Maryland - New Market - New Market Plains Vinayards

New Market Plains Vineyard - (October 2018) This was the last of the four wineries for my sensory class and I tasted the following (all available) wines:
 

• 2014 Chardonnay, aged six months in stainless steel, was very pale with a melon aroma. Cantaloupe and star fruit flavors highlighted this crisp, light-bodied wine with a slight sweetness then crisp lingering finish. Nice.
• 2015 Chardonnay, aged a year in stainless steel, was very pale with a clean, guava aroma. The light-bodied wine was flat with almost no flavor. The extra aging did not help.
• 2014 Rich Forest Chardonnay was a pale straw color with light melon aroma. The light to medium-bodied wine had a slight creaminess to it with melon flavors and a mild oak, lingering finish. Much better than the stainless steel Chardonnay's.
• 2016 Muscat Blanc was a pale yellowish orange color with floral, honeysuckle and bold orange aromas. The light-bodied wine had light floral and honeysuckle flavors with a slightly sweet lingering finish. For a drier style wine it had aroma and flavor without the sugar.
• 2015 Windy Day, a blend of 63% Muscat and 37% Chardonnay, was pale yellow and had competing aromas from the grapes. The light-bodied wine also had competing flavors with a sweeter, but short finish. There was too much competition in the glass.
• 2015 Rose, a blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah, was alight garnet color with light fruity grape and cherry aromas. The light-bodied wine had flavors of currant and cherry with a mild fruit, sweeter short finish. It was dark for a blush, but nice.
•  2015 Hogshead Red, a blend of Cab Sauv, Syrah and Merlot, was a deep garnet with currants and black cherry armas. The medium-bodied wine had dried fruit notes, heavy tannins, but balanced with a fruit and vanilla lingering finish. It was similar to the Slate 4 at Black Ankle.

Although the tasting took place in a test, which had an acoustic band playing, the tasting was at my pace. I chose to stand at the bar instead of taking a seat and being waited on. The tasting staff, when they realized I was taking notes, suggested I try the three Chardonnay wines side by side. This is not something I see regularly so I welcomed it and was able to determine the more preferred vintage. They also asked if I would like a bottle of water to drink while I was tasting the wines. When I asked about additional red wines, I was told there were several in the cellar, but they were not sure when they would be released.

Maryland - Hydes - Boordy Vineyards

Boordy Vineyards - October 2018 - After meeting winemaker Phineas Deford in the parking lot, he took my sensory class into the barn lower level tasting room with its portable bars (There is an open-air tasting room.) where he served us the following Landmark series, estate wines:

2017 Sauvignon Blanc (two clones) was pale straw color with lemon and guava aromas. The flavors of lemon, guava and pineapple led to a mild acidity, guava clean and refreshing finish. 2017 Viognier was pale straw color with white peach and apricot aromas. The apricot flavor led to a dry, smooth, slightly lingering finish. 2017 Albarino was very pale, almost glass, with lemon and citrus aromas. The lemon and lime flavors led to a slightly sweet lingering finish. 2017 Rose, a blend of 50% Cab Franc and 50% Merlot done in the Saignee technique, was pale pink with light red tree fruit aromas. The cherry flavor led to a short cherry Life Saver finish. A well-balanced wine that might make me think about Rose. 2016 Chardonnay was a pale yellow color with apricot and orange aromas. The citrus flavors were not distinguishable but they led to a smooth, slightly creamy lingering finish. 2015 South Mountain Red, a blend of 69% Merlot, 12% cab Franc, 12% Syrah and 6% Cab Sauv was a purplish-red color with spice, pepper and smoked tobacco aromas. The light-bodied wine had plum and red cherry flavors with a black pepper, light tannic finish; an easy drinking wine. The first bottle poured had oxidation. After opening a fresh bottle, I was able to taste the two side-by-side. I was not able to detect the oxidation, without being told it was oxidation, but knew there was something I did not like about the wine. The notes are from the second bottle.  2014 Cabernet Franc Reserve was a deep purple with red tints and plum, (light) dark cherry and fresh tobacco aromas. The light to medium-bodied wine had dark cherry and black berry flavors with mild tannins and a lingering finish; enjoyable but lighter than expected. 2015 Merlot was a deep purple with earthy, some bell pepper and skoky (char) aromas. The light to medium-bodied wine had plum and some vegetative flavors with heavier tannins coming in before the plum finish. 2014 Landmark Reserve, a blend of 52% Merlot, 17% Cab Sauv, 13% Cab Franc, 11% Petit Verdot and 7% Syrah was a deep purple with black currant, tart cherry, cranberry and fresh tobacco aromas. The medium bodied wine had plum and tart cherry flavors, the boldest tannins and currant and cherry finish; the best of the reds.

