Fallen Tree Vineyard and Farm

July 13, 2025.  The Summer of 2025 might be remembered for the fierce heat waves with short daily doses of thunder and rain.  In the foothills of the Blue Ridge where Fallen Tree Vineyard and Farm sits, you have a 180˚ view of the mountains where the storms brew and brood. 

Todd and Lisa Hales began growing vines here around 2018 splitting their time between Albermarle County and Virginia Beach.  They opened their quaint tasting room in October 2024.  Fallen Tree is about a half-hour northwest of Charlottesville.  It has a Crozet address, but it’s really White Hall we’re talking about.  The vineyard is just past Stinson Vineyards.

We had a nice visit with Mikayla Thompson, who manages the tasting room, and her associate Carol-Linda. 

                                                                                  Carol-Linda and Mikayla

From them we learned that Fallen Tree has ten acres of vineyards from which they produce around 2,000 cases of wine annually.  All of their wine is from estate grown grapes with the exception of Chardonnay, which comes from Grace Estate Vineyard, and Chambourcin from the Childs Family’s Chiswell Farm, both just minutes away.  (See our posts on Grace, July 2021, and Chiswell, October 2023).  All of their wine is made at King Family Vineyards by Matthew Finot.  (Our post on King is October 2023).

The exterior of the tasting room reminds you of a country chapel poised on the crest of a hill.  In the bright morning, I could almost hear a chapel bell calling the faithful to service.  A vaulted ceiling is set off by iron scaffolding and overhead lights that resemble dark mushroom caps.  There are nice sofas and plush chairs arranged in groups around the room.  There are no fireplaces.  They did seem to have a fly problem.

 

There is a deck from the tasting room that looks down the slope of vines to the forest and the mountains in the distance.  When storms approach, the staff have to take action to cover the deck furniture before it rains.  Mikayla and Carol-Linda kept busy taking putting on and taking covers off as the sun dodged between thunder clouds.  

Here is what we sampled at Fallen Tree:

2022 Rose.  There is a nice acidity of watermelon and strawberry in this blend of 50/50 Merlot and Chambourcin.  We rated it a B+ and bought a bottle.  Side note: When we opened our bottle at home, we found tartrates on the cork and around the bottle neck.  It was not an issue for us as that bottle has now been happily consumed.

2021 Chardonnay.  Supposedly, the Hale’s didn’t want to grow a chardonnay, but Mr. Finot promised them a quality wine if they acquired some of the grapes.  He produced a medium-bodied wine, aged 12 months on oak.  If you read the winery’s tasting notes you will see its flavor described as “frangipane” - that is an almond-flavored custard pastry filling.  Why not say “almond?”  Even so, Kim did not find much flavor here and rated the wine a C+.

2021 Cabernet Franc.  We bought a bottle of the Fallen Tree Cab Franc and rated it a B+.  I got raspberry, plum, and herbal spice.  Light tannin.  An approachable wine.

2021 Meritage.  This is a fairly complex blend of 38% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot, and 23% Petit Verdot.  Well balanced, good tannin, dark fruits and not earthy.  I rated it a B.

2021 Petit Verdot.  I found this wine lighter than I expected for a straight Petit Verdot.  I got vanilla, black cherry, and pleasant tannins.  It has a longer finish. I rated it a B+. 

Fallen Tree is a quality addition to the small pod of five wineries around the White Hall intersection and Wyant’s Store.  How nice to have communities like this for your easy day tripping among the vineyards.