90 points, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
2019 Petite Fleur
Winemaker Notes:
This wine opens with a lovely floral bouquet of lilac and wisteria
followed by mandarin orange, nectarines, a touch of plum, peach, and tropical mango
notes. The fruit is well balanced with a
creamy vanilla texture with hints of honey and butterscotch and undertones of
minerals and limestone. The finish of
the wine is very clean, bright, and luscious with the orange and tropical notes
blending nicely with the weight of the wine.
Overall a very well-balanced wine with a long clean finish.
Vintage:
Starting with a mild winter we rolled into an early spring. In late March we started seeing temps in the
70’s with just a few cooler days to follow.
The spring conditions led to excellent fruit set and ultimately a bountiful
crop. The summer, for Virginia, was very
mild with only a few days of hot humid conditions. The Autumn was particularly dry with warm
days and cool nights. From mid-September to early October, we experienced very
little rain which is invaluable for maturing grapes. I believe the 2019 vintage to be the best I
have experienced in Virginia for my tenure here.
Blend
75% Vidal Blanc, 25%
Muscat
Harvest
The Vidal Blanc was harvested on 11 September 2019 and then
frozen for approximately 6 weeks. The harvest
brix was 22.6, pH 3.67 and TA 5.05g/L.
After freezing the grapes were pressed with resulting brix at 33.5.
Vineyard Source:
Wessex Hundred, Williamsburg, VA – Vidal Blanc
Ancient Lakes, Columbia Valley, WA - Muscat
Fermentation
The Vidal Blanc fermented very slowly for approximately 7
months in stainless steel drums with BA11 Yeast.
Aging
Stainless steel tanks and drums.
Bottling Date
11 February 2021
Release Date
March 2021
Technical Information
12.1% Alc.
3.45 pH
8.41 g/L TA
17.5% RS
