Tag Archives: champagne

Virginia vs Champagne Blind Sparkling Showdown (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

Virginia is enjoying a sparkling wine renaissance, especially in NOVA. A sparkling wine house named Petit Domaine recently opened in Loudoun, Stinson Vineyards has recently introduced a sparkling label named Lido Deck, and Stone Tower now has an entire facility dedicated to producing bubbly. These are just a few data points on what looks to be a shift from lower-cost sparkling formats such as pet-nats and charmat-style wine to higher-end, more ‘champagne’-style sparkings.

“High end” may be a bold statement. Champagne is still the default setting for high-end sparkling wine, and Virginia’s terroir is radically different from the world’s most famous sparkling region.

Moreover, I still think many Virginia sparkling producers are still tweaking their game. With the exception of a few standouts (looking at you, Thibault-Janisson, Trump Winery, and Veritas), most Virginia sparkling producers have only recently joined the ‘méthode traditionnelle’ club.

Even so, many VA sparklings are impressive, something I attribute to how Virginia performs well when it does its own thing. Virginia makes everything from sparkling Viognier from Horton, sparkling Rieslings, terroir-based Blanc de Noirs from the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Valley, as well as more classic Blanc de Blanc or Brut wines using grapes associated with Champagne.

Most of these higher-end bottles price around $60, with Early Mountain Vineyards and Trump Winery amongst the most notable producers in this price range. Consumers can also find good quality $35-40 bottles from Thibault-Janisson, King Family, and broader cast of wineries.

Tasting & Scoring Methodology

A group of friends & I blind tasted 8 wines in 4 flights. All the flights were bagged.

To make it even more challenging, we mixed the French and Virginia wines up. This meant our rounds included France vs Virginia, Virginia vs Virginia, or France vs France, all depending on luck of the draw. After the last pairing, we voted on a “Top 2” from these 8 to go into the finalist round (as a last-minute change I added the 3rd favorite to join these finalists).

This mixing had the unexpected benefit of preventing us from obsessing over “Which is Virginia?”. We ended up spending more time on the actual wine, and less worrying where it came from.

I didn’t use a fancy scoring system. I did ask which was the favorite per round, but the goal was always to choose the “Top 2” of the day.

When I created this event, I specified the French sparklings be in the ~$50 range (although one of them was in the ~$70 range) and the Virginia bottles in the ~$60 range. This meant the comparing French bottles were lower-end champagnes and one higher-end cremant. I gave Virginia a higher price-point to account for how these are more boutique operations.

I figured this price range would even the playing field, keeping out the higher-end Champagnes but still having some strong contenders.

I ultimately selected 12 Ridges, Early Mountain Vineyards, Eastwood Farm (using a sparkling made by Thibault-Janisson), and Ankida Ridge, since these haven’t been in my earlier blinds.

All the participating bottles made in the traditional method, although the blends often differed.

The Contenders

  1. Crémant du Jura “Harmonie” by Domaine Pierre Richard (Jura; 100% Chardonnay; ~$30)
  2. Ankida Ridge Brut (Virginia; 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay; $70)
  3. Champagne Gallimard Quintessence (Champagne; 100% Chardonnay; ~$47)
  4. Trouillard Brut Extra Selection (Champagne; blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier; $45)
  5. Early Mountain Brut Sparkling (Virginia; 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Gris; $60)
  6. Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte Anne Brut NV (Champagne; 45% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier; ~$75)
  7. Eastwood Blanc de Blancs (Virginia; 100% Chardonnay; $40)
  8. 12 Ridges Brut (Virginia; 55% Pinot Gris, 45% Chardonnay, ~$65)

Flight #1

  • Bottle #1: Crémant du Jura “Harmonie” by Domaine Pierre Richard (0 votes)
  • Bottle #2: Ankida Ridge Brut (7 votes)

Our opening round was France vs Virginia. I wish the Ankida had gone up against a higher price point wine, but such is the nature of blind tastings that it randomly went up against the cheapest French wine in our group.

