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Wine Recommendation
Oakencroft Vineyard & Winery
2004 Merlot Reserve(Monticello)
The 2004 vintage was a good one in Virginia, especially for reds in the Monticello AVA, which encompasses Albemarle, Nelson and parts of southwest Orange counties.
Oakencroft Vineyard, about three miles south of Charlottesville, has grown and made Merlot since its inception in 1983. The 2004 Reserve, 100 percent Merlot, is Oakencroft’s best effort to date with the varietal—and one of the best available in Virginia today, based on recent tastings of several Virginia Merlots.
The wine was made from estate-grown as well as locally purchased grapes. Beautifully balanced, dark and rich with bright currant flavors, a nice touch of oak and impressive length, the 2004 Oakencroft Reserve has ripe tannins that make it supple to drink now. However, it shows excellent potential for aging a good five to seven years or more, developing complexity as it does.
The winery’s 2005 regular Merlot ($18) is also appealing, coming from what appears to be an even more stellar vintage in the appellation. With berry-like flavors and soft round texture, it drinks well now.
Reviewed April 30, 2007 by Barbara Ensrud.
Other reviewed wines from Oakencroft Vineyard & Winery
The Wine
Winery: Oakencroft Vineyard & Winery |
The Reviewer
Barbara Ensrud
Barbara Ensrud has been writing about and reviewing wines since 1979, with a nationally syndicated column for the New York Daily News and numerous other publications. Her “no numbers” approach to evaluating wine is simple: how does it taste – on its own, as well as with particular foods? Is it good value, whether $10 or $210? Does it measure up in terms of varietal character and regional identity? …"When I taste a good wine, I can't wait to share it with fellow wine lovers." |