2006 Hillsborough Bloodstone

[Joe H]

Here is the website for arguably the most beautiful winery in the state of Virgina, Hillsborough, which is about three or four miles west of Hillsboro off Route 9 in Loudoun county. An idyllic setting in an 1820's original stone and wood beamed tasting room on a mountainside it is a fantasy setting that if more brides saw they would insist being married at. A breathtakingly beautiful setting. A historic building nestled in the middle of an expansive steeply slopped vineyard.

Coincidentally, with all due respect to Barboursville's $50+ Octagon, Hillsborough has the best red wine in the state of Virgina: 2006 Bloodstone. As so many wines that I like this is a full bodied, mouth coating, jammy, blueberry and plum $23.50 masterpiece that tastes for all the world like the Barossa Valley not the Shenandoah. In fact this could retail for $50 and I would still buy a bottle. Less than half, at least a case, perhaps more.

The wine lists at $28 per bottle but there is a 20% discount on a case. In decades of living in and drinking Virginia wine I've become quite adept at apologizing. This is different: an extraordinary wine in an extraordinary setting. It gives hope to the future of Virginia red. For anyone reading this consider a daytrip to the Blueridge foothills west of Hillsboro one day before the summer is over and stop at Hillsborough. Bloodstone 2006. A remarkable wine in a remarkable Tuscan like setting.

A huge cheer for Hillsborough. D. C. restaurants should be taking a look at Bloodstone; thirty years of tasting Virginia red and there has never been another one like it. From the restaurants and stores listed on their website there is not a single D. C. restaurant noted nor Eve, 2941, PassionFish, Eventide or, no, not even Ray's the Steaks. (Mark?)

Bloodstone.

[ktmoomau]

Thanks for this post Joe! Will definitely check it out. If it is better than Octagon for that price we will be buying a case too. Have you tried the Cuvee de Champs at White Hall? I think it gives Octagon a run for the money too. It isn't on their normal tasting list, but you can ask for it and they normally have it.

[Joe H]

Thanks for this post Joe! Will definitely check it out. If it is better than Octagon for that price we will be buying a case too. Have you tried the Cuvee de Champs at White Hall? I think it gives Octagon a run for the money too. It isn't on their normal tasting list, but you can ask for it and they normally have it.

Will definitely try it, ktmoomau. Thanks for the suggestion!

[lion]

Here is the website for arguably the most beautiful winery in the state of Virgina, Hillsborough, which is about three or four miles west of Hillsboro off Route 9 in Loudoun county.

Do you have any recommendations in terms of when to make a visit?

[Joe H]

Do you have any recommendations in terms of when to make a visit?

I think the ideal would be in October with the fall colors but any day-assuming it's not 100 degrees-would be good.

[lion]

Thanks for the information on that wine, JoeH. Below is the recap from our stop from the "Help Needed" sub-forum.

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The next day we stopped at Hillsborough Vineyard and had their sample flight of 8 wines. Joe H was right the 2006 Bloodstone is a very good wine and arguably my favorite VA wine so far. While, it's still young wine compared to my favorite Italians, it has a weight that communicates a complexity that is surprising. As for the $28 price point, feel it would be better at $22, however I'm not conversant in the price points of local vines enough. Visiting the vineyard is a must, my GF didn't want to leave as we sat on the patio eating the local old German Wiesse Kase goat cheese and drinking their Serafina Rose wine.

I think that area of VA really is an enjoyable day trip from the DC metro area and the wines and vineyards will be great in an another decade probably able to compete at the world level.

Good reference point: Virginiawine.org

[Joe H]

When I wrote this I had not tasted Glen Manor's 2007 Hodder Hill. I really, really enjoyed Bloodstone. Hodder Hill may be even better.

[lion]

Look forward to trying the Holder Hill.

Perhaps if we ever make it to Town House in Chilhowie, we'll stop at Glen Manor for a tasting since it's on the way down south.

[Joe H]

The 2006 Bloodstone has smoothed out considerably and is drinking very nicely right now; the 2007 is even better along with their '07 Onyx. I should also note that Glen Manor's Hodder Hill has impoved with a year of age, too. There is a new wine that I am told by the owner of Hillsborough should be taken quite seriously: 2007 Chateau O'Brien Tannac which sells for $69. At least it did because it is sold out at the winery. Regardless we are going to try to find a bottle of it; Hillsborough's owner has a great deal of credibility with me especially since his '07 Bloodstone with 30 or so minutes smoothes out and is really nice. With a 20% case discount it brings it down to about $22 a bottle. He and his son feel that it is a huge step up from the '06 vintage.

We also found what may be the most beautiful setting of any VA winery we have been to (almost 40 now): Bluemont Vineyard http://www.bluemontvineyard.com/ At the top of a winding, very steep road it is claimed that you can see the Washington Monument on a clear day. That's about 40-45 air miles. A dramatic located winery that is popular. All of the wine is middle of the road-this is not Glen Manor nor Hillsborough nor Chateau O' Brien. But the setting is truly spectacular, one of the prettiest in America.

[lion]

We also found what may be the most beautiful setting of any VA winery we have been to (almost 40 now): Bluemont Vineyard http://www.bluemontvineyard.com/ At the top of a winding, very steep road it is claimed that you can see the Washington Monument on a clear day. That's about 40-45 air miles. A dramatic located winery that is popular. All of the wine is middle of the road-this is not Glen Manor nor Hillsborough nor Chateau O' Brien. But the setting is truly spectacular, one of the prettiest in America.

Thanks for the tip Joe! We had a great drive down Rte 15 coming back from a trip to the GF's family yesterday, and the country-side was incredible. Will have to try out Bluemont Vineyard on a leisurely weekend afternoon sometime.

