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.