2014 Governor's Cup Case

I have capture the summary of the 2014 Governor's Cup Case here:

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2014 Virginia Wine Lover Choice Awards

Here is a map of the  2014 Virginia Wine Lover Choice Awards:

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Rappahannock Cellars

Walking up to Rappahannock Cellars

We concluded our day of wine tasting at Rappahannock Cellars.  Overall, we walked away unimpressed with the wines at Rappahannock Cellars.  They offered 7 wines to taste.  These wines included: 2012 Rose, 2013 Chardonnay-Viognier, 2012 Chardonnay, 2012 Noblesse Rouge,  2012 Cabernet Franc, 2011 Meritage, 2011 Red Dessert Wine ("Port").  We didn't enjoy either the white or red offerings.  We self-guided ourselves through the tasting experience and couldn't draw out the character presented on the tasting sheet.  The only wine that we agreed on liking was the 2011 Red Dessert Wine, which is made from Norton and fortified with Brandy.  Although, not offered by the winery to enhance the tasting experience, I highly recommend bringing a bit of chocolate to have when tasting this wine.

http://www.rappahannockcellars.com/

Winter Wine Tasting

Looking back at the vineyard.

We did a little winter season wine tasting today.  One of our stops included Philip Carter Winery, which I stopped at last Autumn and enjoyed very much.  During the last tasting, I did not get to taste there 1762 "port-like" wine because they were preparing for the Virginia Governor's Cup.  I sense learned from friends who are members of the winery that 1762 won Silver in the Governor's Cup. 

Photo of Philip Carter's award winning wines.

Today, much of the wine list included 2011 and2012 wines, many of which have been bolstered.  While the wines are all very good, they are also light in taste and slightly thin.  If you are looking for a full bodied wine, these will not satisfy that criteria for you.  However, these are still excellent wines and would be a great wine for a social setting, such as an evening with friends, or even while enjoying a picnic on a warm day.  The Host explained to me that the wine maker, Jeremy Ligon, uses mostly neutral oaks to bring out the natural flavor of the grape.

My favorites were the 2012 Chardonnay, the 2011 1762 and the 2012 Sweet Danielle.  The 2012 Chardonnay is bolstered with by 12.5% Viognier, which gives the wine a nice lift on the nose.  To me the Viognier also sweetened the Chardonnay.  I think this would be a great wine to enjoy with friends who may favor a softer Chardonnay.  The 2011 1762 is made from a Chambourcin grape and fortified with brandy.  The 2011 1762 is the winner of two awards: 2013 San Fran Int'l Wine Competition and 2014 Virginia Governor's Cup.  Finally, the 2012 Sweet Danielle is a well balanced wine and offers a lighter taste that is not too sweet.