Celebrating Summer & Natural Wines with Maryland's Burnt Hill

I've grown tired of the term "natural wine."

When I first heard the term pop up a decade or so ago, usually among conversation with my dorky wine trade friends, it made some sense. It was used to describe a lot of the wines we all had liked for a long time: lower alcohol, no overt new oak, sometimes fizzy (Pet-Nat, for example), sometimes funky and quirky.

The winemakers who extolled this old-school, less technologically-focused aesthetic seemed like the kind of crunchy nerds I loved to hang out with. The focus on sustainability, biodynamics and other eco-conscious farming and winemaking methods has always resonated with me. And, of course, I found the wines to be delicious and fascinating.

But the term avoided definition or classification, and was used loosely and unsparingly. As the movement grew and garnered more and more attention in the culture, I noticed two loose camps begin to assemble.

The Natural Wine Evangelists seemed driven by levels of conviction and certainty that were beyond me. Now, I'm a semi-crunchy, organic-loving, biodynamic-supporting, nature-worshipping outdoorsman who really enjoys plenty of low-sulfite, extended skin contact, funky wines. But while I support low-intervention farming methods for environmental reasons, I'm unconvinced natural wines are any better for the human body. I have similar worries about the holier-than-thou attitude that seems to be a byproduct of the certain elements within the natural wine movement.

Then there are the Natural Wine Haters. They write off the entire movement as misguided, the wines as undrinkable, the natural wine-lovers as hipster lemmings. Their disdain for natural wines rivals the missionary zeal of the other side.

I'm not happy in either camp, although my sympathies lie with small producers trying to minimize their impact on the environment. But I find most of the discussion about what is and what is not "natural wine" and why it's good or bad to be exhausting. This is why I've written so little on the topic.

But I was beyond stoked to attend the inaugural Solstice Festival at Burnt Hill in Montgomery County, Maryland. This natural wine festival attracted me, first and foremost, because of the people behind it. I first wrote about Old Westminster Winery in 2016. I could tell Drew Baker and his sisters Ashli and Lisa were onto something great, and I was going to keep my eye on them.

When they broke ground on their new farm, Burnt Hill, and started talking about Maryland Gamay, I was all ears. Dave McIntyre at the Washington Post has a great, in-depth write-up on Burnt Hill in the Washington Post, which I won't attempt to reiterate because, well, he gets it all down pretty damn well here.

The Burnt Hill Crew teamed up with a few dozen low-intervention winemakers from all over the country (and world). They all gathered at a gorgeous farm in the rolling hills of Clarksburg, Maryland, to crack open bottles and spread positive wine vibes.

Only a cynical teetotaler could manage not to have a total blast at this festival. Hundreds of people gathered under large tents to taste unique and quirky wines of all different varieties and styles. I saw a few greased mustaches, but found nary a hint of pretension. I met up with some old friends, made a few new ones, and enjoyed supporting one of the Mid-Atlantic's most exciting wine producers.

Through it all, I managed to take a bunch of tasting notes on some delicious wines, which are included below. Enjoy! I sure did. And I can't wait to celebrate the Summer Solstice again at this festival in 2020.


Broc Cellars

2018 Broc Cellars Chenin Blanc Pétillant Shell Creek Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Yeasty, lots of fizz, pear, honey, dusty, tart lemon, some spice and herbal tones, Really delicious. (90 points)

2018 Broc Cellars Friulano amore bianco Fox Hill Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino
Tropical, floral, peach nectar, tiny bubbles, lots of flowers and fruit, balanced nicely, a transparent style, and I love it. (91 points)

2017 Broc Cellars Cabernet Franc Whole Cluster - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Juicy, cherries, plush, not too herbaceous, bright and spicy, whole-cluster fermented. (88 points)

Hiyu Wine Farm

N.V. Hiyu Apple Floreal Cider - USA, Oregon, Hood River County
Juicy, crunchy, fizzy, fun. (87 points)

2018 Hiyu Zinfandel Smockshop Band Rosé - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Gorgeous cherry color. Rich texture, juicy raspberries, with spice and herbs. (89 points)

