed and fermented in neutral French for five months. This affable blend has good fruit and acidity with loads of honey and pear on the palate with the same on the nose and a small hint of lemon maybe? Terrific wine and paired well with my baked Parmesan and mozzarella turkey.
The 2012 Melange Rouge is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and “a splash of Tannat,” all French grapes. Not quite a Bordeaux blend with the Tannat, but that’s not important because this red blend offers an abundance of ripe, dark fruit, smooth tannins, and some Old World charm hinting at leather. I love Bordeaux variety wines in Virginia because they exhibit the qualities I’ve come to love in French wines, and which sets Virginia apart from the more well-known West Coast.
Delaplane Cellars gets it right in both red and white wines, but they also produce a nice rose that I recently gifted a friend who loves the style… But that’s a discussion for warmer days on the patio. If you’re in Virginia, be sure to look up Delaplane Cellars. They have built a very fine tasting hall with an exquisite view to match their fine wines.
D.C. Metro's Wonderful World of Wine 