Bottle #1/Crémant du Jura “Harmonie“ by Domaine Pierre Richard: Lots of apple notes, including bruised apple, specifically yellow or green apple. Someone mentioned it was soft; maybe even tropical. Lower acidity. It was “pithy” and had a shorter finish.

Everything about this wine was on the up-front ‘attack’. If anything, it reminded me more of a sparkling cider than a sparkling wine.

Bottle #2/Ankida Ridge Brut: There was some funkiness on the nose initially, but that soon blew off. This wine had a longer finish, and presented as tart, with notes of toasty white bread, maybe back by some oak. We also found orchard and pear notes. Someone mentioned a hint of nutmeg.

#2 was higher in acidity than #1 but was not a tremendously high-acid wine. It was structured and ‘old world’ in nature. This also had a big initial ‘attack’, which isn’t the style some of us enjoyed. Comparatively speaking, we enjoyed this much more than #1.

I will say that while we *liked* this wine, we didn’t *love* it initially. We later discovered it needed time to open up, which made all the difference. When we re-tasted, especially with food, we liked this wine far more.

Flight #2

  • Bottle #3: Champagne Gallimard Quintessence (0 votes)
  • Bottle #4: Trouillard Brut Extra Selection (7 votes)

This round was a Champagne vs Champagne event. We enjoyed these two wines more than the previous round, at least on the first sips (although we later decided we enjoyed Ankida Ridge’s Brut more than the Gallimard).

#3 was a softer expression of sparkling wine; more like the kind of wine you bring to a party that everyone will likely enjoy it.

Bottle #3/Champagne Gallimard Quintessence: Blue cheese-like nose? This wine was YEASTY, almost pungent. Someone mentioned “antibiotics on steroids” on the palate. Another mentioned caramel corn or butter. Another said it had a bruised apple nose. Maybe notes of yellow apple on the palate.

On the flip side it had good balance, plus was fresh and clean. Everything was ‘up front’ for this wine.

Bottle #4/Trouillard Brut Extra Selection: Notes of ginger. Lots of positive notes including balanced, elegant, and layered. Flinty. Someone mentioned notes of strudel or pastry. Bright, maybe some honey on the nose. Another mentioned this was red fruit-driven.

This bottle also had more of the traditional autolytic characteristics you’d expect in Champagne, something we hadn’t seen thus far. We suspect it had a bit of age to it as well.

Flight #3

  • Bottle #5: Early Mountain Brut Sparkling (7 votes)
  • Bottle #6: Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte Anne Brut NV (0 votes)

The bubbles on both of these were FROTHY, especially #5. This was probably our highest-rated round of the day, although in this pairing we universally favored #5/Early Mountain.

Bottle #5/Early Mountain Brut Sparkling: Zingy; very bubbly and lively. Lemon-citrus notes; someone mentioned dragon fruit. Notes of citrus, but a ripe citrus. Good minerality and nice finish. Someone guessed it may have gone through a partial malolactic fermentation, but just a guess.

This was also a crowd pleaser of a wine, although it had lots of positive notes for wine snobs. One guest described this wine as ‘playful’, and I think that was the best description so far.

Bottle #6/Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte Anne Brut NV: Yeasty. Notes of pair; anise was also mentioned. High acidity and very bright. Notes of baking spice, even smoke, was mentioned. It seemed slightly on the higher alcohol side.

The flavor profile was very up front. Very rich; maybe backed by some oak? But overall, this wine was defined by its acidity. This was the most expensive Champagne of the day, so I’m glad it was compared to the EMV.

Flight #4

  • Bottle #7: Eastwood Blanc de Blancs (2 votes)
  • Bottle #8: 12 Ridges Brut (5 votes)

This round was Virginia vs Virginia. It also compared two very different wines; a moderately-priced Blanc de Blanc vs a higher price point from a unique vineyard situated at 3,300’ feet elevation.

Bottle #7/Eastwood Blanc de Blancs: Deep straw color. At least one guest mentioned a “fresh bread nose”. Several mentioned notes of spice, even turmeric. It was heavier bodied; maybe with a popcorn-quality to it. We suspected this might have been made in a warmer climate.

