Sunset Hills Vineyard

March 14, 2024.  Back in the winter of 2022, Kim and I with some of our companions spent a nice afternoon with the owner of 50 West Winery, Mike Canney.  We came away with a desire to visit someday the Mother winery – that is Sunset Hills Vineyard near Purcellville.  While 50 West aims at the younger clientele from its location right on Route 50 near Aldie, Sunset Hills is the more established, family-friendly farm locale.  Still, to discuss one is to discuss both as they are two sides of a single coin.

Mike and Diane Canney first planted vines at Sunset Hills in 1999 on a 45-acre farm that included an 1870’s era working barn.  Sunset Hills was incorporated in 2006 and 50 West came along in 2017, both owned by the Canney’s.  Most of the grapes come from two farms in the Shenandoah, but more on them in a bit.  In July 2022, the Canney’s sold all of these properties to Chris and Katie Key.  We wanted to visit Sunset Hills under the new owners and chose a day when the sun promised it would soon be April while the cool breeze reminded us of early March.

The public part of Sunset Hills occupies a large, restored Amish barn with a two-storied inside and gracious wrap-around decks outside.   

 

The tasting room displays warm post and beam construction beneath a 35-foot arched ceiling.  There are no fireplaces, but the staff is proud of the barn’s radiant heating system. 

Outside, the decks looked across a field of dormant vines and a small pond with the Berlin Turnpike at the foot of the hill.  The winery is near the intersection of the Berlin Turnpike and Route 9. 

 

The Sunset Hill/50 West enterprise has around 80 acres of vines making it one of the largest vineyard operations in Virginia.  About 80 % of the fruit comes from two vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley (Shenandoah and Sherman Ridge).  The mother-ship winery in Purcellville has around 17 acres, many of which are new vines destined for sparkling Pinot Noir in a year or two.  50 West also has a small 5-acre vineyard.  Fruit from these farms produces around 10,000 cases of wine a year for the Sunset Hills and 50 West labels.  At this point, all wine production is at Sunset Hills.  The Keys have invested some of their cybersecurity money in shoring up the production floor to accommodate huge concrete tanks, acquiring new filtration systems and a sleek optical fruit sorter.  We spoke briefly with assistant winemaker, Alexander (Sacha) Andrievsky, who is following the non-interventionist/purist approach of Jason Burrus, the head winemaker at Sunset-50 West (Jason himself was off consulting in Moldova).

Tastings at Sunset Hills are guided by staff.  We were fortunate to have a tasting with Aubry Fisher, the operations manager for Sunset Hills and 50 West. 

                                                                                           Sasha (l) and Aubry(r)

Fortunate because Aubry, a young lady of great energy, has to split her time between Sunset Hills and 50 West about 20 miles away.  She has been with the Sunset Hills/50 West enterprise for three years.  We thank Aubrey for her patience; she became part of our little group for a while.  I have to mention that Elizabeth and Beth, other staffers when we visited, were equally enthusiastic. 

Sunset Hills, while a beautiful venue, is not well-suited for weddings and major events.  If you want a wedding here, you will probably have to import everything including tables and chairs and even then the configuration may not be ideal.  (Our companion sampler on this trip had, in fact, previewed Sunset Hills for a wedding and came to the same conclusion.)  The Keys have recently invested $1.5 Million renovating the tasting room at 50 West.  The old small tasting room that we remembered, according to Aubrey, now has a more modern feel with floor-to-ceiling glass affording a view of an Aldie sunset.  The Keys are also planning to move into the sparkling wine arena with plantings of Pinot Noir at Sunset Hills as a base.  Sparkling wine production may be at 50 West eventually. 

There is no outside food allowed in the tasting room, however, it is permitted on the outside deck.  Kids are okay and dogs too, outside.  Sunset Hills is the place for families.  NOTA BENE: 50 West is a 21+ only winery.  No kids allowed.

Aubrey served and walked us through a generous menu of wines including all three of their current Gold Medal winners. 

2022 Viognier.  This is 100% Viognier from the Shenandoah Springs vineyard.  The winemaker leaned on concrete to impart some slight minerality but little in the way of secondary flavors.  The creamy mouth feel comes from sur lie aging since there is no malolactic fermentation on this wine.  [Check out the Hard Work page for more on these terms.]  Very nice floral nose and plum on the palate.  This was a 2024 Gold Medal Winner at the Virginia Governor’s Cup competition.  B+.

2021 Shenandoah Springs Chardonnay.  Aubrey served us both the 2021 Chardonnay and the 2022 Chardonnay for comparison.  The 2021 Chardonnay is aged in French oak sur lie.  No malolactic fermentation.  This wine is bright and crisp pear and apple notes.  The tiny add of Muscatt softens the wine.  B+

2022 Shenandoah Springs Chardonnay.  Even though the 2022 Chardonnay was a Gold Medal Winner at the 2024 Governor’s Cup, I preferred the 2021.  The 2022 Chardonnay went through partial malolactic fermentation, partial oak and partial concrete aging.  To us, it was not as bright as the 2021 and the fruit flavors were a little buried.  We’d rate it a B. 

2020 Sunset White.  Our friend Laura sampled the 2020 Sunset White.  Even though she favors sweeter wines, she found the Sunset White lovely and clean, with a rose petal nose and honey in secondary flavors.  (The winery’s tasting notes also mentioned “hay,” but we didn’t find it.  Aubrey said that the notes may have described a different vintage.)  It is a great value at $30.00  bottle.  B+

2022 Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon.  We all sampled the Rosé which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Beautiful peach color.  Clear honeysuckle on the nose, scattering “perfumes like a windy night.”*  Tart strawberry.  B+, and we bought a bottle.

2021 Cabernet Franc.  This wine is 85% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Merlot.  The tannins are smooth.  Black fruit on the nose.  Medium-bodied.  Dark cherry and plum in taste.  Fruit is from Shenandoah Springs and Sunset Hills locations.  B. 

2020 Merlot.  Both of the Shenandoah vineyards contributed to the Merlot.  I think this was the highest ABV of the lot at 13.3%.  Sweet flowers on the nose.  Plum and raspberry.  Good for a red wine says Kim.  I’d rate it a B.

2021 Mosaic.  This complex red was another Gold Medal winner at the 2024 Governor’s Cup.  Sunset Hills only releases this, their flagship wine, in great vintage years.  It is a blend of mostly Merlot with contributions of Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Tanat.  (Contrary to on-line tasting notes, Aubrey did not mention Cabernet Sauvignon in this year’s mix.)  Medium-bodied, fruit forward and tannic in keeping with Jason Burrus’s philosophy to limit intervention in favor of letting the fruit shine through.  I’d rate it a B+ and not wildly priced at around $35.00.

Sunset Hills was the first winery we visited since I downloaded the 2024 Gold Medal Wine Trail interactive to my phone.  I was anxious to make sure it worked, so I checked-in and got credit for the visit.  Pretty painless!  We highly recommend that you make this winery a stop on your own trail. 

 

 

*Baudelaire