Winery Visit: Afton Mountain

Our next stop on our mini Charlottesville winery visit was Afton Mountain. This vineyard is set on top of a hill showcasing a beautiful view of their vines and the rural landscape. Most of their vines date back to the 1970s and they focus on Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. They are a largely family owned business and their wines have been recognized at competitions worldwide.

Afton Mountain sign at the beginning of their property.

The front of Afton Mountain's tasting house.

Though the tasting setting as well as the pourer was not as great as Veritas, their wines surprised me. They had some very good varietals of wines I do not normally like as well as a few wines that are different from the normal types I've had at tastings.

The tasting bar and glass for our tasting that day.

Here are my thoughts on the wines we tasted:

• Steel Chardonnay 2009: This Chardonnay was fermented in steel barrels giving the wine a really light color and flavor. The wine was crisp and acidic, with a good citrus finish. Our pourer accidentally gave us the Oaked Chardonnay first so it was interesting to taste these two in comparison to each other. You could definitely tell the difference in the buttery and lighter boldness.
• Gewurztraminer 2009: I've never tasted a Gewurztraminer before so it was really fun to try something new! I actually really enjoyed this white wine; it made me want to pair it with some spicy food. The nose was very floral and the fruit came out on the palate. The little bit of residual sugar brought out the crispness which was really nice.
• Cabernet Franc 2009: Their Cabernet Franc was my favorite from Afton and we even ended up purchasing this wine at the end. The wine was dry and tannic, with hints of fruit to balance it out. There was no pepper to this wine, but the fruit was not overbearing. It was a smooth drink with lots of dark red berry flavor.
• Mountain Red: A blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc that allows for easy drinking and makes a good house wine. This wine was more sweet than I like in reds which made it smooth but not too bold. They chilled this wine to bring out the sweetness which I thought was an interesting choice. It would be good for someone who does not like bolder reds because chilling brings out the sweetness; however, I was missing the tannic, acidic components. 
• Riesling 2009: I usually do not Rieslings for their bad reputation of being too sweet, but this Riesling was actually very nice and one of my favorites. There is less than 1.5% residual sugar which makes the wine sweeter, but it is not overbearing on the other flavors. The pourer stated that their Riesling is also off-dry, like most French Rieslings. I really enjoyed the tropical fruit and floral components of this wine.
• Mountain White: Their house white is a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling, and largely Vidal Blanc. This wine was light and sweet (about 2% residual sugar). The pourer said this wine is served best with fruit, which I agreed with very much. 
• Mountain Rose: With 2.8% residual sugar, this Rose was very sweet and not my favorite by any means. This wine had a lot of grape flavor since it is made entirely from red grapes, but it was also light and fruity.

Tasting wines at Afton Mountain Vineyard.

Overall, my experience at Afton Mountain was nice. I enjoyed trying Gewurztraminer for the first time and experiencing a Riesling that is dry and not so sweet. I don't know if I would go here for another tasting again - I think I would want to try some other vineyards instead.