JUNE NEWSLETTER 2022
IN THIS NEWSLETTER...
VIP Wines of the Month
Report from the Tasting Room
Report from the Cellar
Report from the Farm
Report from The Little River Bakehouse
Report from Locksley Farmstead Cheese
Note from Jenni
As this newsletter reaches you you're probably preparing to enjoy your long holiday weekend. Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer and many of us will start the season with picnics, beach trips, barbeques, and time with family and friends. While we're enjoying the weekend activities it's important to stop and remember what this holiday is truly intended to be, a day to pause and remember all those heroic men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country and freedom. We should appreciate all that we have and all that they gave each and every day, but especially on Memorial Day. So be sure to raise a glass and give thanks to THEM for what WE have.
NOTE TO OUR VIP CLUB MEMBERS
Our VIP pickup event this month will be held on Friday, June 10th from 5:00pm until 8:00pm at the Ag District Center.
Members must RSVP no later than June 6th by emailing TR-Manager@ChrysalisWine.com. Please include your name, number attending (up to 2 per membership), and your preferred tasting time (5:00, 5:45, 6:30, or 7:15). Please arrive in time to check in at least 10 minutes prior to your tasting time. When planning your visit please remember that we close at 8:00 pm.
If you're not a member of our Chrysalis Vineyards VIP Club, remember to ask one of our associates how to join. Our members enjoy complimentary wine flights, discounts on wine and food, exclusive access to VIP events and more!
The white wine selection for our VIP Club members this month is Chrysalis Vineyards 2020 Viognier. This wine is a blend of both wild and commercial fermentation. The wild fermentation provides fresh tropical aromatics, while the commercial fermented Viognier lends itself to more of the traditional characteristics of old world Viognier. Our Viognier is fermented in 100% neutral oak to increase fruit and aromatics without any oak characters. This vintage showcases aromatics of tropical fruits and bright tangerines. The palate features balanced acidity, flavors of cantaloupe and peaches, and a soft creamy finish that lingers. Roasted Chicken with lemongrass seasoning, garlic mashed potatoes, and sautéed green beans or asparagus paired with this wine makes for the perfect date night dinner!
Our red wine selection for June is Chrysalis Vineyards 2019 Nebbiolo. Our Nebbiolo is a proper nod to the classic Nebbiolo’s of Italian Barolos. To truly enjoy this young red, age it in your cellar for 5-10 years. If you can’t wait, buy a case and taste over years to come. Aromatics are reserved with hints of roses, cigar box, and red fruit. The palate is covered in large tannins, with notes of spices such as anise. This is the perfect wine to accompany a Sausage and Mushroom pizza from our own Little River Bakehouse.
As a reminder to our members, all VIP wine is available for pickup at the Ag District Center tasting room anytime during regular business hours. If you can’t make it out to pick up your wines on a monthly basis, we will hold them for you. Due to storage limitations, however, we do ask that you pick them up once you accumulate a case (6 months). We can also arrange for wine to be shipped to most locations, at your request.
NOTE: Please do not reply to this emailed Newsletter. Your email will not be handled in a timely manner or may even be lost.
REPORT FROM THE TASTING ROOM
The next time you visit the tasting room you'll probably be greeted by an enthusiastic new member of our team! We would like to introduce our new Hospitality and VIP Club Manager, Zachary Montano.
Zach comes to us with almost 10 years of experience in the Virginia wine industry. From vineyard and cellar assistant to club management, Zach has done a bit of everything and is a fountain of wine knowledge. He's quickly learning the intricacies of our extensive lineup of wines and preparing to start our traditional wine tastings after a long pandemic hiatus. We're excited to have his hospitality expertise in the tasting room to make sure that all of our customers have a great experience at The Ag District. Zach's eager to meet all of our loyal customers, so be sure to say hello the next time you visit!
REPORT FROM THE VINEYARD
June is probably the most important month of the entire growing season. Often referred to as “the month of bloom”. This refers to the time where the vines shed their caps and the tiny flowers burst to life in the vineyard. For about 5-10 days, the vines will self pollinate, deciding the fate of harvest.
There’s a slight sweet aroma that fills the vineyards indicating that it’s time for the vines to make clusters of grapes. Don’t worry, I’ll spare you the details to keep this “PG”. Once the vines pollinate the flowers will fall away leaving behind teeny tiny round orbs, otherwise known as grapes. We refer to this as “fruit set”. From here the berries will grow into larger grapes, creating clusters that eventually make delicious wine.
Bloom sounds like it’s a pretty safe time but should the weather not be favorable and water come pouring from the clouds (I refuse to say the “r” word) this could disrupt the pollen exchange and be the end of harvest. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but it does result in “uneven fruit set” meaning on some clusters where there should be grapes, there are empty spaces. Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do at that point and we will have to make wine from what we get. Such is the life of agriculture.
