In the last article -- see here --
I reported on my visit to Breaux Vineyards in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Here are the notes on the wines I tasted.

Tasting Notes:

Sauvignon Blanc ‘Water Bent’ 2009 barrel fermented 13.2%abv
Tangy prickly up front wood vanilla taste from barrel fermentation , acid just under surface.

Viognier 2009 13.8% <5gL residual sugar
Tight restrained and crisp, Nice clean crisp, not blowsy or flabby apricot. All stainless steel.

Chardonnay ‘Madeleines’ 13.2abv
Unoaked, clean and crisp, fresh.

Jennifer’s Jambalaya 12.5%abv residual sugar 10gL
Muscats Giallo, Yellow & Canelli, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier Semillon and Vidal.
Easy drinking, attractive floral tastes and lift of sweetness.

Nebbiolo 2006 13.5% not yet released
Good fruit, and body, some fruit damson fruits quite powerful flavours

Nebbiolo 2005 13.8% current vintage $48
Light brown cough mixture colour, medium bodied really nice spiciness, elegant and restrained, a delicate beauty.

Nebbiolo 2002 13.9% library wine
Very pale pinky red browing, some toffee, beautiful aged wine.

Nebbiolo 2001 13.7% library
Showing aged character , spiciness , drinking well

The Nebbiolos showed what very attractive wines the variety makes and well worth aging

Cabernet Franc Reserve 2007 16.4abv unreleased, won't be available for 12-18 months.

Dense opaque colour, alcohol doesn't show, sweetness and dense fruit, silky and tight tannins. Superb.
Dave said “the vines were 8-10 years old and the wine was aged 2 ½ years in oak. A lot - 50-70% - of new French oak for this wine, I knew it wouldn’t overpower wine.

Nebbiolo Ice 2009 13.1abv residual sugar 101gL (acidity added to
Frozen after harvest, fermented in French oak barrels
Sweet but not unctuous, acids on finish

Soleil 2006 Frozen after harvest $26
55% Vidal 45% Muscat Canneli blend
Lavendar and marmalade flavours.

Soleil 2005 Frozen after harvest
41% Vidal 21% Sauvignon Blanc 27% Viognier 11% Semillon
Harvested and fermented separately
Sweet mouthfilling, rich pineapple flavours and good acid balance on finish



Disclosure: The author toured Virginia as a guest of the Virginia Wine Board. He thanks them for making his visit possible and the owners and staff of Breaux Vineyards - www.breauxvineyards.com - for their hospitality.

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Peter F May is the author of Marilyn Merlot and the Naked Grape: Odd Wines from Around the World which features more than 100 wine labels and the stories behind them, and PINOTAGE: Behind the Legends of South Africa’s Own Wine which tells the story behind the Pinotage wine and grape.

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