A dynasty in the making? Maybe, maybe not, but Fox Meadow Winery has created a remarkable consistency at the highest level that only some of the state's 190 wineries have achieved.
The Meritage from this Linden-based winery has won three straight Virginia Governor's Cup gold medals. This time, Fox Meadow didn't stop at winning gold.
Its 2008 Meritage, called Le Renard Rouge, outpaced five other gold medalists and was crowned the 2011 Governor's Cup champion for red wines Friday night at the Virginia Wine Expo. The white wine winner will be announced in the fall.
The 2008 Le Renard Rouge is a 50-50 blend of cabernet franc and merlot made from grapes grown in Fox Meadow's vineyards. The 2006 and 2007 versions have a different makeup, as blends often do from year to year, but they set the table for the 2008 vintage.
"Yes, both the 2006 and the 2007 Meritage have been well-recognized in the industry," said Dan Mortland, who along with his wife, Cheryl, owns Fox Meadow, which produces 2,500 cases of assorted wines annually. "While the blend varies, we believe the wine stands out for three primary reasons:
"The unique microclimate of our vineyard, which is at 1,750 feet above sea level. This higher-than-normal elevation allows our grapes to ripen very slowly. Some years we harvest the estate cabernet franc grapes as late as mid-November.
"All of our Le Renard Rouge is made from free-run wine, providing wine with incredible fruit flavors and slightly lighter tannins.
"This wine has been aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, primarily Allier oak."
All that came together in the 2008 Le Renard Rouge. Here's how Fox Meadow consulting winemaker Tom Payette describes the wine: "Concentrated black cherry, dense stewed fruits and crushed ripe damsons marry unbelievably well in this handcrafted jewel. The fruits continue to hold back the oak until right near the finish and then the fresh toasty oak gently reveals itself forward. Enticing, complex and enjoyable."
The 2008 Le Renard Rouge is available in some Northern Virginia wine shops and at Fox Meadow (www.foxmeadowwinery.com), and its going price is $29. It also will be for sale today, the final day of the Virginia Wine Expo at the Greater Richmond Convention Center (Tickets are $35 at www.virginiawineexpo.com or $45 at the door).
The 2006 Le Renard Rouge was a blend of 60 percent merlot and 40 percent cabernet franc, and 2007 was 65 percent cabernet franc and 35 percent merlot.
"Cabernet franc and merlot are the primary red grapes grown in our vineyard," Mortland said. "The richness of the merlot provides the body and depth, balanced with the pepperiness of the cabernet franc varietal."
Winning the Governor's Cup is a continuation of success for Fox Meadow. To name just a few of its many honors: Its first vintage of cabernet franc won best in show in the Atlantic Seaboard competition; the 2006 Meritage was judged best of category in the same competition; and a barrel-fermented chardonnay was named best white wine in the South Wine competition in 2010.
Fox Meadow's award list grows every year, a sure sign of a budding dynasty.
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