Our tasting include three whites and three reds. A informative funny tasting host...and topped off by a relaxing chat on their indoor couch while sipping on delicious VA wine.
Our overall thoughts was solid from top to bottom.
The first wine in their tasting was there 2009 Sauvignon Blanc-- It had a dandy lion wild flower nose. A nice flavor of flowers and greens with a medium heavy weight. It was a great sipping wine and my choice for relaxing with after our tasting. My wife and I both don't remember enjoying this wine last time we sampled it. We surely did this time.
Next up was there Loco Vino the 2009 the 2010 vintages. It is a fifty fifty blend of Vidal and Traminette. The 2009 nine exhibited great fruit with a spicy slightly acidic finish. The 2010 was more fruity and although drier tasted sweeter with less acid in the finish for me. Our pourer informed us the major difference and the reason the 2010 vintage has less residual sugar was that fact that during fermentation one of the two wines temperature elevated and couldn't be brought back down accelerating the fermentation process leading to a drier wine. Both wines were very solid wines, however I did enjoy the 2009 more than the 2010. However, good luck in finding the 2009 after this weekend.
From there we moved to the 2008 Merlot. This is blended with small additions of other grapes. This lead to a wine with big rasberry tasting wine with full body, and smokey earthy finish. A very different type of Merlot than you typically get in travels around Virginia.
After that we sampled a wine also made by the wine maker at 8 Chains North but labeled by another winery that is developing in Loudon county, Otium cellars. They specialize in German varietals made in traditional German style. This time we sampled their 2009 Dornfelder. This was very dark wine that almost requires food to fully enjoy. It had ample fruit and rounded out well with a oaky mouth field. Fully enjoyable but not recommend as a porch sipping wine.
Last on our tasting tour was the 2008 Furnace mountain red. This is their Bordeaux style red wine made from five Bordeaux grapes in different proportions each year. we remember the previous vintage being a real treat with a smokey finish and were excited this recently bottled vintage. The predominant grape in this vintage was Malbec. This exhibited big red early fruit followed by a heavy dose of tannins. Maybe a bit to much for me. It burned the mouth a little. However it had long lasting flavor and shows promise to mellow with age.
We have enjoy 8 chains wines for a while now, however their white wines were a lot better than we remember on previous trips. We are excited to continue tasting here as they show off the talents of their wine make in future vintages.
