2023 Valley Road Vineyards Petit Manseng ($29.95)
Organized in 2015, Valley Road Vineyards was conceived by a group of friends who brought talents from successful careers in law, advertising, insurance, real estate development, and writing, among others. With their mutual love of Virginia and a shared desire to support the emerging Virginia wine industry, they thought a vineyard and tasting room operation in the heart of the Monticello American Viticulture Area (AVA) would be a good choice for their next chapter together.
It seems to have worked out quite well! Their first-ever vintage of single-varietal Petit Manseng was a top winner in the Virginia Wine Governor’s Cup and included in the winning case!
This Valley Road Petit Manseng was produced from 100% Petit Manseng grapes sourced from their Mountain Glen Vineyard in Lovingston, Virginia. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and fermented in neutral oak barrels.
Valley Road Petit Manseng is a beautiful gold color with aromas of honey and tropical fruit. On the palate, it has classic sweetness of Petit Manseng, flavors of apricot, mango and honey, along with bright acidity to balance the sweetness. [ABV: 13.5. TA: 7.84 g/L, pH: 3.25, Residual Sugar: 2.2%]
Petit Manseng is widely recognized as a sweet wine from France but, while this wine can be used as a dessert wine, it also goes wonderfully with appetizers or light entries. If you like sweet wines you are going to love this one!
This Valley Road Petit Manseng is a winning wine, at a very affordable price, that fits right in as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!
Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review.
Media Sample Provided by Valley Road Vineyards, Virginia Wine and Donna White Communications