Michael Shaps Wineworks

May 16, 2023.  Our last winery visit on this trip was to Michael Shaps Wineworks, around thirty minutes south of Charlottesville.  Wineworks is one of the most decorated wineries in the Commonwealth and is one of the only international brands in this sphere. 

Michael Shaps learned his wine at school in Burgundy, France and moved to Virginia in 1995 to be winemaker at Jefferson Vineyards.  He managed six vintages there before going out on his own.  He was soon in a partnership with a winemaker in Meursault (Burgundy) France and with King Family Vineyards.  When we visited Wineworks in 2018, the tasting room was a small cramped cabin up a steep mountain road, the site of the old Montdomaine Winery.  He has continued to expand operations and influence since then.  He has shed his partners and since around 2014 I believe that his ventures have been sole proprietorships.  In 2018, Michael purchased Shenandoah Vineyards and continues to make wines under the Shenandoah label.  He has also opened a tourist-friendly production facility in Charlottesville.  According to the website, Wineworks is experimenting with “bag-in-a-box” wines, keg wines, and refillable wine growlers.  This is partially driven by environmental concerns.

In July 2022, he purchased the former Thatch Winery and has taken over those tasting facilities as his own.  The old Thatch is on the flat below the hill that went up to the aforementioned tasting cabin.  The old cabin is now part of extensive production facilities.  We immediately recognized that we had been to Thatch before.  The building reminds you of a stately French farmhouse still sporting the trademark thatch roof.  Just like our visit years ago, this May morning the sky was again ominously dark with threatening rain.  The tasting room is fairly generic with two or three separate bars, some comfortable alcoves, and a wide forested shady back deck.  Not much room for special events.  Not much in the way of munchies either.

Michael Shaps began planning his own vines in 1998 and there are now around 40 acres under vine.  He uses a number of other sites around the state, including Honah Lee Vineyards in Gordonsville.  He produces around 3,000 cases of wine under the Michael Shaps label.  In addition, he produces and sells wine from his French operation, called “Maison Shaps.”  He splits his time between Virginia and Burgundy.  But all of this is dwarfed by the Michael Shaps custom winemaking operation.  His is the first and largest custom crush operation in Virginia, producing around 30,000 cases of wine a year for more than a dozen clients, including Mt Ida Reserve, which we visited earlier. 

As with other stops on this trip, Kim had a glass of Chardonnay while I had a tasting.  Here are our impressions:

2018 Michael Shaps Chardonnay.  I believe that Kim rated this Chardonnay a B.

2019 Michael Shaps Odette.  This is white wine blend of 43% Viognier, 28% Roussanne, 24% Riesling, and 5% Petit Manseng.  All Virginia fruit.  ABV of only 12.6%.  It has a mild aroma, lemony.  It is probably from the Viognier that the wine gets its body.  I gave it a B-

2021 Maison Shaps Aligoté Bouzeron Les Clous.  This is a wine from M. Shaps’ French operation.  The winery is in the Cȏte d’Or.  It is 100% Aligoté grapes, a vinifera grape from Burgundy, tolerant of cold and so also grown much in eastern Europe. They are often blended to add acidity and structure.  Kir is often made by adding Aligoté to cassis.  Crémant de Bourgogne might be made with Aligoté, for example. The town of Bouzeron is considered to produce the best Aligoté grapes.  I found the wine more citrusy than Odette and more astringent.  I rate the wine a B.

2019 Michael Shaps Petit Manseng.  I believe that this was a Gold Medal wine at the 2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup.  I rate it a B+.  The 5% of Roussanne adds some sweetness, almost off-dry.

2019 Maison Shaps Bourgogne Pinot Noir Les Chazots.  This 100% Pinot Noir has more tannin than you might typically find in a Pinot Noir.  Little fruit, sort of medicinal.  It was a disappointing C from me.

2019 Michael Shaps Tannat.  Light nose.  Dark fruit.  Should age awhile first.  13.7% ABV and 100% Tannat from Monticello AVA. I rate it a B.

 

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