Winery Visit #2

Veritas
Saturday, February 25, 2012




Veritas was the second winery we visited. It's in Afton, VA. We went after lunch, and missed the last tour, but still got to walk around a bit and do some tasting!

Veritas Winery sign

It was very beautiful driving up, despite being cold and a little overcast. The tasting room/storefront was bigger than the King Family one we had visited earlier in the day, but it was also more crowded. It may have been a result of how busy it was, but the people working didn't seem as friendly or eager to help as the people at King Family Vineyards had been.

Ready to start tasting and taking notes!

We found a corner to sit in and start tasting wines. A lot of wines! At 11 wines, this tasting was around twice as big as any I had been to previously. The woman serving us seemed a bit distracted, which probably added to how long the tasting felt. Anyhow, the wines were:

Scintilla- "Scintilla is a Brut sparkling wine made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Cabernet Franc. Scintilla shows a pale straw color and has a brilliant reflection with small elegant bubbles. The aroma and flavors are fresh and crisp, reminiscent of pear and green apple accented by a touch of yeast and toasted brioche. The finish is clean, long and showing beautiful acidity heightened by creamy overtones. $30." (Veritas notes) To me, this wine smelled like lemon, grapefruit, and grass. It was bubbly, and tasted tangy, citrus-y, and dry.

Mousseux- "Mousseux is an extra dry (12-25 gms./L) sparkling wine made in the traditional method that is used in Champagne, where the second fermentation within the bottle creates bubbles that make Bubbly Bubbly. [sic] Mousseux shows a deep pink color with salmon highlights and has small elegant bubbles. The aroma and flavors are rich and fresh, reminiscent of cherry, raspberry and strawberry. The finish is clean, long and showing beautiful acidity and intensity of fruit. $30." (Veritas notes) This wine smelled very light, with hints of apple and pear. It was light and bubbly with tart apple and lemon flavors. At the very beginning, there was a hint of sweet strawberries, but that went away quickly and it became very dry.

Sauvignon Blanc 2011- "Harvested just six months ago, our Sauvignon Blanc is a true expression of youth and vibrancy. The bouquet is clean and fresh leading with ripe grapefruit, lime rind, lemon grass, and wet-stone minerality. The flavors on the palate mirror the nose bringing a mouthful of crisp ripe fruits that are balanced by Sauvignon Blanc's naturally high acidity. $18." (Veritas notes) It smelled like grapefruit on grass with a hint of peach and tasted very acidic and like lemongrass, with a little peach at the beginning.

White Star- "White Star is a complex, palate-friendly blend of Viognier, Traminette, Chardonnay, and Vidal Blanc that creates a tropical array of honey-rose intermingling with sweet, peach, apricot, mango and pineapple that are balanced with vibrant acidity. White Star is a fun, youthful wine that blossoms with fruity flavors for fun with family and friends. $18." (Veritas notes) It smelled grapey and floral, like honeysuckle or jasmine. It tasted sweet at the beginning, kind of pear-y, then got a slightly sweaty sock taste, then became very tart. Try as I might, I couldn't taste any of the tropical fruits mentioned in the tasting notes.

Petit Manseng 2010- "Petit Manseng is not your everyday wine. It's a wine that bursts with the vibrancy of tropical fruit aromas like toasted coconut, fresh almonds, pineapple, mango, and candied citrus fruit. This is all backed with subtle nuances of spice and white flowers -aromas that assail the nostrils and deliver in the mouth a soft very slightly sweet succulent medley of fresh fruits. Petit Manseng goes with dessert yet is not a dessert wine - it delights fresh fruit salad while Creme Brulee with Petit Manseng has to be tasted to be believed. $19." (Veritas notes) This wine had a really light, sweet smell of pear with a hint of smoke. For me, it was sickeningly sweet and tasted like honeysuckle and marshmallow. It had the toasty vanilla/caramel/creme brulee, creamy, smokey finish. I didn't like the syrupy sweetness at the beginning, but the aftertaste was quite delicious.