Initially we didn’t love this wine, but as it opened up we started to appreciate the richness of it more.

Bottle #8/12 Ridges Brut: Very clean and balanced, with a nice finish. Citrus palate. Good floral notes; reminded us of fresh flowers, even dried flowers.

One guest described it as a ‘baby champagne’, since it had all the notes you’d want in a champagne, but they were still learning to express themselves. Lots of potential here. Maybe it needs more time.

Finalist Round

  • Bottle #2: Ankida Ridge Brut (3rd place)
  • Bottle #4: Trouillard Brut Extra Selection (2nd place)
  • Bottle #5: Early Mountain Brut Sparkling (1st place; overall winner)

I asked my guests for their “Top 3” favorites. I used data to narrow it down to two finalists, which we would retry.

Top 3 going into the finalist (but not the actual final vote)

  • Chrisa: #4 (Trouillard) / #5 (Early Mountain) /#2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Jen: #4 (Trouillard) / #5 (Early Mountain) /#3 (Gallimard Quintessence)
  • Kathy: #5 (Early Mountain) / #4 (Trouillard) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Lieven: #4 (Trouillard) / #5 (Early Mountain) /#3 (Gallimard Quintessence)
  • Matt: #4 (Trouillard) / #5 (Early Mountain) /#3 (12 Ridges)
  • Sarah: #5 (Early Mountain) / #4 (Trouillard) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Warren: #4 (Trouillard) / #5 (Early Mountain) /#3 (Gallimard Quintessence)

#4/Trouillard and #5/Early Mountain Vineyard were universally our top 2 picks. But picking a 3rd choice was difficult because these 3rd choices were a very distant preferences to the Top 2. I struggled to find a clear 3rd favorite myself.

Then I did something I’ve never done before. We put #4/Trouillard and #5/Early Mountain aside and started sipping the remainder of the wines. At that point, I realized #2/Ankida Ridge had totally changed.

At this point the Ankida was practically a different wine. So much so that if this was how it initially tasted, I may have selected this over one of my other picks. We liked it so much I put it into the finalist round, making it a trio of ‘finalists’.

After our food break we did a final tasting and voted. Here was the breakdown.

Finalist round (Listed as the judge’s Favorite, Second Favorite, and Third Favorite)

  • Chrisa: #5 (Early Mountain) / #4 (Trouillard) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Jen: #5 (Early Mountain) / #4 (Trouillard) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Kathy: #5 (Early Mountain) / #4 (Trouillard) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Lieven: #5 (Early Mountain) / #4 (Trouillard) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Matt: #5 (Early Mountain) / #4 (Trouillard) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Sarah: #5 (Early Mountain) / #4 (Trouillard) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)
  • Warren: #4 (Trouillard) / #5 (Early Mountain) / #2 (Ankida Ridge)

Several guests who initially voted for #4 switched to #5 (Early Mountain). I’m not sure if the Early Mountain got better or the Trouillard started dying off. But we just loved Early Mountain even more in the finalist round.

Early Mountain’s Brut was the event winner.

Lessons Learned

I admit it; I wasn’t sure how this would play out. Topping Champagne in the sparkling category is a tall order. I made sure to exclude super high-end Champagnes to even the playing field, but even Champagne’s $50-range should have been hard to beat.

So imagine my surprise when Virginia came in with the 2 of the top 3, including the winner.

I have to give credit where credit is due. Early Mountain Vineyards makes exceptional wine. While it’s not known as a sparkling house, good winemaking goes a long way, so I shouldn’t be *too* surprised.

Ankida Ridge is another exceptional producer, plus they also have a very unique terroir. That shined through here. I love that the Vroomans came in as our 3rd pick.

When it comes to good sparkling, I’m a believer that there is a measurable difference between what you get in the $50-range vs the $75-range. This event gives me confidence that Virginia can compete against these lower to mid-priced Champagnes.