This is the second time I have been to Boordy. The first time, I was there are part of the Mason-Dixon Wine Trail and probably had more of their Chesapeake series, which is made from a mixture of locations, with at least 50% produced in Maryland. The wines we tasted were well-balanced and enjoyable. Having a group discussion about the wines, the vineyard and the overall business gave me more insight with the balance between vineyard management, winemaking and marketing (they are looking at changing the (large label to show off the wine)). The visible vineyards were well maintained. When in the area, I will stop back.

March 2016 -As part of the Mason-Dixon Wine Trail event, we tried the 2014 Pinot Grigio, with mild orange and grapefruit flavors and an acidic finish, the 2014 Dry Rose, their blend of free run juice from several red varieties, which ended slightly sweet finish, Rockfish, a blend of Seyval, Chardonnay and Vidal, with a crisp finish, Diamondback Terrapin, their Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The 2014 vintage finished with mild tannins, while the 2015, unfiltered out of the tank seemed fruitier. Baltimore Oriole, s semi-sweet Riesling, had honey flavors, the Chambourcin/Merlot was fruity, but ended on the sweet side, and the Jazz Berry, was sweet strawberries and raspberries blended in perfect harmony.

I decided to do an additional tasting of the Landmark Series and tasted the 2014 Pinot Grigio (again), the 2014 Chardonnay, aged in stainless steel, with light oak and butter finish, 2014 Dry Rose, to find it is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Syrah, had more tannins, the 2014 Chardonnay Reserve, with a crisp start and a light oak lingering finish, 2014 South Mountain Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc, with fruit forward and medium tannins on the end, 2013 Cabernet Franc, with its cherry flavor and ending black pepper notes, 2013 Merlot, was better than the Franc, ending smooth, the 2012 Veritas Vintage Port, made from Chambourcin grapes, has aromas of plum and a sweet raspberry finish, and the 2014 Eisling, the sweet vidal blanc reserve, was sweet with honey notes.

Maryland - Mt Airy - Black Ankle Vineyard

Black Ankle Vineyard  - (October 2018) -This was the busiest of the wineries (and it was a slow day) I visited as part of a sensory class. Although a table was reserved for us, we stood at one of the many bars and tasted the following estate wines:

• 2016 Gruner Veltliner, a blend of 80% GV and 20% Viognier, had very little color with a mineral (tin can in a good way) aroma. The citrus and lemon flavors lead to a light mild lingering lime and limoncello finish. Nice.
• 2017 Viognier was a pale straw color with an acidic and mineral (less than the GV) aroma. The medium-bodied wine had a mild short finish.
• 2017 West Hill Chardonnay had almost no color with an acidic, but nothing distinguishable aroma. The crisp medium-bodied wine had a mild oak, but short finish. It was typical for east coast Chardonnay.
• 2016 Viognier was pale yellow in color with an orange aroma which lead to floral and orange flavors and a viscous (oily) texture. The tart lime finish lingered; much better than the 2017.
• Passeggiata XI, a blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Syrah and Petit Verdot, was garnet in color with light fruity aromas of blueberry and tree fruit. The light-bodied wine had dark cherry and plum flavors with a quick finish; a beginner's red!
• Feldspar III, a blend of 70% Cab Sauv, 15% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot and 5% Cab Franc, was garnet in color with black currant, fresh tobacco and volatile acidity aromas. The medium-bodied wine had pipe tobacco, currant and fig flavors with a tannic, caramel and vanilla (bean) finish; an enjoyable wine, even with the VA.
• 2015 Crumbling Rose, a blend of 28% Merlot, 26% Cab Sauv, 24% Petit Verdot and 22% Cab Franc, was garnet in color, but had no distinguishable aromas other than a weird smell (described as Brettanomyaces). The light to medium-bodied wine had light plum and currant flavors with a medium tannic finish; it crumbled.
• Slate 4, a blend of 32% Cab Sauv, 23% Cab Franc, 21% Petit Verdot, 18% Merlot and 6% Malbec, was a deep purple with fruity tree fruit aromas. The almost full-bodied wine had dark cherry flavors with a very tannic and vanilla extract finish; the best of the reds.
• 2017 Terra Sol was burnt orange in color with anjou pear aromas. It was smooth, not overly sweet and lingered on the palette. Not typically a dessert wine drinker, but I think I could have more than one glass of this one.

Our tasting host was eager to understand the purpose of our visit and was able to discuss the wines with us. When a flaw was identified, she tasted the wine to identify what was perceived. Although a few missed the mark, I enjoyed these wines. The 2016 Viognier and Terra Sol were worth the visit. The atmosphere was quiet and cozy. The vineyard appeared to be well kept and winery has made good use of earth, with their semi-underground structures.

Maryland - New Windsor - Old Westminster Winery and Vineyard

Old Westminster Winery and Vineyard - (October 2018) As part of a sensory class, I was able to taste the following:

• 2017 Albarino, a very pale color which seemed (look) thick with limoncello aroma, mild-bodied texture with bold lemon and mild lime flavor with a sharp, acidic aftertaste.
  
