Quick Sip: Keswick Vineyards 2010 Verdejo
Hello Friends,
Today’s ‘Quick Sip’ is the Keswick Vineyards 2010 Verdejo. Keswick Vineyards is a small family-owned and operated vineyard and farm winery that’s located just outside of Charlottesville. To the best of my knowledge, and I get around, Keswick Vineyards is the only producer in Virginia, and perhaps the east coast, to grow and produce a single varietal Verdejo wine. Verdejo is a white wine grape variety that’s indigenous to Spain’s Rueda region. In Spain, Verdejo is capable of producing high-quality, aromatic, and fuller-bodied wines that retain a generous amount of mouth-watering acidity. The Keswick Vineyard’s 2010 example is more on the sleek and crisp side and is the perfect companion to the seasonal warmth of summer.
Keswick Vineyards 2010 Verdejo
In the glass, the Keswick Vineyard’s 2010 Verdejo displays a brilliant straw-like yellow color with green tones. The swirl and sniff offer inviting aromas of tree fruit and citrus notes with appealing grassy and herbal accents. The palate is light-bodied with crisp acidity, vibrant fruit flavors, and a refreshing medium-length finish. The Keswick Vineyard’s 2010 Verdejo is very food-friendly and is also perfectly refreshing for a summer-patio or picnic sipper. Stephen Barnard, Keswick's winemaker, also has the Midas touch with Viognier, so if you’ve heard about Virginia Viognier and haven’t tried one yet, check these guys out. The 2010 Verdejo clocks in at a moderate 12.8% ABV and retails for $18.95. Of Keswick's 43 acre vineyard, 1 acre is planted to Verdejo and 219 cases were produced. Got a free week or weekend day? Pack a picnic basket, visit Keswick Vineyards, and waste the day away with a bottle of Verdejo whilst enjoying the views and relaxing atmosphere. Cheers!
Have a question about this post, friends? Feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com, and as always, Happy Sipping! Stay tuned ...more to come!
CLICK HERE to visit Keswick Vineyard's website.
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6 comments:
Interesting to read this as I just very recently opened the bottle of 2009 Keswick Verdejo that we picked up when we came through VA last summer. You mention that "Keswick Vineyards is the only producer in Virginia, and perhaps the east coast, to grow and produce a single varietal Verdejo wine." I don't know about the 2010, but the 2009 Verdejo contained 25% Viognier. True, a wine can contain up to 25% of a blending variety and still be called straight-varietal, but I feel this should be pointed out.
I'd like to try the 2010 offering. I recall the 2009 being fantastic when we tried it in the tasting room. Unfortunately, our bottle underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation in the bottle some time over the months since we picked it up. When we tasted it, it was slightly carbonated and tasted mostly of butter. The acidity was gone from the finish and the fruit flavors were very muted. My hope is our bottle was an isolated incident, because Keswick wines truly are wonderful. The 2009 Viognier and Vents d'Anges were some of the best white wines we found in VA.
Very nice! I don't think I know of another East Coast producer of varietal Verdejo either. Interesting things happening in VA...
Jason
Hey Jason,
You're absolutely correct, bro -- "interesting things happening in Virginia!" To that point, there is one producer here doing a very nice Albarino (Chrysalis) and you'll even find Pinotage being poured in a few tasting rooms. The industry is young and growers are experimental in trying to establish what varieties are well-suited for their respective site(s). Thanks for the comment and have an awesome WineWednesday.
Happy Sipping!
Dezel
Hi Jack,
I agree with you. The 2010, I believe, has 3% Viognier blended in. I also agree that sometimes the 75% label law can be rather misleading. At the very least if a wine is labeled as a Viognier, Cabernet Franc, in this case, Verdejo, it should taste like the variety for which it is named. I've had a number of wines, namely Cabernet Franc, where the addition of another or other varieties overwhelmed the Cabernet Franc. I've found this particularly when Petit Verdot is added to certain wines -- you know the saying, a little PV goes a long way.
As for your 2009 Verdejo, I hope you sent the winemaker / winery an e-mail. I'm sure they would want to know that information and may be able to provide some insight as to what may have happened. They may even get another bottle to you since you didn't get the opportunity to enjoy that one. Thanks for the comment and have a nice day.
Smiles & Sips,
Dezel
Dezel,
Yeah, I emailed Keswick a few days ago using an address I found on their site. I haven't heard back from them. I'm not asking them for another bottle or anything; sometimes bottles are bad. It's just something we have to accept with a natural product (and natural corks). I just wanted them to know what I ran into so they might be able to prevent it in the future.
I hear you about PV. It's even worse, IMO, with Chambourcin. They use that a bit in VA, but they use it a lot in NY to add color & mouthfeel. The problem is Chambourcin has a strong hybrid aroma and flavor than many can pick up at as little as 2 or 3%. Chambourcin's a good hybrid grape; I just don't like when it masks much cleaner vinifera wine.
Jack,
Following up with you to see if you’ve heard anything back? If not, I can try to point them to this thread. Have a nice week.
Dezel
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