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Boden Young Albarino
Origin: Loudoun County, VA
Boden Young is the long awaited and eagerly anticipated mystery label of Kent Arendt, assistant winemaker at Walsh Family Wine. Kent has been working in production at Walsh Family Wine since 2017 (he was, in fact, their first hire!) and we are thrilled to see him launch his own twist on Loudoun County wine. Kent’s first release is from a grape that has found a new comortobale home in Loudoun county, Albarino. Originally from the northern Atlantic coast of Spain & Portugal, this grape has adapted well to the soils and the sticky summers in Virginia. The grapes are from a fairly new planting in Bluemont at the October 1 Vineyard by Bob & Loree Rupee. They sit as near the top of the Blue Ridge as you can grow and have a beautiful aspect and a great Vista. We can’t wait for what Kent has to offer in the future.
100% Albarino
2020 Walsh Family Winery Viognier
Origin: Bethany Ridge, Waterford, VA and North Gate, VA
For me, Virginia Viognier stands amongst the most beautiful, exotic, and interesting Viogniers produced anywhere in the world. Within that framework, stylistically we are striving for as much texture and viscosity in the mid-palate as we can coax out of the grape, but without edging into the “oily” or “soapy” territory that the grape often inhabits. There is a magic space in the tightrope between getting the fruit ripe and still retaining a nice level of acidity, and we try to balance our Viognier right in the middle. A classic viognier style – bright, floral aromatics and a dense, hearty core. The 2018 Viognier is a more subdued version than our previous vintages, with citrus blossom, peach, rosewater, and a touch of smoke leading into the standard dense, sappy core that makes these wines so wonderful. The finish shows a touch of spice, with a nice lingering quality.
Blend: 100% Viognier
Origin: 66% Bethany Ridge Vineyard, 34% North Gate
Aging: 60% stainless steel, 40% Neutral Oak
2020 Walsh Family Winery Rosé
Origin: Weatherlea Farm, Lovettsville, VA (Cabernet Franc) and Bethany Ridge, Waterford, VA (Cabernet Sauvingnon)
The bulk of this comes from the Weatherlea vineyard, which makes up the core of our rosé production and produces highly aromatic, medium-bodied rosés with pronounced acidity. We complimented the Weatherlea fruit with grapes from a 3 rd leaf Cabernet Sauvignon block at Bethany Ridge, hoping to accentuate the zesty acidity and also add some complexity to the aromatics. As per usual, our goal is to produce highly aromatic dry rosés with texture.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aging: 100% Stainless steel
2019 Loudoun County Cuvée
Origin: Bethany Ridge, Waterford, VA (Cabernet Sauvingnon), Twin Notch, VA (Merlot) and North Gate, VA (Viognier)
The Loudoun County Cuvée is composed of our most fruit-forward, low-tannin red barrels from each vintage. The goal here is to produce a “summer” red – light on its feet, bright, vibrant, and refreshing. More often than not this means the LCC is merlot-based, but not always; 2019 saw us leaning most heavily on the Bethany Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, and then introducing a heightened floral / fruit character with a dollop of Viognier. Aromatics of bright, fresh red fruit – cherry, raspberry, and a touch of vanilla – lead into a medium-bodied, nicely acidic finish, still bursting with bright red fruits. Easy-drinking, a lighter-styled red wine showing wonderful youthful aromatics.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Viognier