The crop is harvested, the wines are pressed, the cooler weather is ushering in a small-batch release, and we are doing a handful of tasting events with some of our retail partners. If you have a few minutes to read, carry on, otherwise, here is the short-form summary:
"Tributary 2021" is available! A limited release starring petit verdot has made its retail debut at Belmont Butchery (available now) and Barrel Thief (October 15th) - this wine is almost sold out.
We will have a tasting at the Barrel Thief next Thursday, October 17th from 5-7pm featuring 2 wines: the 2021 Manteo-Nason and the 2021 Tributary.
The Wine Guild of Charlottesville just got our last case of the 2020 Manteo-Nason, and will host us for a tasting on Thursday November 7th, 4:30-7:30pm - details forthcoming.
Tributary 2021
Tributary is a wine that we created to allow us to highlight varieties, blocks or neighboring vineyards that have their own voice. The 2021 Tributary features 60% petit verdot from the O'Brien Family Vineyard, located about 1,000 meters uphill from us on Mount Alto. Petit verdot seems to fancy hot summers with ample rain, making it a potential star in the swelter of central Virginia. In 2021, all the usual suspects showed up: June was dry, July was flush with 90 degree days cooled abruptly by evening thunderstorms, and August brought a mix of tropical storms and cloudy afternoons. A mild start to September was followed by a week of 90 degree days just before the petit verdot harvest. Petit verdot is often characterized by big, rustic tannins. However, on the top of Mount Alto, it seems to produce more modest quantities of tannin with an unusually fine texture, giving a lush, fruit-forward aspect to the wines. The 2021 O'Brien PV had this quality in abundance, so we chose to feature it as the headliner of the inaugural release of Tributary. This wine is blended with 40% cabernet sauvignon from our home vineyard, to bring just a touch of backbone. Interestingly this blend is the exact mirror image of our 2021 Manteo-Nason (60% cab/40% PV) so tasting these two wines side by side is super fun. The wine was aged for 15 months in a mixture of 1-year-old and neutral oak barrels. Only 10 cases were produced and less than 3 cases remain (at our online store).
Tasting to celebrate Virginia Wine Month at Barrel Thief
We will be appearing at the Barrel Thief on October 17th alongside a couple of other regional producers for an event that also includes live jazz and small plates. We will have the 2021 Tributary and its sibling the 2021 Manteo-Nason available to taste. Despite small variations in cabernet to petit verdot ratio, they present a distinctive contrast. It's quite an interesting thing to experience. Please come join us!!
Tiny Library Release: 2020 Manteo-Nason
We were tasting with our friends at the Wine Guild of Charlottesville last week in preparation for our November 7th tasting (4:30-7:30pm, details coming soon) and we brought along some 2020 Manteo-Nason just for grins. The 2020 has always suggested that it would get better with age, as we noticed that it improves after 4, 8, 24, even 48 hours open on the counter. At last week's tasting, right after pulling the cork, it was really singing. The typically balanced tannic structure of this wine was now bursting with aromas of eucalyptus, cedar, smoke and berries. Wine Guild asked if they could bring some in, so we dug 12 bottles out of our library for a re-debut in Charlottesville. If you are a fan of the 2020 Manteo-Nason, or just curious to experience the result of that sunny yet cold vintage, they're located at 600 Concord Ave, in Charlottesville or wineguildcville.com.
Ordering Information
All of our wines are available now at our online store where you can place orders for pick-up at Mount Alto, or by mail order in Virginia, Colorado and DC -- please note that we are not doing local delivery at this time. If you have any problems with the site, or if e-commerce is not your jam, we are happy to take your order over the phone at 804-476-0883. Since we can only ship to folks in Virginia and DC, friends who are in other states, please reach out via email or phone to find out about getting an allocation set aside.
Curbside Pick-Up at Mount Alto
We will be at the vineyard from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on Saturdays during November-December with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas weekends (other times, please call for an appointment). Click here for directions and general information. Please call or text us ahead of time at (804) 476-0883.