France vs Virginia Part Deux (2024)

Posted on by
2

If you’re reading this, you probably know all about the “Judgement of Paris”. It’s a huge inspiration to my own wine comparisons, although mine tend to include a broader selection of varieties than the original event (and Virginia wine is always in the mix).

I often hear that both in style and geography, Virginia wine is a half-way point between California and France. But having tried a great deal of both, I’d only somewhat agree with that statement.

My observation is stylistically speaking, Virginia wine trends more towards France than it does California. That said, truly successful Virginia winemakers focus on being ‘Virginia’ rather than try to emulate one region or the other.

I’d already done one “Judgement of Virginia” comparison, but after a few years it was time to apply the lessons-learned from the first time and try again.

Tasting & Scoring Methodology

A group of friends & I blind tasted 5 comparison flights. All the flights were bagged blind. It wasn’t planned that way, but many of the same wineries I selected for my 2022 event were again represented.

The goal was to pick a ‘favorite’ every round, as opposed to rating them and determining which one we thought was the ‘best’. In many cases, ‘best’ was entirely subjective.

This particular event included an abundance of industry professionals. Of the six of us, two had side-gigs at wine stores, two were working on their WSET Diplomas (and one was a wine judge), and one was born in Bordeaux and had experience working at both California and Virginia wineries.

While all were familiar with Virginia wine, I didn’t need to worry about having a bias in favor of either France or Virginia. At least one (gasp!) may have even expressed doubts what Virginia could bring to the table, so I was on a bit of a mission to show the best of what Virginia had to offer.

Because of that, it’s fair to say that my Virginia wines represented a good cross-section of the ‘elite’ of the local industry. But that didn’t mean we slouched on our French pairings; I did my best to compare a wine from each area that was roughly equal in terms of blends and price points.

I specifically told my attendees to not share their guess on which wine came from which region until the end of the event. It was about the best wine of each round, not ‘guess the Virginia bottle’. All the bottles were unveiled at the end.

The contenders:

  1. Charles Heidsieck blanc de blancs (France) ($95 Wine Searcher)
  2. 2016 Trump “Brut Reserve” (Virginia) ($95 for the 2017 vintage)
  3. 2022 Chateau Picque-Caillou Blanc (France) ($43 Wine.com)
  4. 2023 Walsh “Bethany Ridge” (Virginia) (~$34)
  5. 2015 Linden “Hardscrabble” (Chardonnay) (Virginia) (~$42 for current 2021 vintage)
  6. 2015 Louis Jadot Beaune (France) ($55 Wine Searcher)
  7. 2016 Chateau Tour des Termes (France) ($35 Wine Searcher)
  8. 2019 Fifty-Third Winery “Romulus” (Virginia) (~$35-$40 when released)
  9. 2018 Chateau de la Brede Rouge (France) ($62 Wine Searcher)
  10. 2017 Linden “Hardscrabble” (red) (Virginia) (~$75 – $85 library wine)

Flight #1: Sparkling

  • Bottle #1: Charles Heidsieck blanc de blancs (France; I believe it was bottled in 2017)
  • Bottle #2: 2016 Trump “Brut Reserve” (Virginia) (Round winner; 6 votes as favorite; all incorrectly guessed Champagne)

Of course, we start with sparkling.

This was arguably the biggest surprises of the day. All of us voted for Bottle #2 (Trump) as our favorite. During a last-minute pre-unveiling tally to guess its area of origin, all of us guessed it was Champagne. Nope; this was Albemarle County’s very own Trump Winery.

This is where I wish I took a video of the reactions. We were SURE this was Champagne; nobody even floated the idea it was Virginia (even those who’ve had it). The tasting notes also seemed to back that assessment up, with #2/Trump seeming a bit more ‘aged’ and having finer bubbles.

But I shouldn’t be surprised. This was the 2nd time a 2016 Trump Brut Reserve won one of my blind tastings (the other being an 100% sparkling event). Additionally, a 2017 Trump Blanc de Blanc won the previous Judgement of Virginia against a Taittinger champagne.

I’ve said in the past that “Trump sparkling can go toe-to-toe with anything”. But now, I need to edit that statement. It would likely take a +$100 Champagne to surpass a Trump Winery Brut Reserve.

