Winery Visit - Chateau Morrisette

The Place:

Chateau Morrisette

287 Winery Road SW

Milepost 171.5 Blue Ridge Parkway

Floyd, Virginia

1 hour 9 minutes from Blacksburg (44.8 miles)

(540) 593-2865

Thedogs.com

Tastings are $8 and include 10 wines plus souvenir glass.  Weekend tours are Fridays and Saturdays at 11, 1, 3, and 5 and Sundays 12, 2, and 4.

The Experience:

 (in front of the largest building made from reclaimed timber on the Atlantic coast, aka the gift shop, tasting room, and winery of Chateau Morrisette)

The grounds were certainly more interesting than other wineries, and I wish I would have realized that the whole facility was dog friendly because I definitely would have brought my own pooch!  We got there a little earlier than expected so we had time to explore the grounds.

(the wall of the on site restaurant)

(the restaurant, which formerly was the original small cottage on the property and the first wine was made in the basement of this Building)

Unfortunately, we didn't try the restaurant, but that's an adventure for another day!

We toured the production facility, which was actually quite smaller than I expected.  I guess from learning about winemaking in class you imagine that you need rediculously huge machinery for pressing and processing, but a smaller place like Chateau Morrisette doesn't need all that.

 (the pressing and processing machines, named Lucy and Ethel after the I Love Lucy episode where the two press grapes for wine)

However, the storage room full of wine barrels and vats was certainly impressive, and had the most fantastic smell!

 (we learned they actually use three types of oak barrels:  American, French, and Hungarian)

(much larger than they look here)

Also, apparently when they put the first Black Dog Label on their wine, it was only for a year to commemorate the family black lab who happened to love that particular wine and would lick the barrel of just that wine.  However, profit went up 300% and thus the Chateau Morrisette dog wine label series was born.

 

The Wines:

 (ready for the tasting to begin)

I quite enjoyed the tasting, however they moved much too quickly for a true enjoyment and appreciate of the wines.  There were people waiting in line and so they were trying to move us along.  Thus some of the flavors and aromas were lost because of the time pressure.

2011 Chardonnay

Winery Review:  13% alcohol.  Aroma:  Green apple, pear, vanilla, caramel.  Palate:  toast, butterscotch, pineapple, grapefruit.  Finish:  Smooth, creamy.  Oak and steel fermented.

Personal Review:  Pear, apple, then grapefruit tastes with a finish of butterscotch.  The butterscotch surprises you and then carries into the aftertaste along with a warm mouth sensation.  Definitely something that I would like to try again.

2011 Chambourcin

Winery Review:  12% alcohol.  Aroma:  Plum, blackberry, raspberry.  Palate:  Subtle spice, blueberry, blackberry.  Finish:  Bright, clean, soft.

Personal Review:  Light spice followed by just a slight bit of strawberry.

2011 Pinot Noir

Winery Review:  12% alcohol.  Aroma:  Berries.  Palate:  Strawberry, tannins, trace of smoke.  Finish:  Long, hint of herbs, baking spices.

Personal Review:  Nose of berries with the tail end of smoke.  First taste is maybe a spice, with a dry mid palate and lingering aftertaste.  More complex than expected, but still not something I'd like to sit around and have a bottle of.

 

2008 Merlot

Winery Review:  12.5% alcohol.  Aroma:  fruity, berries.  Palate:  black plum, raspberry, complex.  FInish:  Lingering, anise, oak tannins.  Medium bodied.

Personal Review:  Nose is awesome and really interesting with complexity and berries.  However, taste is a disappointment.  Dry and not a lot of fruit.  Definitely oaked.

 

The Black Dog

Varietal:  Chambourcin, Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot

Winery Review:  12% alcohol.  Aroma:  Fruity.  Palate:  berries, subtle spiciness.  FInish:  Smooth.  Off-dry, medium-bodied.

Personal Review:  Nose is spice with a tail end of salt or something.  Not a lot of fruit, but only semi dry.  Definitely not smooth as the review suggests (however, not overtly problematic either).

 

Angel Chardonnay

Variety:  Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc

Winery Review:  12.5% alcohol.  Aroma:  Citrus, pineapple.  Palate:  fruit forward, soft, apple.  Finish:  Smooth, crisp.  Tank and berrel fermented Chardonnay, with Vidal Blanc.

Personal Review:  Nose begins with citrus and ends with pleasant pear.  Finish of the wine is crisp, but didn't really get a lot of distinguishing flavors.  Slight hint of pineapple on second taste.

 

Our Dog Blue

Variety:  Riesling, Traminette, Vidal Blanc

Winery Review:  12.5% alcohol.  Aroma:  Melon, citrus, apricots, flowers.  Palate:  Sweet, firm acidity.  Finish:  soft.  Semi-sweet Riesling, Traminette, Vidal Blanc blend.  Serve chilled.

Personal Review:  Nose of melon.  Sweet mid palate with citrus kick.

 

Red Mountain Laurel

Winery Review:  10.5% alcohol.  Aroma:  Fresh grape.  Palate:  Sweet, cherry, crisp.  Finish:  aromatic. 

Personal Review:  Smells of Welch's grape juice with a smokey end.  Tastes exactly the same.  Personally, not quite as good for me as everyone says it was, but then again I don't like grape juice.

 

Blackberry Wine

Variety:  100% Blackberries (from Oregon, blackberry capital of the world)

Winery Review:  12% alcohol.  Aroma:  Dark berries.  Palate:  Sweet, smooth, vibrant, sun-drenched berries.  Finish:  Smooth, blackberry.  made from 100% blackberries.

Personal Review:  Smells of blackberry cobbler.  Initial tastes are not quite as good as the smell, but the aftertaste if very pleasant of blackberry jam.

Sweet Mountain Apple

Variety:  100% apples

Winery Review:  10.5% alcohol.  Aroma:  Fresh apples.  Palate:  Sweet, smooth, apple.  Finish:  Crisp, refreshing.  100% Virginia apples.  Serve chilled.

Personal Review:  Smell is awesome.  Apple smell and taste all around.  Kick of bitter apple on the finish.  Probably a tie with the last wine for my favorite of the tasting.