I hesitated to write this post because the following is not a true ‘horizontal tasting’ and my first-ever video is definitely not error-free (I was just happy to be done with the camera adjustments!
However, I was reminded today in reading posts in a Virginia wine Facebook group that while I am not at all a wine expert (actively trying to learn more though!), I didn’t start this blog because I thought I knew a lot about wine. I simply wanted to share with others why I enjoy Virginia wine/wineries and how you can have fun doing it, even during these challenging times.
With that in mind, I did a tasting of three Virginia merlots from Loudoun County earlier in the month to enjoy with a delicious dinner made by my roommate - you can watch the video below (actual tasting starts around the 7:30 mark), or keep reading!
Before I continue, the top thing I ask is that you set aside your typical thoughts about the Merlot you may normally have at a bar or restaurant - Virginia Merlot is different! In my opinion that’s a good thing since I’m still getting into drier red wines.
My Merlot Picks
I picked Merlot because it’s not a wine that people typically think of when they think Virginia wine. I also thought it would be a nice palette challenge because while I don’t normally love Merlot, I had noted liking #1 and #2 on the list below on my tasting sheets from previous visits.
The three Merlots I tried were:
2016 Cana Vineyards and Winery of Middleburg (Middleburg)
2016 Dry Mill Winery (Leesburg)
2017 Walsh Family Wine Russ Mountain Merlot - 90% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot (Purcellville)
I chose Walsh Family because I had heard a lot of great reviews from other people and it wasn’t too far of a drive - I did not realize until afterward that their Merlot wasn’t a single varietal, but as you’ll see it was a tasty accident!
The Smell
You learn so much from the smell of wine, especially these days when you can’t do in-person tasting to have an idea of what flavors you might taste when you try the wine.
If you have a good sense of smell (I don’t thanks to non-stop allergies), here’s a fun thing to try: smell the wine by putting your nose by the rim of the wine glass, then step back. Then, smell the wine by putting your nose over the center part of the glass. You may notice some smells are stronger than others!
Cana: It was surprising how fruity this wine smelled for a merlot - blackberry and raspberry were definitely present!
Dry Mill: After smelling the Cana, I could tell right away that this one wasn’t going to be as fruity and was going to be drier. Currant and cherry notes stuck out to me.
Walsh: I know this may not sound appetizing for a wine, but the first smell I picked out was dirt! It was a very earthy smelling wine, which may be in part because of the petit verdot and because it has had a year less to age.
The Taste
I poured a small portion and let it sit in the glass for 20 minutes before the tasting - for red wines that’s especially helpful if you don’t have a decanter just to let the air intermingle with the wine to soften the tannins and accentuate the flavors.
Here's what I tasted:
Cana: This is the most fruit-forward of the three wines - I didn’t have one one fruit in particular stand out but the berry notes are definitely there! It was a tad dry on the end but still drinkable.
Dry Mill: I had a harder time finding a distinct note in this one, but this is the most ‘typical’ Merlot of the three as it’s drier on the end and ‘deeper’ tasting than the other too - red wine drinkers out there this is probably the one for you!
Walsh: I found this to be the most ‘easy drinking’ of the three. The earthy smell definitely translated to the taste along with some plum notes. It had an interesting aftertaste too that I didn't have with the other two wines.
I enjoyed all three, but the Walsh Family was probably my favorite. I taste tested with my two roommates afterwards and one liked the Cana and the other liked the Dry Mill, so it just shows how different everyone’s taste buds are!
Food Pairings
I didn’t really have the recommended cheeses or snacks around my house for this tasting as it was a bit impromptu and I gave up candy for Lent, but some of my favorite snacks to eat with wine and featured in this video are: goat cheese (had it with cranberries this time), pepper jack cheese, and chocolate (I had Kind Bark which is a new food addiction for me). I need to get more adventurous with my snack meats, so perhaps that’s a new challenge for quarantine time.
I hope through this tasting you learned something new and unexpected about Virginia Merlot that will make you a little more adventurous in your wine purchases during this time at home. If you would like to suggest another varietal or unique wine for me to do a tasting for comment below!
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