Bottle #1 / Charles Heidsieck blanc de blancs (France). More brioche on the nose than #2. “Bigger” on the palate. Creamy and fresh. One of us mentioned it was more reminiscent of “American” butter while #2 (Trump) was reminiscent of French butter, and several backed that assessment up. It had thicker bubbles with more citrus notes.

Bottle #2 / 2016 Trump “Brut Reserve” (Virginia). The brioche was there on the nose but I personally thought there was a mineral note to it. Lemony, creamy and fresh. More ‘aged’ notes, including nuttiness. More ‘European butter’ notes, which (I’m told) is fattier and more delicious than its American counterpart.

  • Kathy: Voted #2 (Trump). Guessed Champagne (it was Virginia). Thought #1 had more aggressive bubbles, maybe more reductive. #2 was more oxidative and citrusy.
  • Lieven: Voted #2 (Trump). Guessed Champagne (it was Virginia). Lots of similarities between the two, although thought #1 was ‘narrower’. Thought #2 had probably a few more grams of sugar than #1, although both were Brut. He also came up with the idea that #1 (Champagne’s Heidsieck) was more ‘American’ butter while #2 was ‘European’ butter
  • Marine: Voted #2 (Trump). Guessed Champagne (it was Virginia). Concurred with Lieven’s comment about “American butter” vs “European butter”.
  • Matt C: Voted #2 (Trump). Guessed Champagne (it was Virginia). Thought #2 had more dosage. #1 was more kumquat notes while #2 was more mandarin orange.
  • Matt F: Voted #2 (Trump). Guessed Champagne (it was Virginia). No tasting notes (too busy writing).
  • Robrette: Voted #2 (Trump). Guessed Champagne (it was Virginia). Thought #1 was more acidic while #2 was ‘rounder’. Also liked the texture of #2.

Flight #2: Sauvignon Blanc

  • Bottle #3: 2022 Chateau Picque-Caillou Blanc (Bordeaux Blanc, a rare 100% SB)
  • Bottle #4: 2023 Walsh Family Bethany Ridge (Round winner; 6 votes for favorite; 3 guessed were Virginia)

This round was surprising because the Bordeaux Blanc came off as “New World”, while the Walsh was much more Sancerre-like.

At first I was upset I didn’t ask for a more ‘classic’ expression of French Sauv Blanc, but in retrospect I’m happy how it came out. It just goes to show you that not only can Virginia wine present as “Old World”, there are times when “Old World” wine comes off as “New World”.

The Bordeaux Blanc was so overpowering floral that I could have guessed it was a Torrontés in a blind tasting. A very off-brand Sauv Blanc, especially for France. But still very quaffable.

Bottle #3 / 2022 Chateau Picque-Caillou Blanc. The nose was aggressive, nearly overpowering. It was so off-brand it threw us for a loop, and I suspect those who weren’t familiar with Walsh Family assumed this had to be the “New World” wine.

Grassy, almost New Zealand-style perfume-y nose. Lighter in color, and maybe a dab of oak. Lots of texture. Notes of citrus, jasmine, tarragon, and gooseberry were mentioned.

Bottle #4 / 2023 Walsh Family Bethany Ridge. “Shy” was the key descriptor, which I assume was due to it being recently bottled. The nose took a while to make an appearance but was lovely when it finally arrived.

Notes of dry grass (as opposed to freshly cut grass). Delicate and elegant. Citrus and lingering stone fruit notes. I completely understand why people thought this was France; maybe my next pairing will be Sancerre instead of a Bordeaux Blanc.

