Elk Island Winery 2012 Norton
After a few days, it was good to drink. The first day it packed quite a punch - full of the flavor and earth of Virginia. I know that sounds silly, but honestly Virginia wine has this earthy, almost humid flavor that tastes like the Shenandoah mountains smell on a humid summer day -woodsy with hints of hay, and even in some areas of Virginia, a little flavor of saltwater. For those that have never been here, that description is in fact a compliment - and worth experiencing in person!
After a weekend sitting sealed it was incredibly rich and velvety - the perfect companion to a deep red meat. We had it with a regular New York Strip, some potatoes (fries), and some other vegetables from our CSA. Since most of our produce came from the Leesburg area (a noted wine region in Northern Virginia) the flavors from the wine complimented the minerality in the vegetables very nicely.
We bought the Elk Island at the Virginia Wine Expo this past year, and have not visited the winery just yet. However, the Virginia Wine Expo is a fun way to experience a full breadth of Virginia wines. Held during a week in February, you really experience everything: the farmers selling their first batch of wine, fruit wines, and more established wineries like those from the Charlottesville area. The event also gets quite crazy by the end with wine glasses shattering everywhere. The Elk Island winery was one of the smaller ones there (their website says only four acres), but their wine is incredibly tasty given the size of their production.
At any rate, for those of you who have never heard of them, Norton grapes were one of the first to be brought to VA, and in face, one of the red wines from here that taste good (Cab Franc is my favorite for Virginia reds). It has a bolder taste than Cabernet or Merlot - something more akin to a Chianti in my opinion.
If you buy this, I would make sure that you give it a few more years yet. It was incredibly bold - and while it kinda worked with a New York strip it needed a bit more time to fully mature. But I would buy from them again!
