Harvest Strikes Gold, Every Turn

Buongiorno ~

Since our bulletin of September 28th, Red Harvest Among our Best, we have been on a positively exuberant trajectory of picking and fermenting one of our finest red wine vintages since the 1990s. 2023 is an Octagon vintage in which many varietals set Octagon standards for themselves. When the 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was awarded our third Virginia Governor’s Cup in 2007, what most enabled the wine to stand out from many in that great growing season, was that we had been readying our vineyards for it, for decades. Now, we welcome the grapes of 2023 with three-quarters of a century of personal years in the development of these vineyards – 25 years with Viticulturist Fernando Franco (seen here, with an earlier vintage of Nebbiolo), 15 with winemaker Daniele Tessaro, and my 34.

During 2023’s outstanding harvest, bold signs of this consistent development were highlighted in the press and in the competitions, with current offerings posting important benchmarks. In October, Wine Enthusiast selected our current vintage of Octagon, 2019, for its Editor’s Choice at 92 Points, concurring with Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, almost matching the wine’s 94 Points at jamessuckling.com At the same time, Wine Enthusiast listed the Charlottesville region and the Monticello AVA as nominee for Wine Region of the Year, and Barboursville Vineyards for American Winery of the Year. In late September, California’s Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition awarded 94 Points, the Director’s Award, Platinum Medal and Best in Category designation to Nebbiolo Reserve 2020. “I love the fact that Barboursville has remained steadfast with Nebbiolo virtually since their inception, and as the vines age, the wine continues to gain panache.” (Comment from the Director’s Award).

But the greatest reward of this growing season will certainly be the longest to unfold. With successful first harvests from newly established vineyard parcels, especially in Merlot and Cabernet Franc, 2023 has enlarged a distinction we have patiently been developing for years — producing enough of our finest red wines to set aside ample allocations for bottle aging, through 10 to 20 years in ideal wine cellar conditions. This satisfaction recalls and and fully equals the meaning of our 2007 Governor’s Cup, for a Bordeaux red wine at 9 years off the vine.

I began by warning of a certain exuberance, and the most fitting place for it is found in our celebrations of food and wine, year ‘round in Palladio Restaurant, and with several annual traditional banquet feasts. There remains one great traditional feast yet to come, on November 11th, which is not fully subscribed, and which plainly dedicates itself to the highlights of this year. The Annual Truffle Feast will present one of our finest vintages of Cabernet Franc Reserve (2014), and both the 2015 and 2020 vintages of Nebbiolo Reserve to compare, each having been awarded the highest rankings at international competitions, including San Francisco.

At the same time, our foraging dedication to discovery inspires us to serve domestic Appalachian “pecan” truffles in one presentation, and Burgundian black truffles in two others, an exciting departure from our customary nod to Piemontese truffles. The distinctive aromatic earthiness which aligns truffles with Nebbiolo especially among wines, is deeply exposed by 5 years of age separating one vintage from another, while variations in the aromatics of the truffles – being mushrooms after all – depend more on the volume of rain in the soils than the continent where they are found. To reserve, (540) 832-7848

I can’t allow myself to close, without inviting you back in this dramatically beautiful Fall, to savor the inspirations and rewards of this fortunate estate.

Cordialmente ~
Luca Paschina Winemaker