MWT Winemaker Sessions

- Week Three -
Cabernet Franc Conversations
Wednesday, October 21, 6:30 PM

Click the link below to view the recording on the
Monticello Wine Trail Facebook Page

Join host Dave McIntyre for week three of this four-part winemaker sessions series with a discussion focused on four Cabernet Francs from MWT wineries and the winemakers who crafted them!

- Featured Winemakers & Wines -

Afton Mountain Vineyards
Winemaker Damien Blanchon

Our winemaker Damien Blanchon has been making wine in Virginia since 2006, since attaining his degree in viticulture and enology in his native France. He joined AMV in 2011 where he continued his family tradition of making wine and growing grapes. Damien oversees our wine production and vineyard operations implementing sustainable, environmentally respectful practices in both areas. His philosophy is “good wine comes from good grapes”, focusing on understanding the specific terroir of our site and each vintage to create wines reflecting this philosophy.

2017 Cabernet Franc

100% Cabernet Franc from a  beautiful vintage.  Aged in 25% concrete amphorae and 75% in larger "puncheon" barrels then blended together before bottling. Medium bodied wine with round and smooth tannin structure and complex aromatics of red fruit.

Hark Vineyards
Winemaker Jake Busching

Jake Busching has worked in the Monticello AVA of VA wine country since 1997 planting, growing, and establishing industry leading wineries. In addition to currently producing the Hark wines, he also crafts wine for his private label using Hark facilities.

Jake sits on the board of the Monticello Wine Trail, chairs the Research and Education Committee for the Virginia Wine Board, and has taught Viticulture classes at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, VA for 6 years.

King Family Vineyards
Winemaker Matthieu Finot

Matthieu was born in Crozes Hermitage in the Rhone Valley of France. Coming from a family of viticulturists and wine lovers, Matthieu was predisposed to continue his family’s pursuit of making and enjoying wine. He first studied viticulture and oenology at Beaune, in the heart of Burgundy. After graduating in 1995, Matthieu worked in many different wine regions around France including Rhone Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, and Jura. He then worked in Italy and South Africa to gain experience around the world before settling in Virginia. Since arriving in 2003, Matthieu has worked with wineries throughout the state and, more recently, is a founding member of the Winemakers’ Research Exchange and Board Member of the Monticello Wine Trail. He enjoys being active in the local winemaking community and challenging his skills through experimental design at King Family, working with different terroir at Turk Mountain Vineyards, which he currently manages, and partnering with his brother to establish and expand Domaine Finot in two regions in France. Matthieu enjoys skiing, entertaining, home renovating, traveling, and cooking together with wife Erin, son Gabin, and daughter Tessa.  

2018 Cabernet Franc
Small Batch Series

Our Small Batch Series is a limited production of wines specially created by our Winemaker, Matthieu Finot. These wines are meant to share the many unique expressions of our vineyards, as well as illustrate a variety of winemaking techniques. Each bottle is hand labeled, sealed with wax, and individually numbered.

As was the usual practice for most of wine making history, the grapes used in this wine were fermented along with their stems, forgoing the now common process of de-stemming red wine grapes before  maceration. The fermentation of whole clusters with unbroken berries not only influences the development of aromas and flavors in the wine, but also imparts uniquely structured tannins derived from the stems  themselves. As a result, this wine has a well-defined structure, complexly textured tannins, and an element of freshness that suggests a wine worthy of the cellar.

Reynard Florence Vineyard
Winemaker Roe Allison

I like to tell people I started out as a consumer. I became curious about the wines I liked, where  they came from, how were they grown, and why I liked certain blends and what varieties made up those  blends. My wife and I began taking classes in the initial courses offered at PVCC in the viticulture and  enology program. Through these classes we met people in the business as well as folks who had an  interest in wine and more specifically, in Virginia wine. After certifications in enology and viticulture we  began planting in 2006. For the first couple of years, we were custom crush clients at Wine Works under  the direction of Michael Shaps. In 2011 we began making wine here at Reynard Florence and will be  entering our second decade in the wine business here in the Monticello AVA. I am mostly influenced by  French wines, especially those of the Loire Valley and Bordeaux and continue to very excited about  Virginia wine nationally and internationally.