Dinner: Chateau Morrisette

Wine: $20
Chateau Morrisette
Petit Verdot
Virginia 2008

Petit Verdot... Can you tell I liked it?

Appetizer: $8
Fruit and Fromage: assortment of house made and local cheeses with seasonal fresh fruit and crackers.

Yummy Fruit and Fromage

Dinner: $19
Mediterranean lamb chops: grilled lamb chops with greek style israel cous cous, and grilled asparagus.

Mouth watering diner - only enhanced by the wine

Petit Verdot alone tastes smooth but rich with a mouth watering fullness. Once paired with the cheeses, spicy flavors emerged with deep complex combinations of dark fruit and woody hints. With dinner, all of these flavors were similarly delicious but slightly less intense perhaps because of the higher fat content of the cheese.

Little Molly in the middle (only posing with the wine, she was our much appreciated DD, Thanks Molls!!)

Winery Visitation: Chateau Morrisette

Winery Tour: Saturday, January 28, 2012

It was such a beautiful evening

Chateau Morrisette

Chateau Morrisette use mostly oak barrels.  For the Chardonnay they use the most expensive type of oak barrels from France.  They use both synthetic and natural cork in their wines, but if they use natural, they have to store the wines upside down.
With red wines, they ferment the wine with the seeds and skins from the grapes and also press their grapes.

The wines are bottled at the winery where nitrogen is used during the bottling process at the end to help preserve the wine.

90% of their fruits and 100% of their grapes are bought from VA growers which is unique to this winery. The only fruit that is not purchased from Virginia is the blackberry for their delicious blackberry wine.

Fermentation = WINE

Deliciousness aging to perfection!

They packaged all of this in ONE day!

Beautiful vaulted ceilings

A little size comparison, tiny Molly

Happy Tourists :)

Tasting: Frosty Dog

Chateau Morrisette
Frosty Dog: 2010
Ice/$18.99
Virginia, USA

Store Review: Freezing resulted in a concentrated, aromatic juice, which when fermented became this sumptuous, complex dessert wine. Aromas of apples, citrus, and orange blosoms are accentuated by lively acidity. The lingering finish drips with honey, pear, and subtle mango flavors. This delightful wine is a gread dessert by itselt , and can also be served as an aperitif. Alcohol 11.6%

My Review: This sexy wine is exploding with intense layers of sweetness that qualify for “liquid dessert” status.

Tasting: Sweet Mountain Laurel

Chateau Morrisette
Sweet Mountain Laurel
White/$9.99
Virginia, USA

Store Review: A unique and refreshingly sweet dessert style wine made from Native American grape varieties. Firm acidity balances the sweetness, producing a crisp finish with aromas of freshly picked grapes. pour over fresh berries and sponge cake or blend with vanilla ice cream and fruit for a creamy dessert smoothie.

My Review: Delightfully sweet with aromas of an original concord grape juice, This wine tastes like eating the grape right off the vine.

Tasting: Our Dog Blue

Chateau Morrisette:
Our Dog Blue
White/$9.99
Virginia, USA

Store Review: This popular white wine is a semi-sweet Riesling-T raminette blend, using Vidal Blanc and Petit Mensang for added depth. Aromas of melons, citrus fruits, apricots, and delicate flowers highlight the soft finish of this soothing wine. Serve chilled with fruits and cheeses, fish, or spicy foods.

My Review: Wonderful for pic-nics or tailgates, this wine is the perfect level of sweet without being mouth puckering. smelled and tasted (in a good way) like some cologne I’ve smelled before but am not sure where. Perfect example of the synthesis of smell and taste.

Tasting: Merlot

Chateau Morrisette:
Merlot: 2007
Red/$15.99
Virginia, USA

Store Review: Reminiscent of Old World reds, this ruby red vintage fuses leather, black tea and tobacco box aromas with plum and berry flavors. Medium bodied, velvet-textured and slightly spicy, this wine pairs wonderfully with game meats, lamb, ad mushroom dishes. This wine was blended with Chambourcin, a small amount of Cabernet Franc for depth, and was finished with a bit of Tannat for added structure. Alcohol 13.2%

My Review: Earthy and spicy, this Merlot was my easy to drink without lacking fullness. However, I didn not pick out any of the fruity aromas.

Tasting: Chardonnay

Chateau Morrisette
Chardonnay: 2010
White/$15.99
Virginia, USA

Store Review: Pear and applesauce aromas float from this opulent wine. Tasting reveals refreshing citrus fruit, augmented by rich nuances of toffee, fig and vanilla. Smooth and creamy in texture, this wine features a lengthy finish infused with traces of melon and pineapple. Slow barrel fermentation and subsequent aging sur lies (on the yeast) for 8 months resulted in a well balanced and complex wine. Our Chardonnay pairs well with crap, lobster, and other rich seafood, especially with cream sauces; roasted poultry, mushroom dishes, and sharp cheese. Alcohol 13.5%

My Review: This wine had a citrusy bite with a tingle on the tip of my tung which was almost like a sparkling white wine.