Sundays are wine adventure days for us. We typically invite a few friends to join us as we expand their horizons of the NC wine scene. Today were joined by our friends Susan and Candyce.
On the schedule for today, we have Lazy Elm, Hanover Park Vineyard, and Medaloni Cellars. More updates later on. Check back often!
Stop #1 – Lazy Elm Vineyard & Winery
The tasting room at Lazy Elm.
Our first stop was at Lazy Elm. Chris, the owner and winemaker, did our tasting. He is making some stellar wines right now. He is getting his fruit from Surry County while his young vineyard is recovering from a rough winter a year back. Of particular interest are the 2011 Cabernet Franc, the Damn Yankee, and their port called Selfish.
The Cabernet Franc was dark and had a good complex profile with a lot of spice. The Damn Yankee, a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, is a medium body red with full body flavor. Finally, the port is rich and flavorful with a bit of caramel and toast. Next time you’re in the area, you should stop by and pick up a bottle before it’s gone!
Stop #2 – Hanover Park Vineyard
The farmhouse at Hanover Park.
Our next stop is Hanover Park where Amy and Michael were pouring a few new releases paired with heavy hors d’oeuvres . Up first was the 2014 Viognier which displays a soft profile with a hint of tropical notes. Next we had a vertical tasting of the 2010 and 2012 Mourvèdre. The 2010 was dark and earthy with a nice leathery finish. The 2012 was a bit more fruity with a great amount of spice on the finish.
We also had the opportunity to get an early taste of the new Port and Vin D’Orange. The port was deep and dark with a nice smoky flavor. The Vin D’Orange was also delicious with a nice citrus flavor finishing with toasted coconut. We can’t wait for these to make it to the bottle!
Stop #3 – Medaloni Cellars
The tasting room at Medaloni.
Our final stop is Medaloni Cellars. Hailey was pouring the new releases which just came out this past Friday. They’re doing some really creative things here. The new Flight Series is a collaboration between Joey at Medaloni and Markus who owns the oldest bonded winery in Lodi California.
The white blend is made of east coast Riesling with west coast Kerner. It’s a delicate blend that is full of tangerines and apples with a nice mineral finish. The red blend is made of Chambourcin from North Carolina and California Malbec. This wine is fruity on the nose with a spicy dry finish. The last wine we tried in the series is the Petite Sirah. This wine has a nose full of berries but finishes nice and dry with a lingering presence.
Everything here was delicious as always. Next on the list for them is a Sauvignon Blanc and a stainless Chardonnay that promises to be quite tasty.
