Chester Gap Cellars

October 21, 2022.  Our last stop on this first blog trip into the Shenandoah AVA was Chester Gap Cellars, whose address is Front Royal, Rappahannock County.  Actually, by my reckoning, Chester Gap Cellars lies just outside of the Shenandoah AVA, like by a couple hundred feet.   But that is a very small point.  Come for the wine and please stay for the view.

Even though you will be at only 1,000 feet elevation, it will feel like a mountaintop excursion.  Views from the winery go for thirty-five miles on a clear day.  The tasting room feels as if it is clutching the side of a mountain to keep from sliding down the hill.  Parking can be an issue.  Lots of interesting features: like the Adirondack chairs on the tasting room balcony were designed and built by the Rappahannock High School woodworking shop to be raised so the balcony railing does not block your killer view; like the availability of a hiking trail that includes the headwaters of the Rappahannock River, which flows eventually to the Chesapeake Bay.  The facilities are small, intimate, and cordial.  We noted the warm hospitality on our first visit to the winery in 2010.  With the small size and limited parking, Chester Gap does not host weddings and events.  Generally, there is no musical entertainment because there is nowhere to put the musician.  Outside food is allowed and some onsite food is available (try the cheese bread).  Below the balcony, more Adirondack chairs fan out on the hillside with fire pits and propane heaters for the cooler days.  If you feel like staying, Chester Gap has a B&B (with hot tub).  Also note, the winery is closed in January.

We enjoyed a short chat with owner.  Chester Gap vineyard began in 2000 and was purchased by Jeff Seese five years ago.   

There are 65 acres for the property, eleven planted with grapes, of which seven acres are producing at this point.  Output is around 1,200 cases per year.  The soil is chock full of igneous rock.  The Southeast exposure of the Gap provides a constant wind flow and greatly reduces mildew on the grapes.  This perfect microclimate produced a beautiful harvest for 2022.  Jeff was able to get the grapes off just before the inundation from Hurricane Ian in early October.  Like a lot of Virginia wineries, Jeff is listening to where the grapes lead him in terms of what grows optimally in this microregion. Chester Gap has its production facilities in the barn up the hill from the tasting room.

So, if you came for the wine and discovered the view, lets talk about the wine.  All of the wines on the tasting flight are estate grown. 

2019 Chardonnay.  Kim had a glass of the Chardonnay and rated it a B.  Crisp and clean.  The Chardonnay is the one wine that is not estate grown.  (It is not on the tasting flight.)  But the grapes are Virginia grapes, grown within ten miles of the winery. 

2019 Cuvee Vidal Blanc.  This is a blend of Vidal Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne.  A good crisp wine. I believe Jeff cited Roussanne as an example of a grape that grows well at Chester Gap.

2017 Viognier.  I found this very flowery with some alcohol on the finish.  A good representative of Viognier.

2019 Roussanne.  This tasted light-bodied like the Cuvee.  Maybe a little more serious since it is a single varietal.  Roussanne is not a common Virginia grape.

2021 Lighter Side of Red.  This is a light-bodied red blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.  No tannin to speak of.  Good quaffing wine with a little structure, not much fruit.

2020 Cabernet Franc.  This wine has more tannin and astringency.  More pronounced fruit.  It aged in French Oak for 15 months.

 

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