[Pete]

Thanks for the tip Joe! We had a great drive down Rte 15 coming back from a trip to the GF's family yesterday, and the country-side was incredible. Will have to try out Bluemont Vineyard on a leisurely weekend afternoon sometime.

Great Country Farms is right across the street from Bluemont Vineyards (we are CSA members of Great Country Farms) and is a great place for seasonal U-Pick items. They also have a barnyard, play area, and other activities for both adults and kids.

[SeanMike]

All of the wine is middle of the road-this is not Glen Manor nor Hillsborough nor Chateau O' Brien.

So...you're saying Chateau O'Brien is good?

I've only been there once and bought some of their wines. I wasn't blown away by them, but it didn't help that the owner was perhaps the single most obnoxious winery owner I've run into in Virginia. We'd hit a few wineries over the course of a long weekend and he left all of us just completely pissed off and annoyed that we'd stopped there by the time we'd left.

Thus, my opinions of the wine might be skewed. But it was amazing, given how great of a time I've had since I started touring Virginia wineries something like 12-13 years ago...

[Joe H]

So...you're saying Chateau O'Brien is good?

I've only been there once and bought some of their wines. I wasn't blown away by them, but it didn't help that the owner was perhaps the single most obnoxious winery owner I've run into in Virginia. We'd hit a few wineries over the course of a long weekend and he left all of us just completely pissed off and annoyed that we'd stopped there by the time we'd left.

Thus, my opinions of the wine might be skewed. But it was amazing, given how great of a time I've had since I started touring Virginia wineries something like 12-13 years ago...

I have not been to Chateau O'Brien but I have read all of the criticism of the owner on Yelp and Travel Advisor and a few other websites that I honestly don't pay a great deal of attention to. I mentioned it because of the owner of Hillsborough who thought their Reserve Tannat was exceptional for a VA wine. My comment included Bluemont which has an absolutely incredible location and frankly mediocre wine which is secondary to the setting. Bluemont is a primary destination for the view, for sitting on a deck which may have a 40 mile view and sipping on decent wine. Your comments about Chateau o'Brien I perhaps unfairly am associating with the other websites which I, honestly, pay very little attention to. I did note the criticism of Chaateau O'Brien's owner, though. He seems to be truly infamous and there are many who note this.

Having said this my wife and I will seek him out and maybe I'll agree with you. Regardless I'll meet him first and make my own decision. Frankly, if he makes a really good wine and will sell it at a decent price I could care less about his personality. Of course I may not drink it at his winery but he may be worth a toast or two.

[lion]

Great Country Farms is right across the street from Bluemont Vineyards (we are CSA members of Great Country Farms) and is a great place for seasonal U-Pick items. They also have a barnyard, play area, and other activities for both adults and kids.

Thanks for the tip!

[Joe H]

So...you're saying Chateau O'Brien is good?

I've only been there once and bought some of their wines. I wasn't blown away by them, but it didn't help that the owner was perhaps the single most obnoxious winery owner I've run into in Virginia. We'd hit a few wineries over the course of a long weekend and he left all of us just completely pissed off and annoyed that we'd stopped there by the time we'd left.

Thus, my opinions of the wine might be skewed. But it was amazing, given how great of a time I've had since I started touring Virginia wineries something like 12-13 years ago...

We went to Chateau O'Brien today and absolutely loved it. Incredible setting, perhaps as beautiful as Hillsborough, perhaps as breathtakingly scenic as Bluemont. We spent over an hour talking to the passionate, opinionated owner who we both liked. A lot. The $39 petit verdot is well worth its price. This is the next generation of Virginia wineries. Along with Glen Manor and Hillsborough it reminds me of Walla Walla in the early '90's except with far more beautiful settings. In fact when more people discover just how beautiful Virginia wine country is-only forty to sixty miles west of downtown D. C.-these wineries are likely to be overrun.

Go now while there is room for your car in the overflow parking lots. They ae being discovered. Chateau O'Brien could have just as easily been in Panzano as Markham.

[lion]

The 2006 Bloodstone has smoothed out considerably and is drinking very nicely right now; the 2007 is even better along with their '07 Onyx. I should also note that Glen Manor's Hodder Hill has impoved with a year of age, too. There is a new wine that I am told by the owner of Hillsborough should be taken quite seriously: 2007 Chateau O'Brien Tannac which sells for $69. At least it did because it is sold out at the winery. Regardless we are going to try to find a bottle of it; Hillsborough's owner has a great deal of credibility with me especially since his '07 Bloodstone with 30 or so minutes smoothes out and is really nice. With a 20% case discount it brings it down to about $22 a bottle. He and his son feel that it is a huge step up from the '06 vintage.

We also found what may be the most beautiful setting of any VA winery we have been to (almost 40 now): Bluemont Vineyard http://www.bluemontvineyard.com/ At the top of a winding, very steep road it is claimed that you can see the Washington Monument on a clear day. That's about 40-45 air miles. A dramatic located winery that is popular. All of the wine is middle of the road-this is not Glen Manor nor Hillsborough nor Chateau O' Brien. But the setting is truly spectacular, one of the prettiest in America.

Enjoyed the view from Bluemont Vineyard this past weekend and it was quite nice. You really can see for miles! The Petit Manseng and desert wine, The Strawberry were enjoyed with cheeses and bread.

Great Country Farms is right across the street from Bluemont Vineyards (we are CSA members of Great Country Farms) and is a great place for seasonal U-Pick items. They also have a barnyard, play area, and other activities for both adults and kids.

It was fun to pick your own blackberries and they have a nice store with good quality eggs and unsalted butter.

Spending an afternoon visiting both places is definitely recommended and fun!