  • Kathy: Voted for #4 and guessed #4 was Virginia. Thought #3 had nice acidity and was perfume-y. #4 had notes of quince, mineral, and dried herbs.
  • Lieven: Voted for #4 and guessed #4 was France. #3 had notes of stone fruit, papaya, tarragon, and was floral and bright. #4 had a sharper nose.
  • Marine: Voted for #4 and guessed #4 was Virginia. #3 was ‘flamboyant’. Notes of cat pee, passion fruit, and was smooth. #4 was more subtle, notes of fresh herbs and had a lovely finish.
  • Matt C: Voted for #4 and guessed #4 was France. Thought #3 had notes of honeysuckle and grapefruit.
  • Matt F: Voted for #4 and guessed #4 was Virginia (mostly because I know and love Walsh’s SB) but never could have guessed #3 was French.
  • Robrette: Voted for #4 and guessed #4 was France. Thought #3 was grassy, fleshy, notes of dragon fruit. #4 was lmon-lime, grape fruit, hint of herbs.

Flight #3: Chardonnay

  • Bottle #5: 2015  Linden “Hardscrabble” (Chardonnay) (Virginia) (3 votes, tie; all guessed it was Virginia)
  • Bottle #6: 2015 Louis Jadot Beaune (France) (3 votes, tie)

This round was special because I LOVE aged Chardonnay. The 2015 Linden is one of owner/winegrower Jim Law’s favorite (and highest rated) Chardonnay vintages ever, and bottles of Hardscrabble Chardonnay are basically his ‘flagship wine’. I’m not familiar with the Louis Jadot but dang, that one aged beautifully as well.

I didn’t take great notes on why we all thought #5 was Virginia, but we all must have found something about it that stood out since we were all accurate.

Bottle #5 / 2015 Linden “Hardscrabble” (white) (Virginia). It had a ‘hot note’ of higher alcohol. Lemon notes, nutty nose. This seemed more ‘fruit’ driven.

Bottle #6 / 2016 Chateau Tour des Termes (France). “Big”, nutty qualities as well. Lots of complexity on the nose. Complex palate. This seemed a tad bit more ‘winemaker’ driven, at least on the nose.

  • Kathy: Voted for #5 and thought #5 was Virginia. Thought #5 was fresher, more fruit vs #6 showcased ‘the winemaker’, and #5 had a note of salinity.
  • Lieven: Voted for #6 and thought #5 was Virginia. Thought #5 was more bruised fruit, lemony but also cooked, with notes of marmalade. #6 was more lemon drop, with a sour note. Both had notes of baking spice.
  • Marine: Voted for #6 and thought #5 was Virginia. #5 was more pronounced bruised apple, lighter and more acidic than #6. #6 was shy, smooth, balanced and toasty.
  • Matt C: Voted for #5 and thought #5 was Virginia. #6 was ripe pair, fresh butter on the nose. Saw a hot note to it. #6 had a reductive nose, notes of melted butter, cooked apple, and baking spice
  • Matt F: Voted for #6, and thought #5 was Virginia.
  • Robrette: Voted for #5 and thought #5 was Virginia. Thought #5 as rounder and had more mouth feel. #6 was sharper.

Flight #4: Red Flight #1

  • Bottle #7: 2016 Chateau Tour des Termes (France) (Round winner, 6 votes)
  • Bottle #8: 2019 Fifty-Third Winery “Romulus” (Virginia; all guessed it was Virginia)

This round was our mid-price ranged red comparison. The differences between them were more pounced than the other rounds (at least in my opinion). It was relatively easy to guess the Virginia wine since it was brighter and more fruit-driven than the Bordeaux.

This was a fight between ‘easy drinking vs serious & complex’. They were slightly further apart in vintage than I would have preferred – but you take what you can get.

Bottle #7 / 2016 Chateau Tour des Termes (France). I wrote most of the notes below for this round.

Bottle #8 / 2019 Fifty-Third Winery “Romulus” (Virginia).