The weather has been all over the place lately and it’s definitely a cause for concern but we aren’t losing sleep over it. The vineyard looks amazing right now, disease pressure is low, shoots are long, and the crew is doing an amazing job. That said, feel free to pray for good weather this month!
Jake Blodinger, Winemaker
REPORT FROM THE CELLAR
Believe it or not, June is actually the slow month in the cellar. Most of my time is spent cleaning the cellar, working on blends with Jenni, and taking strolls through the vines to make sure everything is going accordingly. I know, it’s the hard life. This month, Jenni and I will be turning our attention to the 2021 Estate Bottled Norton. More specifically, our approach and what makes that wine one of my favorites.
As many long time guests know, the Estate Bottled Norton is always 75% Norton and the remaining 25% is whatever makes an approachable Norton wine. If you’ve tasted Norton from other producers you’ll notice a reoccurring theme, the acids always seem out of balance. Jenni will tell you that wine is like an equalizer, with every bar representing a different character of wine such as fruit, aromatics, tannin, and acid. When one catagory is slightly lower or higher, the wine is now out of balance, appearing almost disjointed on the palate. As Norton has too much acid, it’s easy to be out of balance.
Over 20 years ago, Jenni had the foresight to plant other varieties not because she loves Petit Verdot and Tannat as single varietal wines, but because they add depth and complexity. In blending, these varieties can help equalize the wine and address characters that are disjointed or out of balance. Simply blending in a bit of Petit Verdot and Tannat helps round out the structure, lowering acids, raising alcohol, and adding weight to the body. This usually makes up the last 25% of the Estate Bottled Norton.
What makes the Estate Bottled Norton is great is that it truly showcases the vintage variation of the Norton every year. Was there too much rain in 2018? Well, we added a bit of Nebbiolo for more backbone. 2019 was an intense year, the fruit was ripe and thus the wine is intense, so we blended in a little Tinta Cao to lighten the palate creating a more approachable wine. I believe the Estate Bottled Norton is a prime example of creating a wine of balance and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Jake Blodinger, Winemaker
REPORT FROM THE LITTLE RIVER BAKEHOUSE
Over the last couple of years many of you had the pleasure of getting to know our chef, Keaton Beus. Keaton came to us in August of 2019 and started right in developing a great menu of farm products including pizzas, paninnis, salads, dips, fresh breads and lots of other delicious items. Keaton and his wife, Rachel (our assistant tasting room manager), moved from the area recently to pursue a great opportunity. We're thankful for their hard work and the foundation that Keaton created and we wish them both good luck and hope that we'll see them whenever they are in the area.
Fortunately, Keaton was not just a good chef, but also a good teacher and mentor. He's left what he created in the very capable hands of his second in command, Matt Coco and our baker, Maggie Robertson. They're doing a great job continuing to produce all the delicious, farm-fresh food that everyone loves and putting their own creative touches on the menu. Be sure to stop by for one of your tried and true favorites or look for one of their new additions or specials!
REPORT FROM LOCKSLEY FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY
Manchego is a cheese made in the La Mancha wilderness region of central Spain from the milk of sheep of the Manchega breed. Manchego has a firm and compact consistency and a buttery texture, often containing small, unevenly distributed air pockets. Past the rind, the ivory-colored body crystallizes as this cheese ages, going from open to granular and flaky. As the consistency hardens, the flavors deepen, becoming more rounded and toasty in their nuances.
We make our Manchego with cow's milk and it is aged for one year before release. It carries all the familiar tasting notes as the sheep predecessor. Our Merry Men Manchego shines through when paired with our Mariposa, shaved onto any pasta or salad, or as a great addition to any charcuterie board.
John Cline, Head Cheesemaker
The vineyard is exploding in glorious green shoots, with all the supportive and necessary viticultural tasks on schedule under the expert guidance of Jake Blodinger, Fredy Villalobos and Filiberto Celis. Our white wines from the 2021 vintage have been bottled and already receiving high acclaim, the reserve red bottlings from the 2020 vintage are all in bottle, and we continue to get back on track to normal at the ADC (Ag District Center tasting room) after the very trying COVID disruptions.
Spring is beautiful here (haven’t I said that before? Haha! I love spring.) Please don’t miss this wondrous season in the countryside by staying in the city or in the 'burbs. Come on out to some of the prettiest land anywhere… the lovely Bull run Mountains in western Loudoun County. I’m absolutely certain that you’ll find it a delightful rejuvenating respite.
When you’re here, don’t miss the opportunity to say ‘hi’ to our new Tasting Room Manager, Zach Montano. He’s a friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic lover of wine… and wine lovers!
Take care,
Jennifer McCloud
Chrysalis Vineyards at The Ag District
39025 John Mosby Highway (Tasting Room/Creamery/Kitchen)
23876 Champe Ford Road (Winery/Milking Center/Offices)
Middleburg, VA 20117
McCloud@ChrysalisWine.com
Office: 540-687-8222
www.ChrysalisWine.com
Facebook.com/ChrysalisVineyards