Horton Vineyards

After visiting Barboursville Vineyards we drove a very short five minutes to neighboring Horton Vineyards.  Though not as old as Barboursville, Horton Vineyards has been producing for over two decades.  In 1988 entrepreneur Dennis Horton and business partner Joan Bieda acquired 55 acres of land to start the vineyard.  The first crop was harvested in 1991 and vinted at Montdomaine Winery in Charlottesville, where Dennis eventually took over management and produced a Chardonnay and Cabernet under that label.  The tasting room we now know as Horton Cellars came into being in 1993, which saw its first crush that year.  The following year additional acreage began producing Bordeaux, Rhone Valley, Portuguese, and Spanish varietals.

Horton Vineyards also has an extensive list of wines from which to taste.  Once there you can choose eight from the list to taste, if my memory serves me correctly.  Pictured here is their 2013 Pinotage, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, which has red berry and cocoa aromas and plum and smokey notes on the palate.  This was the first time I'd been introduced to the Cinsault grape varietal, which is usually used as a blending partner with Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre as part of the classic Southern Rhone blend.

We also found some of Horton's bottle art to be quite artistic, as seen above on this 2013 Tannat.  In northern Virginia we don't often seen Tannat on its own in wineries, so we were pleased to see it so prevalent in the Charlottesville area.  Horton's is almost 100% Tannat and blends theirs with 5% Malbec and 5% Carbernet Franc.  This Tannat is full-bodied with leather notes and a spicy finish.

Horton also produces an Rkatsiteli, which is an ancient pale-skinned grape varietal from the Republic of Georgia.  I've only tasted it once before at North Gate Winery as it's not a particularly popular grape to grow in Virginia or in the U.S. for that matter.  North Gate's Rkatsiteli had bright acidity, a mineral smell on the nose, and a spicy finish.  Horton's was quite different and was more aromatic with notes of honeysuckle and oranges.  We ended up purchasing this wine as it's rare to find in the U.S.

They're also known for their Black Cat Chardonnay, which is my favorite wine from Horton. It's also the only wine I've personally seen distributed in Northern Virginia, specifically in Trader Joe's. This particular Chardonnay has a creamy mouthfeel and balanced oak, vanilla, and ripe juicy flavors on the palate. If you love oaky, slighly buttery Chardonnays, then you'll enjoy this one as well.

After your tasting, make sure to take a stroll through Horton Vineyards' well-established vines, which make for some great photo opportunities. I'm sure they look so lush when summer is in full swing.

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