A few weeks back, Jefferson Vineyards announced their Meritage Vertical tasting, and we knew we just had to try it! This was our first vertical tasting experience, and we know we will be back for more! Vertical tastings afford the wine lover or wine enthusiast to experience how Mother Nature plays a vital role in the making of wine.
When we arrived, we were greeted by Jan who made our experience both enjoyable and personable, which is a must for us when we are tasting! She was extremely knowledgable about the tasting notes on each of the 4 vintages that we tasted. We tasted the 2002, 2008, 2010 Reserve, and 2012 vintages, each with a 1.5 oz pour which allowed us to savor the experience a flavor just a little bit more… This allowed time for great conversation with Jan and Heather between tasting. The time passed and we realized we had spent almost 1.5 hours during this fantastic experience!
The Meritage 2002 is a drink now wine, with a beautiful light color of red. This wine we noted strong hints of plum and can be paired on a winters day with chocolate by the fire. This wine is a mixture of Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Cab Sauvignon.
The Meritage 2008 had a distinguished darker red appearance, with a full body on the nose. This wine could be drank now, or aged 3 years (for those that have the willpower). Jan enlightened us that this wine came a rainier year at the beginning of the growing season, which cleared up towards the end allowing for a great harvest. This wine is a mixture of the same 4 varietals as the 2002, but was aged for 18 months in French Oak. This quickly became Michael’s favorite of the vintages that we tasted today.
The Meritage 2010 Reserve was next, and oh man it is worth every penny! This wine has a dense oak profile that reminds the drinker of old style Hollywood. This wine would pair perfectly with an evening sitting with friends smoking a cigar. Jan enlightened us that this years growing season was very hot and very dry with nighttime temperatures staying in the upper 60’s and 70’s until July. This wine is a mixture of the same 4 varietals as the 2002, and was left in barrels for an additional 27 months over the regular 2010 Meritage, which proved for a more concentrated flavor. This was definitely Chris’ favorite wine of the day!
The Meritage 2012 was the last of the 4 vintages we tried. This wine is a drink now or hold for an additional 5 years. This wine brought a hint of blackberries and raisins to our palate. Jan informed us that this season brought high heat and drought to the area through June and July, but cooler weather in October which allowed a better ripening of the fruit. This wine mixture was heavier on the Petit Verdot than the others we tasted.
If you are looking to do a Vertical Tasting, and get the full experience, we would suggest going on a week day. Jefferson Vineyards is a welcoming environment for someone that is trying to understand a little more about wines and varietals. We would like to thank Jan and Heather for an amazing experience for our first Vertical Tasting! If you find yourselves there, mention VaVineDudes, and tell them we sent you!
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