Applause for Lake Anna Winery’s 2005 Merlot

I had a great gift for Christmas from my brother: enrollment in the wine of the month club for Virginia Wines.  I had never been disappointed with it, until that is, I saw that I got bottles from Lake Anna. You see, Lake Anna has never thrilled me when I have done tastings, both onsite and at wine festivals, and when I did a tasting there a couple of years ago, I left with the impression the winery was just trying to manufacture a product, not produce a fine Virginia wine.  And a few of the wines from the James River region in the past just have not measured up to the great wines from the Loudon trail or from the Monticello region.

I had friends over tonight and it has been a few weekends since I had the chance to grill steaks. I had some bone-in ribeyes, asparagus, and potatoes on the grill, and because I had guests, I uncorked a bottle of red from my stash. I chose Lake Anna Winery’s 2005 Merlot, thinking I was opening a wine that would be more of a table wine than anything fancy.  I like to save my better wines for celebrations.  It was a casual night, so I wanted a casual wine.  (That sounds better than me saying I was being cheap with my guests!)

When I poured it, I noticed that the wine was clearer than most Merlots and was redder than some of the heavier Merlots from the Loudon region.  The taste was medium bodied and flavorful, and you could tell that it had fermented in oak, not steel.  It paired really well with the grilled steak and veggies, and the wine was nothing like the wines I remembered from my last visit to Lake Anna winery.  I definitely want more for my stash, and this time, I’m saving this Merlot for celebrations or when I get another great steak.

So if you are travelling between DC and Richmond, make a stop at the Lake Anna winery.  You might be surprised at what you find.