Wine of the Week: Lovingston “Rotunda Red” 2007

Lovingston Winery in the eponymous town in Nelson County has been a favorite of mine from their first ’05 releases. Lacking elegant tasting room facilities, when you go there, it’s all about the wine (and a bit rustic, but that’s part of the message, and the charm).

Another big plus for Lovingston is although their quality standards have not dropped, their prices have, in deference to the effects of the Great Recession. When you buy any of their wines, you’re drinking above the price point these days.

A great example is their 2007 “Rotunda Red” named after the trademark edifice of the nearby University of Virginia, designed by Thomnas Jefferson. While the ’06 vintage was lighter with some chambourcin, this is a rich, full-bodied and complex red Bordeaux blend from the great ’07 vintage. Purple colored, the wine has obvious influences from the petit verdot of violets, sage and rock rose, on the bouquet, along with crushed black fruits and a hint of clean earth.

On the palate, the wine is first smooth and rich, with lively black fruits, then the tannins and oak come in, to give you a lively kick of texture, balancing the rich dark fruit character with a bit of depth and punch. Think of this wine as a combination of Bordeaux in a good year with fine Argentinian malbec and Chilean merlot, but the best way to think of it is as a fine Virginia red Bordeaux blend, that drinks at over $20 for only $13.99. It’s still a t least 6 months away from fully integrating; I’d like to see it in a year. I’d also like to taste their high-end blend from this same vintage!