Sipping the Best of DuCard Vineyards

Like several successful Virginia wineries, Ducard Vineyards opened 15 years ago during the ascendence of the Commonwealth's wine industry. Their estate is located in a beautiful valley on the  eastern edge of the Shenandoah National Park in the shadow of Old Rag Mountain and White Oak Canyon.  In the early days Rappahannock Cellars produced award winning wine from their grapes but eventual owner Scott Elliff decided to transition from grape grower to commercial winery. During that he made many wise decisions such as planting grapes suitable for the Virginia climate, starting small when building out the tasting room and production facility, and most importantly, hiring Julien Durantie as winemaker. 

The Ducard Norton was the first of their wine to reach our attention and they planted "America's Grape" based on a recommendation from Dennis Horton. The early versions were very acidic but Julien was able to nurture more fruit and less acidity moving to an open lyre vine training system. The results have been several consecutive years of award winning Norton wine.

They have also innovated and expanded their portfolio in terms of grape varieties and styles. Their red wines run through traditional Bordeaux grapes Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot to several red blends.  One the paler side, the offer a couple Chardonnays, Viognier, Pinot Gris, as well as blends and a couple effervescent wines: the Pet Gnat and XOXO - both based on Viognier.  During my visit Scott curated a flight of four wines he thought best personified DuCard's current lineup.  

2022 TANA Chardonnay ($45)
This is a Burgundy style wine where the Chardonnay grapes were harvested from the Estate's TANA vineyard and aged five months in French oak. The fresh citrus and green apple fruit basks with great acidity and length. No cloying butter or oak character. 

2022 Cabernet Franc Vintner Reserve ($40)
The best fruit from this vintage was sourced from their Whetstone Run vineyard which helps produce layers of dark cherry fruit, some earthiness, and without any sense of methoxypyrazines (aka green pepper). Expect a long, easy finish.  

2021 Triskele ($70) 
This wine is only made during the best of years (five out of fifteen vintages) and apparently 2021 was one such year. The Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Tannat grapes come from their three vineyard sites. The wine shows floral and herbaceous notes then structured layers of dark fruit with approachable tannins.  An excellent wine. 

2021 XOXO Sparkling Viognier  ($50)
This Hugs and Kisses sparkling wine is made from 100% Viognier from the TANA vineyard where the wine is aged two years on its lees. This leads to noticeable yeast, but an elegant display of subtle stone fruit and a lasting finish. 

Effervescence Unleashed: Virginia Sparkling Red Wine

"The overall inspiration for the wine comes from the often asked question, "why not?" This is a popular question here at CV and has led to many different styles of wine we produce. " - Jake Blodinger, winemaker at Chrysalis Vineyards discussing their Buttorfleoge Norton Pet Nat.

Since the inception of the modern Virginia wine industry, both Horton Vineyards and Chrysalis Vineyards have been pioneers in its development. This can be seen by their introducing (or re-introducing) popular grape varieties such as Viognier, Petit Manseng, and Norton. In addition, they have been pioneers in creating different styles of wine - notably - sparkling red wine.

The Chrysalis Vineyards 2019 Buttorfleoge ($28) is a rarity. This is a Norton Pét-Nat, a new use for Virginia's native grape.  In 2023 there were 130 acres of Norton planted in Virginia (10th most abundant in the Commonwealth(1)). The grape is usually seen as a rich and juicy dry wine that needs a few years in the bottle to tame its astringent nature. Yet, its versatility can be seen in the other styles such as a port-styled wine, a semi-dry lighter offering, and in various blends. But this is the first sparkling I've experienced via Pétillant Naturel using 100% whole-clustered pressed Norton wine. Expect the traditional dark purple color of the Norton but there is an unexpected strong floral note followed by blackberry bubbles.

According to Jake Blodinger, winemaker at Chrysalis Vineyards, "using the methode ancestrale technique ‘rediscovered’ in the Loire in the 1990s, this 100% whole-clustered pressed Norton wine is produced using only the natural microflora found at Locksley Estate. This wine is fermented in tank until there is only a small amount of sugar left. At this point, the wine is bottled and laid down to let the fermentation finish. The result is a true, terroir-driven pétillant-naturel (or Pét Nat), and an exciting addition to the Norton lineup here at Chrysalis Vineyards". 

The Horton Vineyards NV Knots & Shuttles ($24.95) is a another red sparkling wine, this one made from 100% Tannat. Another rarity on many levels.  First, Tannat is the 14th most widely planted grape variety in the Commonwealth with only 78 acres planted. For perspective, Cabernet Franc is the most widely planted grape with 661 acres (1).  Second, Virginia Tannat is generally bottled in Bordeaux-styled blends or as a single varietal wine depending on its tannic structure and juiciness. But as a sparkling wine?  This has to be a first. The wine starts with a black fruit intensity but yields to more finesse once the effervescence starts its escape. 

(1) 2023 Virginia Wine 2023 Commercial Wine Grape Report

The Norton Network Launches the Virginia Norton Wine Tour

October is Virginia Wine Month and that coincides with the first-ever Virginia Norton Wine Tour that commences the weekend of October 18 and continues through November 10.  The Norton Network, a collective of Virginia Norton growers, wine producers, and advocates, formulated the tour in order to to highlight the "exceptional qualities of this historically significant native grape across 22 Virginia wineries and vineyards that either grow Norton or feature it prominently in their wines.  Each weekend, participating wineries within a select radius will host events and offer promotions to showcase the diverse expressions of Norton wine — from fruity rosés to bold reds". 

At the BevFluence Baltimore Speakeasy we had a glimpse of the Norton Wine Tour by sampling an array of Norton wines from Horton Vineyards, Chateau MerrillAnne, and Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyard.  This started as a general presentation and tasting to media participants and carried over to a dinner featuring a library tasting showing the age-ability of the Norton grape.  At this dinner of industry professionals we opened the Horton Vineyards 1995, 1999, 2001, and 2010 Norton wines and interestingly all were agreeable with the 1995 and 2010 showing the best integration of acids and velvety chocolate and black fruit. 

Besides its age worthiness, the Speakeasy participants also learned about the grape's history and versatility (see below for short history).  Chateau MerrillAnne believes there is great potential in Norton/Vinifera blends as evident through their 2021 Marquis Rouge. There's great texture, a full mouthfeel, and length to this 50% Norton, 25% Petite Verdot and 25% Tannat blend. We also received a mini-vertical from Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyard of their 2020 Extended Barrel Aged Norton and 2021 Norton (not exactly a vertical - but close).  Not unexpected, the 2020 is tamer (although still acidic) with more rounded fruit and tannins whereas the acidity in the 2021 is more prevalent. Horton Vineyards provided more versatility in the Courage Port (Multiple vintages of Norton Port blended together with a dash of Tannat.).  And being a novice cocktail operative at the Bartender Lab, I took the Courage and added a dash of Bourbon with a pinch of Caramel flavoring. It worked nicely.  Hope to see you on the Norton Wine Tour.