• 2017 Trio, a blend of 41% Vidal Blanc, 31% Chardonnay, 12% Albarino, 8% Chardonel, and 8% Muscat. It was a pale yellow color with peach aroma, medium bodied texture with lemon flavor and an orange finish. Too much going on!
• Rose Rarity 3, a blend of 34% Cab Sauv, 33% Merlot, and 33% Syrah. A medium pink color with smoky aroma. Light to medium-bodied with no distinguishable aromas, but with a mild plum and red cherry aftertaste. I was disappointed.
• 2017 Sauvignon Blanc - practically clear with peach, apricot and guava aromas. Light-bodied with peach and guava flavors and a tart peach finish. Nice.
• 2017 Merlot - looks like a rose, but a light purple color with light plum and smoke (char) aromas. Light bodied with plum flavors (something else was there, but I can't describe it) and a short, mild plum and tannin finish. Not a typical merlot.
• 2017 Noveau, a blend of 80% Cab Franc and 20% Chambourcin. It was light purple to garnet in color with milf fruit aromas of dark cherry and currant. Light spice, pepper and dark cherry flavors (again something else there, but I can't describe it) and another short fruity and mild tannin finish. I guess it was getting old.
• Rev. 4th Edition, a blend of 63% Merlot, 25% Cab Sauv, 6% Syrah, and 6% Petit Verdot was a nice purple color with light, undistinguishable aromas. Light bodied with light plum and tree fruit flavors (as with the other red wines, something else was there, but I can't describe it) with a short fruity and mild tannin finish. Not a good blend.
• Pet Nat Muscat, pale yellow color, good effervescence with floral, honeysuckle and hop aromas and flavors of honeysuckle (thickness) and floral notes. The light-bodied texture ended with a slightly sweet, effervescent finish.
• Pet Nat Gruner Veltliner - yellow color with good effervescence and yeast and grass aromas. There were no distinguishable flavors and the light bodied texture and little effervescence on the finish; it missed the mark.
• Solera - light burnt red color with toasted nuts, smoky and toffee aromas. A hazelnut flavor lead to a light-bodied, quick finish. Not what I was expecting.

During the tasting, it was difficult to hear the host as well as each other because the tasting room was noisy (part due to the crowd and the architecture). All three red wines had an off-taste that I could not identify and were light and fruity; not what I was expecting.

California - Ramona - Hatfield Creek Vineyards and Winery

Hatfield Creek Vineyards and Winery - Thanks to Elaine, the vintner, we had an enjoyable tasting in their living room/dining room tasting room. We were able to taste the available wines. The dry muscat, although dry on the palette and not your typical muscat, it was well balanced. We then had their estate Primitivo blanc, which Elaine says is code for white zinfandel. This would make a great afternoon drink. Elaine explained she like the vintage after opening it and allowing to age a bit more. We moved to reds and had the estate zinfandel and estate petit sirah. The petit sirah, with full body, was intense and wonderful. We finished off with the orange muscat; it would make a wonderful sangria, with its subtle but sweet bouquet. Elaine made this even better and gave us a sampling of her white sangria; it was one of the best we've had with fresh fruit, but not as chunky as some. We got to meet Norm, the owner. Stop by their living room/dining room tasting room.

When we got back to PA, my wife decided to enjoy the  orange muscat without allowing any of our friends try it - their loss.

California - Ramona - Salerno Winery

Salerno Winery - We pulled in their parking lot and realized this was one of the more popular wineries in the area. Today, they had live entertainment, a duo performing Italian songs. The patio area was crowded, but we were able to find a spot off to the side to enjoy the wine and music. The majority of their wines are estate wines - we know we are going to see the love put into these wines. We also ordered a soppresata and parmesan cheese plate to go with our wines. Their entire wine list was available for tasting. We both started off with the bianco tosto, a chardonnay, chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc blend. It is the only white available for tasting - pleasing to the palette, you could taste the hint of apple. We moved to the reds and I chose the malbec while my wife had the estate syrah. The malbec grapes are grown next door to Salerno. The syrah was better; we even tasted the pepper finish. We moved on to the duet, a blend of syrah and petiti sirah, and the ruby cabernet. Both of these wines have similar flavors, but the duet won hands down. Moving on to the next wine, we again did a split where I went for the petit sirah and my wife went for the Francly Ruby, a blend of ruby cabernet and cabernet franc. The petit sirah had exactly what they said, a hint of the 2007 Witch Creek fire; it is the smoke scent that made it a very unique wine (a way of having a barbeque without having the grill). Our last tastings were the Serenade, their blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit syrah, and the Temptation, their port. My wife does not like "oak" in her wine, but ejoyed the port. While we enjoyed our wines and meat and cheese plate, we were listened to Italian songs. Herman and Rosaria each sang a song for us. As we were leaving, Herman noticed my wife taking a picture and asked her why she did not take one of a particular sign. When he translated the Italian for us, it all made sense - Friends and wine get better with time.

