Spring 2023 Wine-Share
Here comes the Spring 2023 wine-share!
For this release, we have three wines all doing very different things, giving you plenty to work with, as gatherings move outdoors and our meals embrace the fresh produce of Spring and Summer.
We have the first red from 2021, the return of our Blaufränkisch; a worthy follow up to our last varietal bottling from 2019.
Now that our sparkling wines have aged on their lees for a number of years, we continue to add a bottle to each share; this time we debut the 2018 Blanc de Blancs.
Once again we have a Domestique collaboration wine, the fourth version of a mixed fruit fermentation project we embarked on in 2019 with the DC wine shop. This one gets a little wacky, especially with its amber color, but it’s tasty, and again it comes with a beautiful label courtesy of natural dyer and textile artist An-Phuong Ly.
Finally in Midland (new) news, we are planting the first vines at our new site on Leaport road in Verona, two ridges to the west of Mount Airy. It’s exciting vineyard land, with west facing slopes and rocky, limestone soils unlike anything we have seen planted in Virginia. It sits at a higher relative elevation which should make it less vulnerable to the Spring frosts we fight at Mount Airy; you may have seen our recent battle in Tim’s stories over at Midland.wine on Instagram. We’re planting a new, disease resistant grape variety called Merlot Kanthus, part of our journey to make Midland a more sustainable project for ourselves and future generations.
Thank you, as always, for your support, and please enjoy these wines!
The Jordan Family
Leaport: Wiew from the west.
Contents in the Fall 2024 wine-share2022 “Tram-Cham-Bapple” grapes co-fermented with seedling apples
This collaboration with the DC wine shop Domestique allows us to experiment and push the boundaries of wine norms. We set out to make a light red by fermenting Traminette and Chambourcin on the skins, but the addition of 50% seedling crab apple juice, along with the orange colors from the white grape skins made for an amber hue instead. The floral Traminette carries the aromas and flavors, and the apples close out the finish with a tannic bite. Made with a minimalist approach, this mixed fermentation wine brings unexpected flavor and texture. Label by dye and textile artist An-Phuong Ly. Check out her work at anmadethis.com
What should I use this wine for? This one is for nerding. While it is fresh and fruity enough to enjoy anytime, there is enjoyment to be found sitting with a wine like this and puzzling through its components. Modern wine is defined by trends from a relatively short window that can be measured in decades, while fermentation has been with humans for millennia. Like any subject we care about, it’s good to question what wine can and should be. This asks those questions.
2021, Blaufränkisch, Mount Airy, Shenandoah Valley
The challenging 2020 harvest forced us to co-ferment this grape with Cabernet Franc, but we’re back with a 2021 varietal bottling. We incorporated 50% whole cluster to compliment the inherent black and white pepper character of the grape. It aged in used 500L French oak puncheon until bottling. The result is dark fruited, dense, layered, and aromatic.
What should I use this wine for? This wine has more acidity than most Virginia reds, giving it added precision. That said, the medium body veers away from the heartiest foods, making it perfect for the table as we move away from heavy winter fare into the freshness of Spring.
2018 Brut “Zero” Blanc de Blancs, Mount Airy, Shenandoah Valley
Finally, our first sparkling wine from Chardonnay is here! For sparkling wines, we love long lees aging, so we exercised patience, leaving the wine for longer in barrel (18 months) and in bottle (36 months). This deepens the flavor and texture and allows us to finish it without the addition of dosage/sweetness. As in 2022, we’re saving a bottle of this to be included in the fall share.
What should I use this wine for? Sparkling wine is for celebrations, right? Well, let’s celebrate Saturday night, or your next meal with your parents, or your favorite take out. Let’s take the pressure off the holidays and momentous events and celebrate the smaller occasions in life.
*Please note that many of our wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, and may contain sediment. While all wines should be carefully stored, it is important to keep these wines from extreme temperatures, especially heat.