Kenmar 2009- "Kenmar our truly distinctive dessert wine created from Traminette grapes that we freeze and then crush in the same way as the classic Ice Wines of Germany. Kenmar is an aroma wine; of all aroma wines- just inhale the aromatic fragrance of the honeyed luxury of rose petals, lychee, apricot and spice. The harmonious balance of tropical fruit, candied citrus and honey fills the mouth and settles triumphantly on the palate, finishing in mellifluous harmony. If you like sweet and flowers- Kenmar is Honey-suckle [sic] Rose. $35." (Veritas notes) Smelled very sweet, like pineapple and honeysuckle. It tasted like honey, apple, peach, and mango. It was very sweet, as well.

Rose 2010- "The beautiful rose color of our Rose wine is achieved by taking the juice of Cabernet Franc and Merlot after 24 hours of skin contact. The nose is rich with red berries, spice and soft floral aromas. In the mouth fresh strawberries and cherries accented by a dry finish are reminiscent of the dry Rose's of southern France. This wine is best enjoyed in its youth and is extremely versatile when paired with Mediterranean seafood or chicken dishes- or just old barbecue! $14." (Veritas notes) It smelled like rose and strawberry. It tasted very dry, and the alcohol was immediately apparent, but then it turned kind of creamy, like cheese. It was interesting, but not my cup of tea.

Merlot 2010- "Merlot is our everyday favorite wine that takes the middle road between the Claret and the Cabernet Franc. A deliciously red-purple color precedes the soft embracing bouquet that is fragrant with cherries and raspberries. Easy to drink, the mouth feel is full on the palate, as layers of fruit unfold accentuated by the subtle earthiness of the terroir. A lasting finish with balanced oak gives rise to the sense of finesse and charm. $18." (Veritas notes) Cherry, plum, smoke/pepper, and oil on the nose. Very tart and dry, it had a gasoline flavor and not much else. Somewhat dimension-less.

Vintner's Reserve 2010- "VR is comprised of 42% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 25% Petit Verdot, and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is deep ruby red in color and the bouquet is a delicate balance of cherry, chocolate, and fresh cigar box enveloped in an aroma of fresh black fruits. Luscious flavors of cherry unfold with rich yet assertive tannins on the palate leaving a structured and elegant finish accentuated with complex flavors of vanilla, caramel, and mocha from barrel aging. VR is a perfect wine to enjoy with any red meat from Filet Mignon to Rib Eye, Venison, or Lamb. $35." (Veritas notes) Smelled like a peppered raspberry and tasted tart, sour, and dry with a creamy/smokey end.

Red Star- "Red Star is one of our most palate-friendly and popular wines. It is medium bodied and aromatic, practically jumping out of the glass with ripe fruit tones. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Chambourcin create myriad cherry, raspberry, and red currant flavors. Red Star is truly a comfort wine smooth round and easy to drink. $18." (Veritas notes) It smelled like spiced cherries, but it had a softness to the nose. It tasted plummy, sweet, and buttery with a smokey finish and a peppery aftertaste.

Othello 2009- "Othello is no 'Port in a storm'; it is crafted with two grape varieties- 61% Touriga Nacional and 39% Tannat- fortified with brandy and then aged for two years in oak. The result is a wine with an alluring aroma of plum, black cherries, blackberries and caramel. Sweet and powerful, the smooth, textured tannins give the dark fruit flavors a glowing, ember-like finish that lingers with velvety warmth. Drink as an apertif, on ice, or take Othello to its ultimate destiny with chocolate or caramel desserts, or even English Stilton cheese and a ripe pear-pure heaven! $28." (Veritas notes) This wine smelled light and like river water, which was absolutely nothing like it tasted. It tasted VERY sweet, to the point that it was difficult to taste anything else. There was a little cherry and some pepper, though, and a buttery, oaky finish.

Photo of the grounds. Not super relevant, but after all of that writing, a picture was in order!

I don't know if it was the time of day, the sun in my eyes, our server, or my mood, but I didn't really like any of these wines. It also may have been the tasting order, because we seemed to keep jumping between sickeningly sweet and mouth puckering dry, and light and heavy. Maybe most of these just needed to be paired with food?

Anyhow, it was an experience. It would be nice to go back on another day to see if my feelings towards the wines change, or even just do a smaller, more organized tasting elsewhere, possibly while pairing the wines with food to see if that helps. Regardless, it was quite beautiful. We even saw some workers out in the vineyards on the way out!

Our group on the porch