I tasted these wines on November 2019 at a tasting of Virginia wines with the New York Wine Media Guild in New York City. In the room were some of the most experienced wine drinkers and writers in New York City among them Kevin Zraly himself.
According to the website, "Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Early Mountain sits on land with a deep and rich history. The first landowner of the property was Revolutionary War veteran Lieutenant Joseph Early, who served under General George Washington at Valley Forge...
In 2005, Jess and Sharon Sweely planted the first vineyards on the property. Jean Case and her husband, Steve, purchased the property in 2010 and, after some renovations, re-opened it under the Early Mountain brand in 2012.
"In 2015, Early Mountain expanded its acreage to include Quaker Run Vineyard, 14 miles north of the Early Mountain estate in Madison County. That year, Early Mountain increased its acreage of classic Bordeaux-type varietals such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot and added new varietals including Malvasia Bianca, Sauvignon Blanc, and Tannat."
I've been writing about Early Mountain since 2014, and their wines have only gotten better and better, especially with the Cases at the helm!
The first wine I tasted was the Early Mountain Eluvium 2017. It is a blend of 72% Merlot, 26% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging / Cellaring: The wine was aged 17 months in French barrique, 40% new and then a year in bottle prior to release. According to the winemaker's notes, "Quaker Run Merlot stars in Eluvium, grown in both the West and East Blocks on the slope. From some of our oldest vines, this Merlot contributes density and aromatic purity; presence and persistence with fine grain tannin. Petit Verdot in the blend contributes structure, depth, and power. We return to a lower percentages of PV, with the power of the vintage, and good yields across the board."
The nose pulses with the scent of stewed dark fruits, blackberry, black cherry, plum, and cassis. These come across on the palate as well. Followed by cedar, vanilla, and black tea. This is a well structured wine, with lots of layers, and tons of lingering fruit. An incredible red wine.
Early Mountain Vineyards Rise 2015 is the launch of their new luxury wine, crafted in the style of a Bordeaux grand vin. RISE blends Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Tannat from the winery’s flagship Quaker Run vineyard.
to create this elegant and age-worthy wine.
Jean Case commented, “Right from the start at Early Mountain, we dreamed of producing a wine that could stand side by side with the great wines of the world. Our 2015 vintage was the first to offer us that opportunity, proving that patience pays. RISE is an expression of our dedication to quality and excellence, and a reflection of our talented winemaking team including our winemaker, Ben Jordan, and our wine consultant, Paul Hobbs. It is with great pleasure that we now share this special wine with the world.”
“Having worked with Jean and the Early Mountain team since the beginning, I’ve been proud to be part of this incredible journey,” said Hobbs. “RISE showcases both the essence of the Quaker Run vineyard, as well as Ben and the team’s focus and dedication; it demonstrates that Virginia has taken its place amongst the great regions of the world.”
Early Mountain Vineyards Rise 2015 delivers! This is a big, big world competition styled wine, with gintat bowlfuls of big fruit up front - dark cherry, prune, cassis, lekvar, dark raspberry. There are also notes of cedar, toast, leather, as well as a hint of lingering dark vanilla. The wine opens with that big fruit statement, settles into a lovely smoothness, before ending with a lovely touch of tea and black pepper. One savors the dark fruit for more than a full 60 seconds later. An immensely accomplished wine.
To say the least, I was super impressed. And a room full of skeptical and well seasoned palates were also impressed as well. A fantastic job! Looking forward to more from Early Mountain!