  • Kathy: Voted for #7 and thought #8 was Virginia. Thought #7 had black plumb, notes of peppercorn, was rustic, and had more complexity. #8 was more black cherry vanilla (like the ice cream), notes of cherry cola.
  • Lieven: Voted for #7 and thought #7 was Virginia. Thought #7 was red and black fruit, notes of cassis and char, with a savory note. #8 was more blue and black fruit, note of violet, and had a lighter palate.
  • Marine: Voted for #7 and thought #8 was Virginia. #7 had notes of fresh herbs, black cherry, rustic, more ‘serious’. #8 was fresher, more crushed berry, and liked the brightness.
  • Matt C: Voted for #7 and thought #8 was Virginia. Thought #7 had a “Virginia nose”, notes of cassis, maybe a little new oak. #8 was softer, leaned into the fresh fruit, was softer and had a lingering berry note.
  • Matt F: Voted for #7 and thought #8 was Virginia. I thought #8 had a sour note on the palate, and wasn’t as well integrated when compared to #7.
  • Robrette: Voted for #7 and thought #7 was Virginia. #7 was more complex while #8 was brighter and was less complex, with cola notes.
  • Flight #5: Red Flight #2
  • Bottle #9: 2018 Chateau de la Brede Rouge  (France) (3 votes; tie)
  • Bottle #10: 2017 Linden “Hardscrabble” (red) (Virginia) (3 votes; tie, 2 out of 6 guessed it was Virginia)

While Jim Law’s flagship wine is his Hardscrabble white (Chardonnay), he makes some damn good reds. His wines are always well balanced, and that was evident here.

But the Brede Rouge wasn’t a slouch either, everyone loved it just as much. Votes were tied between them.

Surprisingly (or not, depending on how high your estimation of Linden is), 4 out of 6 of us thought the Virginia wine was Bordeaux (even my guest from Bordeaux thought so). I’ll take that as a huge vote of confidence for Linden Vineyards.

It wasn’t until the next day that I got the ‘musty’ notes that are indicative of Bordeaux on the nose, although both bottles were well aerated before this event.

Bottle #9 / 2018 Chateau de la Brede Rouge (France). It was late so most of my tasting notes are below. Several thought they detected an ‘olive oil’ note to #9, which threw people off.

Bottle #10 / 2017 Linden “Hardscrabble” (red) (Virginia). Guests generally identified this as smooth, balanced, and fruit-driven.

  • Kathy: Voted for #9, thought #10 was Virginia. Thought #9 was brine-y and had a note of olive oil which was unusual for Bordeaux. #10 was fresher, more raspberry and herbs and fewer barnyard notes.
  • Lieven: Voted for #10, thought #9 was Virginia. Thought #9 was more red cherry, plumb, pomegranate, and potting soil. #10 was more red cherry, plumb, earth and forest floor. Thought this wine was more about the mid-palate.
  • Marine: Voted for #10, thought #9 was Virginia. Thought #9 had notes of cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, prune-y and tobacco. I think she mentioned notes of nutmeg and spice. #10 had notes of black current, cherry, and ‘juicy’
  • Matt C: Voted for #9, thought #9 was Virginia. #9 was black cherry, liquorish, brine, notes of baked fruit and had a cooked quality to it. #10 was black current, cigar box, red and black fruit and cedar.
  • Matt F: Voted for #10, thought #10 was Virginia.
  • Robrette: Voted for #9, thought #9 was Virginia. Thought #9 was more red fruit, black cherry, but balanced and smooth. #10 was more red fruit, and lighter, smoother, softer.

Lessons Learned:

Normally I talk about how similar a well-made Virginia wine can be to a classic expression of the same variety from France. What surprised me was how French wine can, on occasion, showcase “New World” notes.

The Chardonnay and the 1st red flight were easy; 100% of guests correctly identified each country of origin. The Sauvignon Blanc flight was harder to guess, with only 4 out of 6 guessing correctly. Even more difficult was the 2nd flight (with Linden) where only 2 out of 6 guessed correctly.

The sparkling round was the real stumper. Was it conceit to assume Virginia couldn’t match a $80-$100 bottle from Champagne? Maybe! I stand by my assessment that Trump Winery’s sparklings hit above their price point.

I also loved how wrong people were about the Linden Hardscrabble red vs Bordeaux flight, which stumped most of us.

So was it that Virginia wines are expressive of “Old World”? Or a few of these French wines were New World-ish? A bit of both, at least in this case.

In the end of our 5 comparisons, Virginia won 2 rounds, Bordeaux 1 round, and we had 2 ties.