2018 Hiyu Grenache Smockshop Band - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
Spicy, earthy, strawberries, bright and fun, spicy and tangy with a charcoal and forest floor element. Very exciting. (91 points)

N.V. Hiyu The May II - USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Gorge
Deep auburn color. Shows caramel, spiced tea, tons of pepper and grilling spices, shows some tannins, some volatile acidity but it’s woven in nicely (kind of like Madeira) and the wine shows a lot of depth and intrigue. A blend of wines from five different vintages, skin-fermented Pinot varieties. A weird wine that actually really works out, and I’m a fan. (89 points)

Georgian wines

2017 Chona's Marani Mtsvane & Rkatsiteli - Georgia, Kakheti
Almond, hay, waxy, apricot, sea salt. (88 points)

2017 Chona's Marani Rkatsiteli - Georgia, Kakheti
Very perfumed, briny, big texture, spiced tea and ginger, mint and menthol elements, a really balanced but wild wine that I found really impressive. (90 points)

2018 Baia's Wine Tsolikouri - Georgia, West Georgia, Imereti
Quince, orange marmalade, super zippy with briny, salty complexities, and hay, waxy, honeyed notes. Really unique and fascinating, totally delicious, a real surprise and treat. (91 points)

2018 Gvantsa's Wine Aladasturi - Georgia, West Georgia, Imereti
Super spicy red with cherries, strawberries, lots of incense, potpourri, spiced tea, bitter black tea. Fun stuff with some unique spicy flavor profiles. (88 points)

2016 Naotari Rkatsiteli Kisi Khikhvi Amber Wine - Georgia, Kakheti, Kvareli
So briny, dusty, earthy, a bit heavy and bitter. Pass. A blend of Rkatsiteli, Kisi and Khikhvi. (80 points)

2017 Orgo Saperavi - Georgia, Kakheti
Dark tart, anise, incense sticks, tangy plum skins and pepper. Fun! (87 points)

California

2017 Matthiasson Chardonnay Harms Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
Salty and fresh with lemon crème, apricot. Pure, salty, a bit briny but lots of lush elements of honey and cream as well. Very pretty Chardonnay from Matthiasson, per usual. (91 points)

2018 Matthiasson Mataro Tendu - USA, California, Central Valley, Yolo County
Fresh, spicy, tangy, yet shows complexity. Vibrant red fruits with earthy, savory elements. Complex yet goes down so easily. (88 points)

2018 Matthiasson Tendu - USA, California
Barbera-based blend. Juicy, tangy but sweet cranberry sauce, raspberries, fun and fresh and crushable. (87 points)

2017 Matthiasson Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre - USA, California, Napa Valley
So fresh and floral with tangy red fruits and lots of pepper, potpourri, grilled herbs. Juicy but it’s really complex and spicy as well. (90 points)

Lightwell Survey

2016 Lightwell Survey Cabernet Franc The Weird Ones Are Wolves - USA, Virginia, Shenandoah Valley
Crushable, punchy, juice, nice floral, spice, tea elements. Has dashed of Petite Manseng and Riesling in it. Pretty cool stuff. (88 points)

2018 Lightwell Survey Blaufränkisch Dark Days - USA, Virginia
Really dark ruby color. Lots of fun, fresh, juicy strawberries and floral, spicy tones. 100% Blaufränkisch. (87 points)

2016 Lightwell Survey Hintermen - USA, Virginia, Shenandoah Valley
Peachy, tennis ball, magnolia flowers on the nose. Floral and juicy on the palate with super ripe peach, drizzled with lime, a mineral-rocky undertone. Really fun and cool stuff. Riesling and Petite Manseng. (89 points)

Fausse Piste

2018 Fausse Piste Muscat Fish Sauce Pet-Nat - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Spicy, floral, punchy, fine bubbles, really fresh. (88 points)

2018 Fausse Piste Oyster Sauce Grenache Rosé - USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley
Grenache rose. Fresh cherries and strawberries, racy acidity. (89 points)

