Chrysalis Vineyards at the Ag District

October 23, 2024.  We chose a fine soft Fall day to drive west along State Route 50 on what is now called “Little River Turnpike” into Loudoun County to Chrysalis Vineyards in the Ag District.

    First, let’s clarify that this is same Route 50 that was formerly called the John Mosby Highway and is not the Little River Turnpike that most long-time residents of Northern Virginia equate with Route 236.  It is Route 50 to be sure.  The vineyard entrance is directly on Route 50 just west of the town of Aldie. 

    Second, let’s address the rather awkward name “Chrysalis Vineyards in the Ag District.”  According to a 2023 government report, there are over 20 Agricultural and Forestal Districts (AFD’s) in Loudoun County.  “AFD’s are rural conservation areas reserved for the production of agricultural products, timber, and the maintenance of open space land as an important economic and environmental resource.”  A landowner agrees not to convert her farm to more intense commercial, industrial or residential use, and the government agrees that it will not pressure the landowner to covert farm land.  (There are also some tax advantages involved.)  Va Code §15.2-4300.

Chrysalis Vineyards started in 1998 as the brainchild of owner Jennifer (“Jenni”) McCloud. The goal of the winery is “[t]o proudly restore Virginia wines to world renown, and celebrate the homecoming of Norton, the Real American Grape!^®”  Norton is the grape that originated in Virginia in the 1820’s, migrated to Missouri, and returned to Virginia in the 1980’s.  There is probably no winery in the world as closely associated with a grape as Chrysalis is with Norton.  You can read some about Norton in our “What Grows” module or for much more detail about the grape and Jenni McCloud’s near religious fervor for it, try Todd Kliman’s Wild Vine (2010).  She currently has 110 acres under vine, of which 70 are general varietals and 40 acres of Norton.  This is the largest Norton planting in the world. 

The Ag District is officially the “Chrysalis Vineyards/Locksley Estate Agricultural and Forestal District.” The District was established in 2009 and today covers over 400 acres of field and forest.  The gravel entrance road to the Ag District meanders through open fields of a working farm before ascending to the “Ag District Center” where you will find the tasting room for Chrysalis Vineyards.  The new modern tasting room opened in 2015. It is steel and burnished wood with a tower of green glass bottles framing the central staircase.  Downstairs from the tasting room is the winery production facility and cave as well as facilities for the three other businesses operating out of the Ag District.  More on those later.

From the crest of the hill looking east, you can see Aldie and some of the farm.  There is plenty of seating inside on two levels. 

 

Kim and I were members at Chrysalis when the winery was in a smaller building surrounded by vines along Champe Ford Road.  The new building has no vines around it and seems somewhat lonely on its hilltop.  (We understand that there are plans to plant some vines near the tasting room for the aesthetics of it.) 

We were sorry not to have met with Ms McCloud, but we did visit Jill Smedley who manages marketing and PR for the Ag District.  Here is some background she gave us.  From the 110 acres under vine, Chrysalis produces between 10,000 and 15,000 cases of wine per year.  They don’t host large events like weddings, but smaller events can be accommodated with enough advance notice to set aside a space.  There are no special party rooms at Chrysalis.  Children are welcome in the tasting room and outside on the lawn.  There are covered pavilions outside and uncovered picnic tables.  The second floor of the tasting room is reserved for 21+ adults.  Pets are also welcome but outside only.  Outside food is not welcome at Chrysalis as they have a kitchen that produces great food. 

One of the three other businesses operating downstairs in the Ag District Center is the Polished Fox – the catering company.  The pizzas, panini’s, salads, and other menu offerings are from them.  We indulged in a Carnitas Pork pizza with roasted onions and cherry tomatoes.  Cheese for sale is from the Locksley Farmstead Cheese Company, which operates a dairy and creamery on premises.  We had some of their excellent cheddar.  They have a herd of Jersey and Holstein dairy cows grazing elsewhere among the 400 acres.  When we were members at Chrysalis years ago, there was talk of a creamery.  Now it has been successfully launched.  The dough for the bread and sandwiches comes from the Little River Bakehouse which operates bake ovens downstairs from the tasting room.  Jill told us Ms McCloud has a vision to start a meat business in the Ag District in the more distant future. 

Downstairs also houses the cave for aging wines.  Above the cave is a shaded grape arbor, perfect for leisurely sipping on warm days with a nice breeze.  The arbor is designed to help keep the cave temperature constant. 

With one exception noted below, all of the wines at Chrysalis are estate grown and all of course within the Middleburg AVA.  Jill also told us that none of the wines have sugar added, meaning the wines ripen just fine in this location.  We spent some time with our server Debbie who was gracious and welcoming to us, sharing some of her wine knowledge through her Puerto Rican lens. 

 

Debbie and the Wall of Glass

Thanks to Jill and Debbie for their time.  Here’s what Debbie served us on our visit:

2022 Albariño Verde.  Kim found this nice and very light.  It was picked around two weeks early to get that green citrusy taste.  Mild mouthfeel and a little spritz.  Kim rated it a C+.

2022 Albariño Reserve.  Almost medium body. More peach-blossom floral and more sweet than the Vino Verde.  There is some spritz here too.  Longer finish.  Kim rates it a B.

2022 Viognier.  Debbie told us that they used a batonage technique to make this wine.  This explains its creamier mouthfeel as the lees would have been stirred through the wine..  Tasting notes say wild fermentation was used.  Mild spice.  Aged nine months in neutral oak.  Not much of the characteristic Viognier floral nose.  I rate it a B.  Kim rated it a B+.

2021 Sarah’s Patio White.  Chrysalis’ Vidal Blanc is the one wine not grown at the Ag District.  Light and slightly sweet with 3% residual sugar.  Reasonably priced table wine.  Kim rated it a C+.

2021 Barrel Select Norton.  Tasting notes tell us that the Barrel Select was fermented using carbonic maceration of whole cluster grapes.  This tends to make a fruitier wine, but this Barrell Select is 100% Norton and more chocolate notes to me than strong fruit.  Maybe the reason is six months aged in Virginia oak.  Balanced tannins.  I rate it a B+. 

2020 Hollin Reserve Petit Verdot.  This Petit Verdot had aggressive tannins but still light fruit, like ripe blackberries.  Aged in both French and neutral oak for six months.  Tasting notes say this wine underwent malolactic fermentation, but I didn’t really feel the impact.  I rated it a B.

2020 Locksley Reserve Norton.  The Chrysalis flagship wine is their Locksley Reserve Norton.  We were able to do a mini-vertical tasting of the 2020 and the 2021 vintages.  Debbie told us the 2020 is 85% Norton, 7.5% Tannat and 7.5% Petit Verdot.  (If you’re keeping score, the printed tasting notes have a slightly different mix than what Debbie told us.)  Dark fruit, some pepper.  Medium body.  Good finish.  I rate it B+ factoring in the $50.00 bottle cost.

2021 Locksley Reserve Norton.  The 2021 edition of Locksley Reserve won a Gold Medal at the 2024 Virginia Governor’s Cup.  Like its predecessor, it’s a blend – this time: 80% Norton, 15% Tannat, and 5% Petit Verdot.  It has more minerality than the 2020, but still with pronounced fruit – like strawberry.  I rate it a B+ factoring in the $60.00 bottle cost.

By and large, I found these Norton wines from the shrine of Norton to be more sophisticated than the jammy reputation which may precede them.  Well worth the trek down Route 50.