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| The view of the vineyard from the parking lot. |
I unfortunately was unable to go on a tour, but I asked an employee lots of questions about the production and development of the wines along with background of the vineyard itself. Here's a re-cap of my mini interview:
Interview:
Me: What grapes are grown on site?
Employee: We grow Norton grapes in the front part of the property and Traminette out back. We grow the rest of our grapes at Rock Mill Vineyard at Little Washington, Virginia. It has 39,000 vines consisting of 8 different varieties. It is the largest vineyard in Virginia.
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| Norton Grapes out front |
Me: How long has The Winery at Bull Run been making wine?
Employee: 3.5 years. Our 4th anniversary will be in June.
Me: Do you oak your wines?
Employee: Yes, some with oak and some with stainless steal. We oak some down stairs and some at Hiernan cellars.
Me: What type of oak do you use?
Employee: French and American
Me: Where do you bottle your wines?
Employee: Some on site here in Centreville and some at Hiernan cellars.
Me: Have you won any awards?
Employee: Tons. Our 2014 Lilly's Viognier won the 2015 Gold Medal Dixie Classic Wine Competition. The 2014 Stainless Steel Chardonnay won the 2015 Silver Medal Dixie Classic Wine Competition. The 2014 Barrel Aged Chardonnay won the 2016 Bronze Medal Governor's Cup Wine Competition. The 2014 Delaney won the 2015 Int'l Women's Wine Competition: Double Gold & Best In Show. The 2013 Cabernet Franc won the 2012 Gold Medal VA Wine Lover Magazine Classic. The 2013 Merlot won the 2013 Silver Medal Grand Harvest Wine Competition. The 2014 Norton won the 2016 Silver Medal Governor's Cup Wine Competition. We have several other awards too.
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| Wines with several of their awards. |
Me: What are your plans for the future?
Employee: To continue to grow and serving as a place of hospitality. We want to create an atmosphere where people can relax and enjoy themselves.
Literature I collected:
Brochure: Front
Brochure: Back
Pamphlet: Outside
Pamphlet: Inside
Wines I tasted:
The wine tasting was $14 per guest and included four whites and five red wines.
WHITES:
#1. 2014 Lilly's Viognier. 100% Viognier. Aged in Stainless Steel. Bottle Price is $29. Winemakers notes: Named after the youngest member of the Hickox Family, the 2014 Lilly's Viognier has a delightful floral essence on the nose with hints of white peach and apricot. Medium bodied, this light yet creamy Viognier exhibits notes of apricot, honeysuckle and pink grapefruit, with crisp minerality on the finish. My Notes: My favorite of the whites. Was very light floral and fruity. I forgot to take a picture of this one.
#2. 2014 Stainless Steel Chardonnay. 100% Chardonnay. Aged in Stainless Steel. Bottle Price is $29. Winemakers Notes: Out 2014 Stainless Steel Chardonnay exhibits scents of orange oil, vanilla and mineral notes, followed by a palate filled with flavors of lemon, lime and ripe pear. With crisp acidity, this Chardonnay has a pleasant finish of lemongrass & minerality. My notes: A very clear yellow and crisp wine. Low sugar levels and full of lime flavors. Not my favorite wine.
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| Stainless Steel Chardonnay |
#3. 2014 Barrel Aged Chardonnay. 100% Chardonnay. Aged in French/American Oak. Bottle Price $29. Winemakers notes: A Virginian-style Chardonnay, with lovely aromas of ripe pear, honeydew melon and red delicious apples. This medium bodied Chardonnay has crisp flavors of apple and pear followed by subtle oakiness and spicy notes of cinnamon, nutmeg & turmeric mid-palate, and long lingering vanilla spice finish. My notes: It smelt like a campfire, the oak smell was very evident. I thought it was cool it was made from the oldest Chardonnay vines in Virginia. I forgot to take a picture of this label but it looked very similar to the previous one.
#4. 2014 Delaney. 30% Vidal, 24% Viognier, 17% Traminette, 14% Petit Mansend, 9% Riesling, and 6% Pinot Gris. Bottle Price $31. Winemakers notes: Named after the oldest daughter of the Hickox Family, this delectable white blend exhibits aromas of fresh red grapefruit and wild flowers with hints of apricots and tart nectarines. A touch of honey greets you mid-palate along with peaches, pears, citrus & guava, ending with a smooth sweet finish. My notes: Huge aromas on grapefruit on the nose. I thought the taste was too acidic and grapefruit-y.
