Revalation Winery

February 25, 2022.  During a short trip to the Culpeper area, Kim and I visited the small Revalation Winery.  Revalation is owned by Françoise and Julian Moiseiwitsch, from Belgium and Ireland, who have their main vineyard near their home in Reva.  (This “Reva” connection is the reason why the winery is not spelled “Revelation.”)  The small tasting room is a couple of miles away, overlooking the scenic Hebron Valley in Madison.  The winery is mostly set-up for outside seating.  In the summer, a breeze blows down the valley and keeps the visitors cool as they watch the sun set over the mountains.  The tasting room is an 1830’s cabin that was relocated timber-by-timber from near Gretna to this location.  Inside, there are only two tables arranged around a nice fireplace.  If you anticipate rain or colder temperatures, it is best to call ahead and reserve one of these two tables.  Otherwise, you are at the mercy of firepits.  Outside food is alright.  The Wine Pass is accepted for limited discounts.

 

Revalation opened in 2018.  The original vineyard in Reva is roughly seven acres of vines with six acres about evenly split between reds (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat and Merlot) and whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris and Petit Manseng), and one acre planted with hybrids (Vidal Blanc and Traminette).  A new vineyard of around 12 acres has been planted next to the tasting room which will yield Chardonnay, Viognier, Petit Manseng, and Merlot in a couple of seasons.  There are also plans to build a new expanded tasting room.  Revalation sponsors local artists to display in the tasting room on a rotating basis. 

According to their website, Revalation produces their wines in batches of only about 25- 150 cases.  They will collaborate with Hazy Mountain Vineyards in Afton on bottling, etc., but all wines are with estate juice.

How about them wines?  Kim and I each had a tasting flight.  Here are our observations:

Vidal Blanc 2018.  Kim rated this a B.  It is a blend of 90% Vidal Blanc and 10% Pinot Gris.  Very light – a good summer wine chilled.

Pinot Gris 2017.  Kim rated this a C.  It is 100% Pinot Gris. Tasting notes indicate this wine goes well with fish and pizza.

Sauvignon Blanc 2019.  Kim found this wine too sweet.  It is 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Petit Manseng 2019.  Kim rated this wine a B.  It is 100% Petit Manseng.  It has some sweetness and some acidity for freshness. It should go well with many dishes.

Merlotage 2018.  We both found the Merlotage very light and dry – Revalation’s lightest red.  It is a blend of 47% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon.  I found that it had a slight alcohol aftertaste which may have been brought out by chilling.

Merlot 2019.  The Merlot has more tannin and less alcohol.  Some raspberry.  It has better balance. It is 100% Merlot.

Cabernet Franc 2019.  This blend of 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot is quite dry, but with more tannin and good spice/pepper aromas.

Mélange á Quatre 2017.  The Mélange is reminiscent of a Right bank Bordeaux.  It is a blend of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Tannat.  It has a full mouthfeel and some finish.  It had some sweetness which balanced with the tannins.  I bought a bottle.

Village 2019.  The Village had some higher residual sugar and a longer finish that other reds.  It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  More tannins.

Thanks to Mike for his hospitality and for spending some time with us on our visit.




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