N.V. Fausse Piste Pizza Sauce - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Zesty, cherry-driven, accessible but has this complexity of texture and flavors from the aging and solera-style of this wine. Easy-drinking in the best sense of the word, but a lot of fun, too. A multi-vintage blend of all sorts of red (and some white) grapes. (90 points)

Scholium Project

2015 Scholium Project La Severità di Bruto Farina - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
Deep texture, rich fruit (orange, lemon, peach) with spicy herbal tones. Vibrant and impressive. (89 points)

2016 Scholium Project The Prince In His Caves Farina - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
Lemon, peach, honey, waxy notes, some mint and white pepper. This has some skin-contact that gives it a lot more textural depth and some cool olive oil and almond elements. (90 points)

2016 Scholium Project 1MN Bechtold Ranch - USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
So aromatic with rose potpourri, pepper, clove, warm clay, tangy red apple and raspberry fruit. Gorgeous texture, dusty tannins, crisp acidity, crunchy red fruits laced with all sorts of earthy, savory complexities. A beautiful Bechtoldt vineyard that should do interesting things with age. Wine of the festival for me. (93 points)

Purity

2018 Purity Wine Verdelho Silvaspoons - USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi
Whoa! No formal notes, but this wine wowed me and kept me at this table to try the others. (90 points)

2018 Purity Wine Roussanne Orange Carbo-Crush Oakstone - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Nevada County
So, this is really fun. Skin-fermented, semi-carbonic Roussanne – and it works! Texturally deep but fresh, with a pleasant bitterness and lots of complex spicy, floral tones. Fascinating and, yeah, weird, but it works. I bought a bottle to blind some wine nerds on and mess with them. (91 points)

2016 Purity Wine Grenache Covfefe Oakstone Vineyard - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Nevada County
So spicy, tangy, nice grip. Tart fruits with lots of pepper and earth and a fun but not overwhelming amount of funky, beefy notes. (87 points)

2015 Purity Wine Syrah Blackbird - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
Stewed plums, incense sticks, black pepper, mulling spices. A warm and roasted kind of Syrah, but still nice. (86 points)

Virginia Bubbles for the Holidays

Sparkling wine as a category has been on the rise here in the States for a while. And Virginia is no exception.

Earlier this month I did a round-up of sparkling wines. I love drinking bubbles (especially Champagne) all year, but the holiday season surely correlates with more frequent bubble-popping. But the day after that post ran, I tasted four bubblies from Virginia that I wanted to highlight.

This tasting was coordinated by Virginia wine buff Frank Morgan and attended by three Virginia winemakers and one cidery.

I'm not a huge cider fan, but I was blown away by how good the cider in this report showed. And three other reliable Virginia producers delivered with their sparkling wines.

These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted.


2017 Castle Hill Cider Levity - Virginia
SRP: $25
Golden apricot/honey colored. The nose boasts lots of honey, apple blossom, warm white tea and an earthy-dusty notes. Crisp and zesty on the palate, bright, quite dry, with lemons, apples, apricot, along with notes of spiced tea, honey. Earthy and savory and herbal tones underneath, this is a subtle, vibrant and complex cider. 50% Harrison apples with the rest a mix of nine different varieties. Fermented in buried terra-cotta pots (a la Georgian qvevri) with native yeasts, 7.9% alcohol. (90 points)

2018 Early Mountain Malvasia Bianca Petillant Naturel - Virginia, Central Virginia, Madison County
SRP: $27
Pale lemon color with fine bubbles. The aromas burst with dandelion, orange blossom, lychee, guava and honey. Crisp and bright on the palate, with light bubbles, yet lots of juicy tropical fruit (lychee, green melon, guava). Brisk, bright and fun but lots of honey, orange blossoms, nettle, clean laundry. Another solid Mid-Atlantic Pet-Nat, and I think Malvasia Bianca lends itself very well to this style. 10% alcohol. (89 points) 

2014 Veritas Vineyard Scintilla Brut - Virginia, Central Virginia, Monticello
SRP: $30
Light gold color. Rich and biscuit with sugar cane, apricot, baked apple, bread dough, toasted almonds, some yellow flowers. Plump texture on the palate, richly fruity with apples, apricot, lemon crème pie, but bright acidity keeps it fresh. A mix of doughy, flinty, musky notes as well, with some floral and honey on the finish. 90% Chardonnay and 10% Cabernet Franc, 12% alcohol, 12 g/l dosage. (87 points) 

