This was far from my first visit to Philip Carter Winery (PCW) or even my first blog here. But I happened to run into owner Philip Carter Strother at PCW’s sister winery of Valley View Farm and he insisted I make a new trip, so an update was in order.

A discussion of wine isn’t supposed to be preceded with a history lesson, but in the case of PCW I can’t help myself. It helps that Philip loves to discuss his family history. And you can’t blame him – you would too if you were able to trace your family’s lineage to America’s first winemaker.

While Thomas Jefferson is America’s most famous wine connoisseur, the truth is he failed when it came to growing wine. Few realize that almost 20 years earlier the Carter family succeeded where even Jefferson failed.

The Carters were among the Virginia colony’s most influential landowners. In 1762 Charles Carter sent a dozen bottles of wine made from vines at his plantation of Cleve (located in today’s King George County) to London’s Royal Society of Arts. Impressed with what they sampled, the Society awarded him a gold medal for his “spirited attempt towards the accomplishment of their views, respecting wine in America.”

But getting back to PCW, a few things had changed over the past several years. For one, Valley View’s vineyard is now in full production, which gives PCW access to high-quality fruit. Another change was their new winemaker, Tony McDonnell. Lastly, PCW’s tasting room went through a major upgrade. Philip brought me up to speed on all these.

Valley View is owned by PCW but operates as a separate winery (although all winemaking is done at PCW). It’s only 10 miles north but the site is much better situated for wine growing, with higher elevation and excellent soil. 5 acres of vinifera vines are planted there, with more on the way.

The importance of a really good vineyard site can hardly be overstated, especially given the extreme weather variations that’s becoming apparent in Virginia. Smart vintners are adjusting by either replanting with hardier grape varietals or finding better vineyard locations. Philip is doing both. PCW’s estate “Ten Vines” vineyard will likely see more hybrids in the future, while Valley View is poised to become their prime source of vinifera.

Philip also talked extensively about his new winemaker, Tony McDonnell. Tony previously worked at a large commercial winery in Pennsylvania but was looking for something more artisanal. Philip wisely offered him a job here. While only the newest wines in PCW’s lineup had his touch, everything he had a hand in I was impressed with.

Lastly, PCW has gone all-in on upgrading their indoor and outdoor spaces. We chatted at a new upstairs club area. Their outdoor space was recently completed. While COVID is almost certainly the main rationale behind this new patio, it’s an upgrade that I’d welcome in any case.

I had the full lineup of PCW wines, with a cider thrown into the mix. Occasionally Valley View Farm and PCW may share a wine, but for the most part they are kept separate.

If I had to pick a favorite it would have been the 2019 Cleve, which was young but outstanding. The Viognier and cider were worthy runners up, and the Chambourcin/Norton blend was shockingly good – and I say that as someone who rarely loves either grape.

For whites and lighter wines:

• 2020 Chardonnay: Fermented half in steel & half in oak, this would appeal to those who love both styles.
• 2020 Viognier: Floral, honeysuckle nose with a nice smoothness to it. I’ve been on a Viognier kick lately and thought this was exceptional, so I brought a bottle to go.
• Noble Pome: A dry cider infused with honey. While Valley View is their main cider location, occasionally you can find ciders here as well. I often find modern ciders too overwhelming but this was much more wine-like in style.
• 2020 Roswell Rosé: Chambourcin, smelled like strawberries. Fruit notes but dry.

For reds & dessert wines.

• 2020 Cabernet Franc: Little bit of spice with some fruit notes.
• 10 Vines Cabernet Sauvignon: “10 Vines” is a label used by PCW for more experimental wines, namely from out of state. This was a California Cab Sauvignon which I certainly enjoyed, even if it was a stark difference to what I’m used to elsewhere in the state.
• 10 Vines Merlot: Ripe is the key adjective here. I’m used to California Cabs so a Merlot was a nice change of pace and I really enjoyed it.
• 2019 Cleve: 50/50 Petit Verdot and Tannat. Not as young as I would have thought; well integrated oak, nice balanced overall.
• 2020 Chambourcin/Norton blend: Norton dominates the notes but it doesn’t have the ‘foxy’ characteristic I’m used to. Fermented in steel then neutral oak.
• Sweet Danielle: Late harvest Petit Manseng.
• 2015 vintage “1762”: Port-style with Chambourcin.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Tony’s upcoming wines (and ciders – he makes those too). Have you been to PCW lately? What do you think of the changes?

