Blenheim

• September 2009

  I'm currently smitten with the Barren Ridge Viognier. Paired with artichoke ... reds), and was blown away by Blenheim's 2005 Petit Verdot. It fooled a gaggle of NY tasters after a bottle of the '85 Dominus. For real. I like the simpler styles of some of the various VA clarets... Read moreI'm currently smitten with the Barren Ridge Viognier. Paired with artichoke ... reds), and was blown away by Blenheim's 2005 Petit Verdot. It fooled a gaggle of NY tasters after a bottle of the '85 Dominus. For real. I like the simpler styles of some of the various VA clarets (again; Veritas, Barren Ridge's Meritage, the Wineworks red, etc.) and various "Meritages". The one I barrel sampled though, and can hardly wait for the release of, is the '07 Shaps 'Meritage'. Woof. !http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3285/3027028323_d00cf8d144_o.jpg    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Best Virginia wines by ChipDWood

  
  
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  June 2009

  Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005

  Snoothrank: Starting at $39^.00

  No written review

  Wine review by Reedone

  
  
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  May 2009

  Blenheim Vineyards Star Label Chardonnay 2004

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by kallen5

  
  

• April 2009

  Re Philip: "$40 VA wine - thats near the top of the spectrum there? I want to ... lead to higher values. The Blenheim 2005 Meritage, btw, is on sale now for TEN a BOTTLE. I paid $20 a year back and still feel I got a deal. Pick your spots and you can get in early on some of what... Read moreRe Philip: "$40 VA wine - thats near the top of the spectrum there? I want to ... lead to higher values. The Blenheim 2005 Meritage, btw, is on sale now for TEN a BOTTLE. I paid $20 a year back and still feel I got a deal. Pick your spots and you can get in early on some of what I truly believe will be considered as greatness in a matter of years. If you're interested in Virginia wines, check out our "spiffy" little "Virginia Group" here on Snooth, as things are beginning to take shape: http://www.snooth.com/region/usa/virginia/ Mind your wine makers. Michael Shaps (http://www.snooth.com/winery/michael-shaps/), Brad McCarthy (as mentioned, formerly of Blenheim)- and a good handful of others are making some very real stuff. Stuff that is of a different style than California, with much thanks to the elements of humidity, pests, and rough weather that California and other regions in the US don't need to sweat, pardon pun. It's a more finessed style, and, to my mind- a much more creative one when ya break it down. It's not run of the mill wine making either. Lots of Touriga Nacional is growing very well down there and being made into ports (see: Veritas, "Othello", which is wicked-good: http://www.veritaswines.com/Admin2/ProductDisplay5.php ), roses, and robust red blends. There are a ton of other discoveries being made in the hills too that go well beyond the now ubiquitous praise for Virginia Viognier. It's the experimentation with what they're finding grows happily in the soils. THAT, to me, along with the results to this point (as well as the spirit of it down there- contagious) is what is so exciting. !http://images.snooth.com/location/9/a/3/location_41431_group.jpeg?t=1239166753590! Above: Michael Shaps pops a bottle of the 2007 (a very strong vintage in the 'Fair Commonwealth') Michael Shaps Viognier, with the Virginia Wineworks as the "casual yet uber-productive" backdrop. http://www.snooth.com/winery/michael-shaps/    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005 by ChipDWood

  
  

• April 2009

  Another voice heard from -- I too tasted the Blenheim Petit Verdot...absolutely huge!!! I never would have imagined such body & complexity from this varietal. Virginia wines are certainly worth serious attention now.

  Forum post in the topic Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005 by jan27

  
  

• April 2009

  i'd totally be interested in trying this and other wines from the usa states not widely represented also!. One of my coworkers used to work at a winery in virginia and said that the Jackson Winery (or was it Madison, it was named after an early president) made a great petite verdot.

  Forum post in the topic Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005 by barri0s1872

  
  

• April 2009

  Hear, hear! I'd like to join you in the "Other 46" movement.

  Forum post in the topic Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005 by RBoulanger

  
  

• April 2009

  $40 VA wine - thats near the top of the spectrum there? I want to try more US wine that isnt from CA, OR, WA or NY. I had a great sparkling wine from NM, so am excited to branch out some more.

  Forum post in the topic Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005 by Philip

  
  

• April 2009

  This thing followed a bottle of the 1985 Dominus- and did NOT fair badly, at ALL. Stopped us right in our tracks. !http://images.snooth.com/wine/c/d/b/wine_743059.jpeg! I dropped a review in there for it as well. If you're a Virginia red skeptic, you owe it to yourself to get your... Read moreThis thing followed a bottle of the 1985 Dominus- and did NOT fair badly, at ALL. Stopped us right in our tracks. !http://images.snooth.com/wine/c/d/b/wine_743059.jpeg! I dropped a review in there for it as well. If you're a Virginia red skeptic, you owe it to yourself to get your hands on some of this stuff. To me, at least, this is the kind of wine that will blend the future of Virginia Vino- and put it on the very real map of international competition. If you were to pour it blind, you would fool 10 out of 10 that it's both from Virginia- and a Petit Verdot, ta boot. Yo dos pesos. Chip    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005 by ChipDWood

  
  
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  April 2009

  Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2005

  Snoothrank:

  Significant note: we had the Blenheim, 2005 Petit Verdot, blind, just after a sound and great bottle of the 1985 Dominus cab- a 91 pointer from Parker. I gave the Blenheim about a ten minute wash in the decanter, then got it back in the bottle for pouring. It continued to open,... Read moreSignificant note: we had the Blenheim, 2005 Petit Verdot, blind, just after a sound and great bottle of the 1985 Dominus cab- a 91 pointer from Parker. I gave the Blenheim about a ten minute wash in the decanter, then got it back in the bottle for pouring. It continued to open, express, & evolve for the next hour, until we put it away. My friends at the tasting were absolutely floored by the '05 Blenheim Vineyards Petit Verdot. The nose was luscious with beautifully rounded red fruits, behaving MUCH more like a Super Tuscan than what we perceived would be a "common Virginia Red". From the red-fruit-stuffed nose the wine glided onto the palate, covering it with luscious, deep, and roasted red fruits that are the stuff of world class wines. From there it graced its way over the back palate as smooth as could be, leaving a lingering finish of juicy berries and a velvety mouth-feel not unlike an Amarone. No foolin'- this was a "knock ya down" bottle of wine, and not only did it take us by surprise but frankly blew us all away. The winemaker, Brad McCarthy, simply out-did himself with this one before he left Blenheim to start up his own label (now known as Bradford Reid Wines, http://bradfordreed.com/). The 2005 Blenheim Vineyards Petit Verdot can still be found, and I can't recommend this one enough to blow any under-rated preconceptions of Virginia wine's potential to compete with the great regions of the world entirely and completely out of the water. It. Is. So. On. And until the Shaps '07 Meritage is released, I would have to call the '05 Blenheim Petit Verdot my favorite Virginia Red tasted. ...So far. 93 points. Lil' ol me.    (hide)

  Wine review by ChipDWood

  
  

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