INSIDER'S PICK: 2024 r WINES PINOTAGE MONTICELLO AVA $37.99

There's no better way for us to celebrate Virginia Wine Month than feature a brand new wine from our favorite 'hidden gem', the private label of the winemaker we just refer to as 'the Mind Behind'. For 20 years now this label has been the testing ground for experimental projects that push the boundaries of winemaking in the state, a few barrels at a time at most, with the lessons learned taken over to their more commercial wines. We have been a supporter for pretty much every wine offered to us, and as they are never the same thing from year to year the wines have built an underground buzz in anticipation of what each release may bring. Pinotage has been featured before (no surprise given his South African heritage), but this vintage may very well be the best r wine yet. If you are not familiar, Pinotage was an accidental crossing at a South African nursery of Pinot Noir and Cinsault in 1925 (happy 100th anniversary!). In South Africa it usually takes on a more hearty, robust and sometimes rougher character born from the Cinsault side of its heritage, which is what most of the world thinks of. In Virginia it takes on more of the Pinot Noir parentage, silky and polished with more elegance, and far fewer of the fragility issues Pinot has in our environment. A transparent plum color in the glass, the nose is full of dried black cherry and currants with touches of black pepper and savory herbs. It's new to the bottle, so there is lots of change happening as it opens up for hours, at times more perfumed and sweet tones, at others meaty. The palate is full and round with super fine tannins somewhere between a red Burgundy and a finessed Northern Rhone Syrah, with lots of natural texture from being bottled unfiltered to really let the flavor of the grape come forward. Not a 'powerhouse' wine for the big tannin/big oak red wine fans, but a deliciously complex red wine with charm for days that showcases the best of what Virginia can achieve.

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