Mountain Run Winery

February 25, 2022.  During our short jaunt to Culpeper, Kim and I stopped-in to Mountain Run Winery.  We were last here in May 2018 when a storm confined us to the upstairs tasting room with other friendly visitors for much of the afternoon.  I noted then on the quality of the Culpeper Crimson offering and the Viognier.  Those comments still stand.

David Foster opened Mountain Run in 2016 and has the closest winery to Culpeper.  With this location, I sense that the winery hosts a large number of weddings and community events.  We visited on the last weekend before events really picked-up.  It was quiet until a Girls’ Road Trip of six middle-aged ladies from Pennsylvania came through the door – looking for good wine on their travels and tips on what to see.  We obliged!  The tasting room is in a rustic 70 year-old corn crib.  There is also an outdoor tasting bar for the warmer months.  Outside food is permitted.  The winery also has light fare.  The Wine Pass is accepted for discounts on bottle purchases.



Mountain Run is a small winery with production of around 1,100 cases per year, according to their website.  The estate grows Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Crimson Cabernet, Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc, Traminette, Mourvèdre, Nebbiolo, Albariño, and Dornfelder.  According to their wine server, this is around 1/3 of their production; the rest of their wines are sourced from leased vineyards in Aldie, Hume, Fredericksburg, and south of Lynchburg.

 

On this visit, Kim tried the Oaked Chardonnay and I tried the Mertiage. 

The Oaked Chardonnay.  Kim rated it a B+.  The wine has a dark gold color.  She found the oakiness pleasant.  Tasting notes state that the wine is fermented in neutral French oak barrels and undergoes malolactic fermentation – thus the buttery full mouth feel.  Most aging is in steel. 

The Meritage does not indicate that it is a Virginia wine, notwithstanding the comments by the wine server.  Perhaps this is a labeling convenience.  I found that it has some spice, even chocolate with moderate tannins.   Tasting notes say that this is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for the body, Cabernet Franc for the nose, and Petit Verdot for the color and tannins. 

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