Autumn with Lee | Red Flashcards
Tell me about the (red) Red Blend, “Family Meal,” Common Wealth Crush, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, 2022
This Red Blend is very fruit forward and perfect for folks looking for a lighter, fruit-forward experience.
Weight: Light
Fruit: Mixed berry pie
Non-fruit: Dried flowers and spices
Grapes: Kitchen sink blend:
-Merlot
-Gruner Veltliner
-Vidal Blanc
-Petit Manseng
-Pinot Gris
-Chambourcin
-Sauvignon Blanc
-Pinot Blanc
-Traminette
Producer: Common Wealth Crush Co. is the first of its kind in VA’s Shenandoah Valley. Built with small producers in mind, it’s like a We-Work for smaller producers.
Tell me about the (red) Cabernet Franc Blend, “Pepper,” Old Westminster, Carroll County, MD, 2021
This is a lovely red Cabernet Franc blend. It leads with a vegetal streak given the pepper notes and is much more fuller bodied than the Family Meal above it.
Weight: Light to medium bodied
Fruit: Blackberries
Non-fruit: Peppercorns, black olives
Grapes: Blend:
-65% Cabernet Franc
-25% Blaufrankisch
-10% Chambourcin
Producer: Old Westminster is a family affair that dates back to 2008.
Region: Carroll County is NW of Baltimore and just south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Tell me about the (red) Chambourcin, “Young Red,” Early Mountain, Madison, VA, 2021
This Chambourcin is a super clean and fresh, medium-bodied red, perfect for pasta pairings.
Weight: Medium-bodied
Fruit: cherries, crunch red berries
Non-fruit: Forest floor, peppercorns
Grapes: Blend:
-96% Chambourcin
-4% Vidal Blanc
Producer: Early Mountain is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first landowner of the property was Revolutionary War veteran Lieutenant Joseph Early, who served under George Washington at Valley Forge.
Region: Madison County is north of Charlottesville.
Tell me about the (red) Norton, “Estate,” Chrysalis, Middleburg, VA, 2021
This is our closest thing to a big red on our Autumn with Lee list. It’s like being in mom’s kitchen during Christmas with gingerbread and chocolate baking in the oven. It also has a compelling backstory. Contemplating suicide due to the loss of his wife and baby, Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton buried himself in gardening, desperate to find relief from his grief. As he experimented with crossbreeds in the VA soil, he became obsessed with creating a vine that could thrive there. One vine showed potential, and eventually became commercially available in 1830.
Producer: Jennifer McCloud moved to VA and settled in Piedmont. Chrysalis Vineyards named symbolically for the rare nectar of fine wine emerging from the barrel.
Vinification: Norton is a dark-skinned hybrid found throughout NE US. Norton wines are medium-to-full-bodied with red fruit characters and often a little pepper.
Which reds are you offering?
Red Blend, “Family Meal,” Common Wealth Crush, Shenandoah Valley, VA, 2022
Cabernet Franc Blend, “Pepper,” Old Westminster, Carroll County, MD, 2021
Chambourçin, “Young Red,” Early Mountain, Madison, VA, 2021
Norton, “Estate,” Chrysalis, Middleburg, VA, 2021
What is the closest thing to a big red on our Autumn with Lee list?
Norton, “Estate,” Chrysalis, Middleburg, VA