2017 Rappahannock Cellars Sparkling Rosé - Virginia, Northern Virginia, Rappahannock County
SRP: $34
Bright watermelon color. Nose shows strawberries, white cherries and red apple peel topped in strong musk, white pepper, clove and nettle notes. Bright acidity frames the wine nicely, but this has a lot of textural depth and richness. Red apples, strawberries, cherries, the fruit is generous and deep and topped in white pepper, chalk dust, honeyed white tea and basil notes. 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 30% Cab Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 8 g/l dosage. (88 points)

Explore Virginia Cider in RVA's Scott's Addition

American cider appears to be entering its heyday. Following a similar route of the American craft beer explosion, cideries are popping up all over the country. Distinguishing themselves from mass-produced and sometimes overly sweet ciders available at the grocery or corner store, a new generation of cider-makers is producing fruit-based booze with a modern twist.

Cider has been providing Americans crisp alcoholic beverages for centuries, but we’re in the middle of a 21st Century cider boom, and there’s a lot to be excited about. From herb-infused options to barrel-aged ciders, the range of styles and flavors is eye-opening. Virginia, home to some excellent old apple orchards, now claims 14 cideries. Recently, I tasted some ciders that offer Virginians some exciting examples of what’s going on in their corner of the cider world.

Blue Bee and Buskey are injecting new life into Richmond’s historic Scott’s Addition neighborhood, a hopping area with lots of foot traffic and thirsty people. Located a few blocks from each other, these two new operations are focused on sourcing Virginia apples and introducing cider to open-minded drinkers. Like craft breweries that have gained popularity in Central Virginia, these cideries seem driven by experimentation, which is great for drinkers looking for something unique.

Blue Bee is Virginia’s first urban cidery, and dedicated to bottling small batch ciders and providing a unique tasting room experience. It has operated out of a facility in Manchester for several years, but now boasts a lively tasting room and a host of cider and food events.

Buskey's Will Correll. Credit: Buskey Cider.

Buskey’s Will Correll cut his teeth home brewing, and won $10,000 in a competition, so he clearly has fermentation chops. He spent four years preparing a team and finding a spot, but all that hard work has paid off. Buskey became neighbors with Blue Bee when they opened their tasting room on W. Leigh S. It’s a draft-centered operation that hopes its apple-based pints will fit right in at bars around the region; they’re also looking to expand their retail reach as well.

The available ciders may change frequently, but here are my impressions of a few of these ciders. 

Blue Bee Cider Rocky Ridge Reserve 
Bright and fresh, creamy texture, crisp acid. Very pretty and dry, definitely gulpable. Delicious, expressive, so food-friendly. Aged in light toasted oak barrel (used for fruit brandy) then carbonated and bottled. 

Blue Bee Cider Aragon 1904 
A chalky and floral element to the juicy fruit. Slight nutty and honeyed sweetness, but balanced by fresh acidity. Delicious stuff, very impressive. 

Buskey RVA Cider
A lighter style with moderate acidity, touch of sweetness. Light-bodied and thirst-quenching. Fermented dry and then blended back with some apple juice for slight sweetness.

Buskey Belgian Candi Cider
Deep honey aromas, some richer apricot and orange marmalade. Juicy texture, lovely richness, but fresh acid. A bold, rich, toffee element to the juicy darker fruit flavors. Really exciting stuff.
 

Blue Bee
1320 Summit Ave.
Richmond, VA
Hours:
Sunday-Friday: 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday: 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm 

Buskey
2910 W. Leigh St.
Richmond, VA
Hours:
Wednesday: 3:00 – 9:00 pm
Thursday: 3:00 – 9:00 pm
Friday: 3:00 – 10:00 pm
Saturday: 12:00 – 10:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 – 9:00 pm

Sonoma Cider: Apple Outfit Thrives in Wine Country

Robert (left) and his father David (right). Photo: Sonoma Cider.

