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The Monticello AVA was approved by the federal government in 1984. The area sits in Virginia’s central Piedmont region and takes its name from the famous neo-classical home of Thomas Jefferson, which it surrounds. It’s well-known that our nation’s second president and drafter of the Declaration of Independence was interested in wine and encouraged the planting of vineyards in Virginia. The Stinson Vineyards Meritage 2019 bears a Monticello designation. The wine is a blend of 38 percent cabernet franc, 33 percent merlot, 17 percent petit verdot and 12 percent cabernet sauvignon (all estate grown), aged 18 months in French oak, 40 percent new barrels. The color is a dark but transparent ruby-magenta hue, that shades to a lighter rim; aromas of black currants and cherries are bolstered by notes of lavender and violets, graphite and damp flint, with hints of wood smoke and damp loam; these elements segue smoothly to the palate, where a firm but pliant oak and tannin structure supports black fruit flavors wrapped around a core of potpourri, bitter chocolate and blueberry tart, the whole enterprise animated by bright acidity. 13.5 percent alcohol. Drink now through 2027 to ‘30, with seared duck breasts, pappardelle with rabbit, grilled pork chops, braised short ribs. Production was 300 cases. The winery is operated by husband-and-wife Nathan Vrooman and Rachel Stinson Vrooman. The heart of the estate is Piedmont House, a dwelling erected in 1796 and expanded in the 1840s. Excellent. About $41.
To see what other wines are available from this winery, visit stinsonvineyards.com.
A sample for review.