Just a Little History With Your Wine
One of the first Virginia wineries we ever tried was Gray Ghost Vineyards. Over the years our tastes have changed as we’ve learned about wine and developed our palates. Would it hold up?
As it turns out, it does. For the most part. The ’08 Chardonnay got a big fat happy face. It’s nicely balanced with a very soft oakiness. The ’07 Reserve Chard was very soft, buttery and creamy. I love Malolactic fermentation! The Victorian White used to be something we kept around for a basic table white; now, a few years into our wine drinking, it feels a little pedestrian and bland. Still, it’s not a bad value at $14 a bottle.
The reds weren’t the best I’ve had. I love Cab Franc, but the ’08 was TOO fruity, to the point of having a little bit of cherry Kool-Aid for me. I actually had a similar reaction to the ’07 Ranger Reserve, a blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cab Franc, and Malbec. The ’06 Cab Sauv has a hugely smoky nose and is very smooth; it’s a nice wine. The Victorian Red is another inexpensive table wine that’s fine for what it is.
At the end, we were once again impressed with the Adieu. Made from 100% Late Harvest Vidal Blanc grapes, it’s a very smooth, not-too-sweet dessert wine. We always seem to end up leaving with a bottle.
I should also add that there are two wines we’ve bought at Gray Ghost in the past that they didn’t have this day- Riesling and Gewurtztraminer. We’ve bought both in the past, and VA Wine Diva even liked the Riesling. Given that she’s not a huge sweet wine fan, that’s saying a lot.
Gray Ghost has beautiful grounds, but what makes them a perennial favorite is the Christmas event. They set out a great spread, hold tastings in the barrel room, and display a number of really cool things made from corks: Santa’s throne, a Christmas tree, and more. So, you should make it there at least twice a year: once to do a tasting when it’s calm, and once for the Christmas special!
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I’m not a malolactic fermentation fan, but I’ll agree that both their chardonnays are nice wines even if the reserve was not really for me. I liked the reds here more than did Grape Envy, but I do think there’s room for improvement. I also got too much cherry from the cab franc, but it reminded me of those cherry cough drops you’d eat like candy when sick as a kid rather than Kool-Aid. The ’06 Cab Sauv actually had some nice complexity, but it would show better with food as is so common with this varietal. The Ranger Reserve also had some great flavors despite the harshness. I think this will mellow with more time in the bottle and become quite a nice wine, however. The Adieu is the one I keep thinking about as I can’t wait to pair it with the amazing pumpkin pie I’ve finally mastered at Thanksgiving this year! That will mean we’ll have to go back for the cork displays at Christmas to stock back up. Look for the couple surreptitiously sipping wine while wearing trench coats in a corner. That will be us – your undercover wine bloggers!