WineLovers Discussion Group

I have wanted to try the wines from RdV since I first read about them, yet getting to do so has not been so easy. Hard to find them at retail as most is sold direct or to restaurant and visits are by appointment only on weekends and generally only part off the year. So when I got an e-mail that they were going to do blind tasting of their wines against California and Bordeaux we got an appointment and finally visited yesterday.

For a trip report better than I could write and including pictures of the place see Aaron's blog here: http://hogsheadwine.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/a-visit-to-rdv-vineyards/

Its obvious that they have put the time and money into the place and are trying to do something special but the question is if the wines are worth the price. Boxwood has attempted a similar approach of only Bdx blends and famous consultants but for the wines I have tasted they have yet to deliver. The RdV wines are more than twice the price of the Boxwood wines.

The tasting was four wines. We knew that all were 2009 vintage, two were the RdV and there was one Cal Cab and one Left Bank Bdx.

Wine 1. More earth and herb on the nose. Fruit is lurking underneath but not as prominent. Medium body, red fruit. I guessed RdV Rendezvous as it was the only wine less than 75% Cab. It was the 2009 Lynches Bages.

Wine 2. Spicy nose. Balanced. Low acid. Nice texture. My favorite of the four so guessed the Bdx. It was the 2009 RdV Lost Mountain.

Wine 3. Shy on the nose initially but started giving up a little fruit with some time. Medium frame. Most acid of the bunch. Touch of heat on the end and a finish that lingers. Guessed the RdV Lost Mountain but it was the 2009 RdV Rendezvous.

Wine 4. Smells ripe. Black fruit. Plush texture. Oak showing through. This I pegged as the Calinornian and it was the 2009 Caymus Special Selection.

We walked away impressed. Both my wife and I felt the Lost Mountain showed the best of the four. We brought a few back to follow them over the years. I think that they will only get better with about 5 more years.

It is certainly a very inpressive winery - and especiallyso as when you approach it looks just like any of the farm buildings in vicinity the with its huge 'silo'.

It's also the first place I've had Fiji water - and that was to rinse the tasting glasses...

Beautiful architecture. Sadly, when I was in grad school at UVA I had not discovered wine yet. I need to visit Virginia again!

Brian K Miller wrote:Beautiful architecture. Sadly, when I was in grad school at UVA I had not discovered wine yet. I need to visit Virginia again!

Brian, when you were in grad school, wine in Virginia was most likely not all that interesting. If I have roughly the right time, there would have been Linden, Barboursville, and maybe Horton that were making good wine. Veritas maybe but I am not sure about back at that time. Ingleside Plantation put out some nice wines back then but I don't remember them as doing it consistently. There were probably a few others but I am not sure who they are as I did not find them back in the late 1990s. I still really like Linden and Barboursville but much of the interest today comes from Glen Manor, RdV, and Thibaut Janisson. Others such as Rappahanock, Boxwood, and Chester Gap have had some nice wines at time but seem to be a step behing the top tier but still better than most of what you would have found in your grad school days. There are way more wineries in Virginia than I can reasonable visit these days so there are probably others out there doing good things as well as the ones I listed. I have stopped at enough, to know that there are still plenty that are still making uninspiring wine and they seem to far outnumber those pushing the quality envelope.