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| Delaney |
REDS:
#1. 2014 Long Tom Red. 40% Cab Sauv, 40% Cab Franc, 20% Petit Verdot. 5 Months in French/American Oak. $24 per bottle. Winemakers Notes: A light, fresh take on a red wine. A beautiful ruby red blend, the wine has a nose of ripe red cherries, mulberries, black currants, and just a pinch of sweet cinnamon. Medium bodied, this fresh red wine has a palate of ripe red raspberries and a hint of vanilla on the finish, accompanied by mild tannins. My notes: This red wine was pretty average to me, I loved the aromas of fruit (cherries), but it was a little too tannic for me.
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| Long Tom |
#2. 2013 Cabernet Franc. 100% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French/American Oak. $32 per bottle. Winemakers notes: A complex combination of berry. fig, and smoke aromas with hints of cocoa, black berrt, black pepper, white pepper, and spice flavors. Light bodied, finishing with balanced tannins, and a hint of vanilla oakiness. My Notes: This wine was smokey on the nose, but the taste was full of pepper. I thought it would taste great with marinara dishes.
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| Cabernet Franc |
#3. 2013 Merlot. 100% Merlot. Aged in French/American Oak. $30 per bottle. Wine Makers notes: Smokey cedar and black fruits on the nose, this extraordinary wine greets your palate with smoke, black cherries, and dried dark fruit. Note of anise round out this Merlot with balanced tannins, and a creamy, smokey finish. My Notes: This was my favorite red wine of the five. It had a great balance of tannins and alcohol, and an extraordinary black cherry flavor. I would drink this with any food dish, it wasn't much of a sipping wine.
#4. 2014 Norton. 100% Norton. Aged in French/American Oak. $32 per bottle. Wine makers notes: Norton is a rich, robust, earthy balanced wine. The nose of ripe plum and smoke is supported by dark black cherry flavors and is encased by notes of vanilla and spice. Finishing long with medium tannins, the 2014 Norton promises a long life in the bottle and is easily ageable 5-10 years. My Notes: This wine is ideal for drinking in the backyard with some cheese and crackers. There are some great flavor balances between plum and vanilla that I loved.
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| Norton |
#5. 2012 Hume Detous. 45% Merlot, 33% Petit Verdot, 22% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French Oak. $28.50 per bottle. Wine makers notes: With a nose of ripe red cherries and raspberries along with subtle aromas of earthy fall leaves, this French-style full bodied red wine exhibits notes of black cherries, raspberries and plums and long lingering herbal notes of rosemary and sage. My Notes: This was my least favorite of the red wines. It was absolutely too alcoholic. Even the smell felt like rubbing alcohol going up my nose. The fruit flavors were overpowered by tannins and alcohol. The tasting lady said it tastes different after leaving it out for a few hours or so, and I absolutely believe her.
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| Hume |
Overall Experience:
I absolutely loved the cultural and social experience of this vineyard. Along with tasting a variety of amazing and original wines, I learned about the piece of history that is right in my own backyard. I learned that just up the driveway of the vineyard is where the first cannon shot of the Civil War took place.
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| A beautiful mural just outside the main tasting building. |
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| My parents outside the main area, where all the outdoor picnic tables are. |
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| Main out door area (including an outdoor fire pit!) |
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| Me outside the main tasting building. |
The ambiance they have created is incredible. As soon as you walk in the main building, there are string lights adoring the ceiling. Pieces of homey furniture and stone fireplaces are placed along the wall. There is a huge wine tasting bar to accommodate the huge crowd. In the corner, there is an acoustic guitarist playing 90s throwbacks.
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| My only picture from upstairs |
Downstairs, there is a mini barrel cellar. There is also another wine tasting bar along with several tables just to sip wine and chat.
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| Barelled wine |
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| The downstairs tasting cellar |
Outside, there are countless wooden benches for people to eat, drink wine, and enjoy each other's company. It overlooks the several rows of vines and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. For warmer weather, there is an upstairs overlook area and an outdoor wine tasting bar.
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| View from the overlook area (on the right you can see the outdoor tasting bar) |
I had a great time enjoying this Vineyard in February, I can't imagine it's impact in its full swing in the summertime.
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