Most of my wine blogs are easy to write, mostly because the format is the same. I visit, try some wine, and write about what I liked (or more rarely, what I didn’t). In that respect my visit to Morais vineyards was a success. It helped I also got to caught up with a friend I hadn’t seen since pre-COVID.

But what makes this visit different is any discussion of Morais would be incomplete without talking about owner José Morais and Portugal’s distinct style of winemaking, because these things are intertwined. So let’s start at the beginning.

José is the definition of a self-made man. Born in Portugal, he came to the U.S. at the age of 17 and made his fortune in the construction industry. For years he acted as a liaison between Portugal’s American consulates and the Portuguese government. This led their President to award him the title of “Comendador” – an honor only bestowed upon those who perform great acts of service.

Little did I realize Manassas has an active Portuguese community, complete with its own Community Center. For José, everything seems to circle back to this community and his Portuguese roots, and his winery is no different.

Morais is inspired by the wines and winemaking styles of Portugal (although with a Virginia twang). Portugal makes a refreshing style of wine called Vinho Verde; Morais has its Battlefield White. Portugal is famous for fortified Port wines; Morais has its own Port-style. Even their winemaker, Vitor Guimarãis, is from Portugal.

They likewise use several grapes found in Portugal, including Touriga Nacional, Verdelho, and Alvarinho (call it Albariño and you’ll likely be corrected). While Morais has almost 7 acres of vines they also use fruit from outside Virginia, oftentimes blending it with what they source locally. I’m admittedly skeptical of the use of non-VA fruit at a Virginia winery, but it made sense here since many Portuguese grapes aren’t cold hardy enough for Virginia’s climate.

GM Alexandria Chambers and I caught up on life while enjoying a few flights. Until then I never realize exactly how many wines Morais makes; the must have brought out several club wines because I definitely felt like a VIP during this visit.

For whites we started with Battlefield, a light, bright 50/50 blend of Alvarinho and Vidal with a touch of carbonation. It wasn’t a sparkling but it did give it a bit of zest that I liked.

From there we went to the Verdelho, a grape native to Portugal and famous for use in Madeira. It had lime and grassy notes on the nose but apple on the palate. I enjoyed it and don’t think I’ve ever had one before to compare it with.

I would have been disappointed not to try their Alvarinho, and they didn’t let me down. It was made in stainless steel tanks, with lemon notes on the palate. We finished the whites with a Chardonnay that you could tell benefited from the restrained use of oak, and a dark, dry Cab Franc/Cab Sauv rosé made in the Portuguese style.

Moving to the reds, when I saw the “2018” vintage on their Merlot I privately despaired but was soon impressed. 2018 was a wet, difficult year for Virginia, so good reds were an exception and this was one of those exceptions. It was fruity but not overly so.

Next up was another pair of 2018s; the Comendador (red blend) and Cabernet Franc. The first is a Cabernet Franc/Merlot/Touriga blend that had a hint of vanilla, while the later had a spice note.

The last of the regular line up was a 2018 Touriga that was a real standout, and one of the favorites of the day. Medium to full bodied, earthy, and big tannins.

I thought the tasting was finished – but then they brought out the big guns. Have I mentioned how wonderful Alex is?

Part II started with the Touriga/Syrah “Manassas City” blend which was young but still drinking nicely. We went to try three more red blends; a cellared 2017 Comendador, the 2019 Souzão, and a 2019 Tourão.

I liked Comendador but loved the last two. Both use grapes native to Portugal, so there likely isn’t anything close to them in Virginia (the fruit was mostly west coast). The Souzão was a little spicy while the Tourão had an amazing nose and great complexity, blending Virginia and non-Virginia fruit. As overflowing as my wine cabinet is, I had to take the Souzão home.

But wait – there’s more!

Finishing the lineup was a series of dessert wines, including their ruby port-style (Touriga & brandy), Jeropiga (Vidal & Chambourcin), Moscatel, and (my favorite) a cherry wine. I’m a sucker for a great presentation and the cherry wine has one of the best methods of delivery – they pour it into a tiny chocolate cup and you devour it whole.

For as many wines as I tried, there was actually more in the works I never got to sample. Vitor is collaborating with John Davenport of Three Crosses Distilling Company and both have products using the other’s barrels.  John is aging his rye whisky in barrels used to make port-styles wines. Vitor is aging his 2021 Ruby port-style in Three Crosses’ rye barrels.

It was a great visit, which I finished sitting on the patio looking at their park.