Sonoma is full of beautifully diverse wine country. Whenever I’m there, I pack my days with wine tasting (although I always try to start the day with some Sonoma Coast surfing). But if your palate is a little fatigued from tasting all those delicious Russian River Pinots, why not sip some local cider? After two days of sampling a bunch of rich Napa Cabernets, I came over the mountain into Sonoma to taste the crisp, dry, refreshing offerings from Sonoma Cider. I have to say: this stuff hit the goddamn spot.

Sonoma Cider is the father-son operation of David and Robert Cordtz. David worked as a winemaker for 20 years before kicking off the cidery. Robert brings an educated palate and an explorative attitude to the venture and, like a craft brewer, he spices things up with a selection of clever and unique ingredients. Sonoma Cider kegged their first releases in November of 2013, and they now host a small tasting room at the cidery, which is located in a former auto parts store. Their apple-dominated lineup is now available in 28 states.

For years, David wanted to explore the rich orchard fruit in Sonoma County under his own label, but languishing cider sales discouraged him. In 2012, he said, things started changing quickly. The cider boom had arrived. “I watched it come to life after 25 years of single-digit growth,” he told me at a tasting in late October. David credits thirsty millenials with the rise in demand for craft cider. Today, California boasts 55 cider producers.

I’m not a huge cider nerd by any means. When I do drink cider, I tend toward the high-acid, funky, Basque Country style, and I steer well clear of anything with much residual sugar. If you think all domestic cider is sugary stuff, you may be surprised by Sonoma’s fresh take on a classic beverage.

Sonoma County has long been home to many apple orchards, and Sonoma Cider is taking advantage of this local bounty (in addition to sourcing apples from Washington State). All the fruit that goes into Sonoma Cider is organically certified, and David maintains this contributes to a more expressive flavor profile. And for the purists: Sonoma’s juice contains no added sulfites, concentrates or preservatives.

David is always on the lookout for local organic fruit to press, and he said he’s planning an old-fashioned flyer-posting campaign around the county to ask farmers for good fruit.

I tasted through their range of ciders on draft, which changes every now and then. 

Dry Barrel-Aged Cider
Floral and yellow apple aromas. Creamy body but tangy acid, so dry and fresh with crisp apple flavors and hints of caramel.

Local Gravenstein
Dry, bright, clean, a floral and peachy aspect. Hints of honey but a bright, steely finish. Very pure and crunchy. 

Golden Delicious Barrel-Aged
More sour fruit on the nose, like limes, lemons and crunchy apples. A bright and clean approach on the palate with juicy yellow apple flavors. Reminds me a bit of a sour white ale with its tang and interesting earthy aspects. Intriguing stuff but so easy to glug, too.

Pulley (Absinthe Style)
Lovely spicy nose of white pepper and anise. Earthy on the palate with flavors of rhubarb, fennel and anise. Still so fresh and vibrant though. This cider is fermented with juiced fennel. One of the most unique ciders I’ve tasted. Don’t go near this if you are one of those freaks who hate anise and fennel.

Crowbar
Smells like pepper spray and citrus juices. What a kick on the palate, this is a tangy but spicy cider with notes of sliced jalapenos, white pepper and lime juices. Fresh apple flavors blend well with this warm spice on the finish. Made with habanero and lime, this begs for some fresh fish tacos. Made from Fuji and Granny Smith apples grown in Washington’s Yakima valley.

Imperial Bourbon Barrel Aged
Wow, what a crazy-unique cider. Smells like brown sugar, apple pies and coffee cake. The palate shows tangy acid against a lovely sweetness of caramel apple, coconut shavings, pumpkin pulp and sweet corn. Really delicious stuff that stays fresh despite the rich 12% alcohol. 

Washboard Sarsaparilla
Vanilla bean and root beer aromas. Creamy body with a smooth texture to the cider. Baked apple flavors mix with vanilla bean, root beer, clove and light roast coffee. Richer flavor profile but still so easy to drink with crisp acid. Made from Yakima Valley Fuji and Granny Smiths with sarsaparilla from India. They should get an award for thinking up this crazy-ass concoction.