Uncommonly Fine Commonwealth Wines

By Warren Rojas

Pearmund Cellars Vineyard
Courtesy of Pearmund Cellars

While I was out gallivanting through the rolling Virginia hills, our resident Wine Pros ferreted out some of their favorite pours from across the state.

Kathy Morgan hailed winemaker Chris Pearmund for the passion and expertise he has brought both to his original winery, Pearmund Cellars, and the fledgling Winery at La Grange.

Morgan wrestled with her final selection—offering up that she’s also a fan of Pearmund’s rieslings, chardonnays and late harvest vidals—but ultimately chose the 2005 Pearmund Ameritage Reserve ($29) as her pick. “It is nicely balanced, and exhibits classic flavors of currant, plum and cherry—accented by a pleasant herbaceousness,” she said.

Paul Yohai had high praise for Dennis Horton, extolling the longstanding vintner for reshaping the face of Virginia wine by championing the cultivation of the viognier grape.

Accordingly, he tapped the 2006 Horton Tower Series Viognier ($12) as a solid regional find, touting “its rich exotic aromas of honeysuckle and orange spice that are complimented wonderfully by crisp citrus, floral and mineral notes.”

Meanwhile, Suzanne McGrath set her sights on the 2006 DelFosse Chardonnay ($23), estimating that the wine’s “deft balance of ripe, pineapple-scented fruit and restrained use of oak that adds a hint of butterscotch” is proof positive of winemaker Michael Shaps’ Burgundian training.

(June/July 2008)