I decided to do the
reserve tasting (tasting all the wines) and my wife the white tasting. We started off
with the 2015 vidal blanc with light grape aroma, citrus flavor and a crisp
finish. It was balanced because my wife liked it. The 2015 Viognier felt drier on
the palette than the vidal blanc, but my wife picked up in the honeysuckle right
away. Unfortunately, she tasted the oak and that turned her off. The 2014
Traminette ended the single varietals. There was a nice sweetness at the
beginning with a hint of crisp, maybe a bit tart, apple on the long finish.
The 2015 Circulus is a
blend of (mostly) vidal blanc, viognier and traminette. This off-dry blend was created
by some Barren Ridge crush club members, but it did not suit our tastes; it was
missing something and did not do the vidal blanc the justice it has on its own.
The 2015 Harmony, a blend of vidal blanc, petit manseng, viognier and
traminette, is finished off in neutral oak barrels. Although a semi-sweet wine,
the oak flavor was overpowering. To finish off the whites, so to speak, we were
treated to the 2016 rose, made from cabernet franc grapes. It was too acid for
our taste.
I continued with
the reds, starting with the 2015 cabernet franc. Although young, its ruby color
brought on fruity aromas or berries, but none stood out; the oaking was
balanced with mild tannins. The 2016 Merlot, with a hint of pepper, had caramel
and oak on the finish. The 2015 Touriga, a grape I am not familiar with, was
balanced between fruit notes of currants and oak. The earth tones reminded me
of fresh tobacco aging in the barn. The 2014 petit verdot was balanced with
cherry notes and seasoned oak, again with soft tobacco tones. I finished off
the reds with the Red Barren, a blend of Chambourcin, touriga and petit verdot.
Although there is spice to this one, it is not overpowering and would pair well
with just about anything a typical red would.
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