California - Ramona - Highland Hills Winery

Highland Hills Winery - When we pulled up to the gate, we weren't sure what to expect, but once inside the vineyard, we were treated to mountain views and pleasant wines. We were greeted and allowed to decide where we would like our tasting. We decided on the patio overlooking the vineyard and the mountains surrounding Ramona. My wife saw some ant sculptures on the railing and took a picture with the wine glass. The tasting was pre-determined list. Our first wine was Chloe, a muscat and viognier blend; light a fruity. The other white we tried was the grenache blanc (another varietal we had not tasted back east). We both decided this would be a good sipping wine on a hot afternoon. We then switched to the reds. First up was their merlot. I enjoyed it, but my wife, who prefers the sweets, did not like it. We tried Lola, a merlot and barbera blend. My wife like this one better as it was more pleasing to the palette. But it was the Ramona, a grenache, petit sirah and mouvedre blend, that both agreed was a definite winner. The last two wines tasted were the barbera and the barbera reserve. Overall the traditional barbera was better. While we were there, we were treated to a tour of the winery. Not more than the space of a three car garage, they pack a lot of work into this space and not much is wasted. We were surprised to hear that some of the oak barrels come from Pennsylvania.

California - Ramona - Pamo Valley Vineyards

Pamo Valley Vineyards - We went to the tasting room in Ramona and were served by Jennifer's daughter. We were pleased to learn the history of the vineyards and why they have kept their vineyard property private (for now). There were five wines to choose from. We started our tasting with the sangiovese; a dry wine, my wife liked the flavor. We then tried the Gravity Hill BCR (Black Canyon Road is where the vineyard is located). This merlot and cabernet sauvignon blend had the taste of cherries with a hint of mocha. The merlot blend, from their 2011 and 2012 vintages, was very good. We were surprised with the 3 Jenerations, named for the three women instrumental in the vineyard and winery. Although the grandmother has passed on, it is a fitting tribute to her. The blend of merlot, syrah and cabernet franc was pleasing to the palette. There was an earthy finish and that is when we learned that it was the hint of tobacco. Our last taste was of the white sangria, a viognier and orange muscat blend. This would be a great wine to serve at a backyard picnic with family and friends. While we were there, we learned about the local area and what it has to offer.

(Feb 2015) - When our friends came over to try the wines we purchased in CA, they really enjoyed the 3Jenerations. Unfortunately for us, there was none left at the end of the evening.

California - Ramona - Lenora Winery

Lenora Winery - We met the owner, Eric Metz, who would serve us our tasting. We were presented with a list of wines to choose from, but we told of other options. We started off with the estate sauvignon blanc; a good light wine. We then tried the White Cat, a chardonnay and sauvignon blanc blend. This blend was better on the palette than the straight sauvignon blanc. Before going to the reds, we tried the zinfandel blush, a semi-dry wine with a berry finish. This was a refreshing wine on the already hot day. Our first red was a grenache. This is a new grape to us even though it is one of the most produced grapes. Mostly used in blends, this was a pure grenache wine. Not being able to compare this to another grenache wine, it was pleasing to the palette with hints of berries and vanilla. My wife then chose the Red Dog while I chose the Red Coyote. These two reds are similar cabernet sauvignon and merlot blends, but the Red Dog has grenache blended in. Between the two, the Red Dog was the winner. We followed this with the cabernet sauvignon, but the petit sirah, a desset wine, was better without the chocolate.

California - Julian Area - Witch Creek Winery

Witch Creek Winery - While we were driving through Julian, we stopped at the tasting room (winery in Carlsbad) and were introduced to the "Good Witch!" (the Bad Witch retired a few years back and there is a long story behind that one). We were able to taste several wines on the list, some of which were endangered (of being sold out). I did reds while my wife did the whites and sweets. I did try one white, the chenin blanc, which with its light finish pleased me. I enjoyed the sangiovese (a new grape type for me) and the barbera. The syrah, similar in taste to the barbera, was heavier on the earthyness. Although Dave's Pretty Good Red is a popular seller, I liked the full-bodied barbera over it. I concluded my tasting with the petit verdot. When comparing this full-bodied wine to the barbera, it was a close call. My wife also had the chenin blanc but went straight for the sweeter wines - the muscato, Honeywood pomegrante white, basically white wine with pomegrante juice, their hard apple cider and the Blackjack, the hard cider with blackberry. She enjoyed the Blackjack better as the apple flavor was subdued. She ended her tasting with the  Catatonic Vintage Port; its was as described - eating a chocolate covered raisin.