2019 Afton Mountain Vineyards T

Variety: 42% Merlot; 29% Petit Verdot; 29% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Afton, Virginia (Monticello AVA)
Cost: $55 SRP

Winemaker’s Notes: Aged 20 months in 25% new and 75% neutral French oak barrels. This is a beautifully balanced wine with red fruit aromatics, a rich tannin structure and a long finish.

My Review: I’ve been sitting on the notes for this wine for a while. Work, live, travel, holidays….they all have a way of getting in the way of me sitting down and putting digital pen to paper. Not an excuse, just looking at the date on my notes and realizing it’s been more than a month since I sipped on this and when I’m actually getting around to writing about it. So let’s not belabour the point.

I’m going to start off by saying that any wine with even a little Petit Verdot is always welcome in my home. My wife is a big fan of the grab, particularly of how it grows in Virginia.

The 2019 Afton Mountain T was no exception. Even without telling her what the blend was, two sips in and she was asking if there was Petit Verdot. Honestly, I should take her to the Virginia State Fair and turn it into an act. But I digress.

In the glass the wine was a ruby red color, just a shade deeper than what I would call a “medium.” On the nose I got aromas of dark fruit and dried herbs–mostly some thyme and a hint of oregano (my wife’s garden exploded with both this year and I’m exceedingly familiar with the smell of dried thyme and oregano).

In the mouth the wine had a nice medium body, and the flavors of dark fruit carried over. The wine wasn’t as full-bodied as I was expecting given the blend, but it still had plenty of structure to stand up to the steak I paired it with, with soft tannins that lingered without overstaying their welcome.

I’ve been a fan of Afton Mountain for a while, and we try to swing by anytime we’re in the area (which, sadly, has been a while). This is an excellent expression of what Virginia is doing with red wines–good structure, good tannins, but with just enough nuance to the flavors to show the skill of the winemakers and what the terroir of the regions can produce.

Definitely a reminder that I’m overdue for a long weekend trip to Virginia to visit some of the vineyards and wineries I haven’t been able to see for some time.

Disclosure: I received this wine as a free sample for review.