One of the pleasures of sampling wines on a road trip is revisiting, or more precisely, re-tasting wines that you purchased at the winery much later to be reminded why you bought it in the first place. I have experienced such rediscoveries multiple times in recent weeks, the latest being a Petit Verdot that I brought back from a trip to Williamsburg in August 2022. (Please see my previous post from that time in which I briefly mentioned this particular wine https://phillywineguy.blogspot.com/2022/08/virginia-in-vino-veritas.html .)
As I stated in my previous post, Petit Verdot is quickly becoming a signature varietal of Virginia wineries, and Upper Shirley's cuvee is a prime example of the quality, depth and richness of this grape which, though usually a minor player in Bordeaux blends and the like, takes on special dimensions as a single varietal.
First settled and farmed in 1613, Upper Shirley was built in 1867 along the banks of the James River just 20 miles southeast of Richmond. One of just a handful of artisan winemakers in Eastern Virginia, Upper Shirley Vineyards is a lovely, inviting and hospitable estate with a large, comfortable tasting room and restaurant with both inside and outside seating. (Again, see my previous post for more details.) My sampling had featured a number of red, white and rose wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Tannat and Mourvedre. The Petit Verdot was one of the standout reds, which I was pleased to confirm on my recent tasting.
Upper Shirley Petit Verdot 2016
Origin: Eastern Virginia
Varietal: 100% Petit Verdot
Production/Tasting Notes: Long maceration on skins; 19 months aging in French and American oak barrels; dense black cherry; brambly jam; smoky, dark chocolate; briar; dried herbs; lingering finish. This is a luscious, powerful, full-bodied wine that even over a few days continues to develop and mellow further into layered, expanding expressions of red fruit and herbs, sustained by firm tannins. (PWG* Rating: 93-4 points)
Alcohol: 14.1%
*PWG - Philly Wine Guy. I've decided to follow suit with several wine publications and critics and implement my own rating based on my personal experience and assessment of the wine over several tastings. As such, I will use the 100 point scale and will elaborate on it in a follow-up post. For this debut rating, I assign 93-4 points which indicates a high quality wine with certain exceptional distinctions. Since no rating can be static, in my opinion, because of how situations can influence one's impressions and assessments, I will allow myself a bit "fudging" between points.
I realize that the wines of Upper Shirley, including this one that I am featuring here, are not readily available outside of Virginia. However, the point of this post is to encourage you to explore local and regional wineries when you're on the road, take time to taste the wines, and bring home a few bottles to experience them in a different time and place and see how your perception of the wine may have changed. No less important is supporting local and regional wineries that do not get the attention of the big players, for the greater the diversity of the world's terroirs, the more robust the cultivation, production and variety of wines we will enjoy. Salud!
