I was with Lenn Thompson of The Cork Report and Michael Gorton Jr. tasting wines, when Lenn pulled out this bottle a couple months ago. I had not tasted one of their wines before, so I did not know what to expect. But I was intrigued.
For 300 years, the Slater family has farmed along Goose Creek in Virginia, mostly growing cereal crops and beef cattle. In 2010, they added grapevines to that farming tradition. They grow 13 acres of vines on site, on two different vineyard sites on their farm. Their varietals include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Slater Run Vineyards Blanc de Blanc 2021 is made using the Méthode Champenoise process. The wine is made from estate grown Chardonnay. The wine is aged on the lees for 24 months. The wine foes through many of the classic steps - bottled, tirage, riddled, disgorged. A dosage added during corking.
The bottle starts off with fresh bread, then devolves into fresh cut green apples and lemon curd. The green apple and lemon curd come across on the palate as promised. There's also a lovely minerality - or a hint of salinity? Only slightly. The wine is incredibly well balanced. Good bubbles. Terrific acidity. Lovely intense long lasting flavor in each sip.
This was an absolutely wonderful sparkler. Just tremendous. Virginia shimmers in a glass. Congratulations Slater Run!
