In 2025 the winery celebrated its 80th Anniversary, having been founded in 1945. This makes Boordy one of the grand chateaus of American wine - especially on the east coast. And a real treasure to wine fans in the region. One of the older, and well established wineries, with it's linkage going back to best selling wine author Philip Wagner, successor the HL Mencken at the Baltimore Sun, and the Promethus of winemaking in the east.
The current family, the Defords, have now shepherded the winery longer than Wagner himself. Indeed, they were growers for Wagner at one point. Wagner was featured in Time magazine, and the Defords have made spectacular wines since assuming the helm many years ago. Under the deft hands of Rob Deford, Boordy remains one of my favorite wineries of the east coast.
What I love about it is that the winery is not stodgey or dusty and musty - I love how Boordy constantly keeps evolving, improving, striving. From winemaking to conservation, Boordy is always one step ahead.
At this year's Governor's Cup Tasting, sponsored by Maryland Wine, I got the chance to see Phineas Deford and taste three wines from this classic label. All were exceptional.
The first wine I tasted was the Boordy Stone Fence Dry Bench Reserve 2025. This is a blend of Chardonnay and Albarino. Aged in stainless steel and fermented and aged sur lie, the wine is a perfect balance between Albrino's bright, flashy smile, and Chardonnay's sometimes austere face. The blend combines the tropical and floral aromas of the Musqué clone of Chardonnay with the citrus notes of Albariño .This is a tricky feat. Too much Chardonnay and it becomes weighed down. Too much Albarino and the Chardonnay gets lost. This wine was astounding, highlighting tangerine, clementine, and orange blossom with notes of green apple, a touch of violets, and a dose of lychee. This was a wonderfully complex and well balanced wine, with bright notes, and a serious backbone. An impressive wine that deserves not just a chilled glass, but a banquet surrounding it. Absolutely another head turner.
Boordy Vineyards Rose' 2024 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grown from our South Mountain Vineyard in Burkittsville, Maryland. Each variety is picked earlier than they would be for red wine to emphasize freshness and natural acidity. The juice is fermented in stainless steel at a cool temperature. This pale salmon pink wine starts off with fresh red cherries, fresh cut strawberries and a hint of rose petal. On the palate those fruits come through as well as lingonberries and red currants. But there are lovely moments minerality as well of citrus - lemon and lime - that make this wine juicy and delicious. There's a lovely crispness to the finish of the wine - and the flavor just keep evolving. A classic rose' perfect for sipping for light spring and summer fare. A really lovely bright spot. During a tasting of more than 40 wines, this one turned my head.
The final Boordy wine I tried was the Boordy Landmark Dry Bench Reserve 2022. This is their Bordeaux-styled blend of red grapes grown at their South Mountain Vineyard - 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine was aged 16 months in French Oak - 28% new, 72% older to neutral oak. This was a truly remarkable wine. The wine was a red-purple elixir, with notes of dark cherry, dark raspberry, black berry, and black currant. It also had a hint of earthiness that gave it a whole other layer. As well there were notes of plum and vanilla. Some lovely aromatic black tea and black pepper. The dark fruit lasted and lasted. An exceptional wine that would be a hit in any region, east or west coast...or anywhere. Fantastic!
Boordy Vineyard continues to be a leader on the east coast - and a producer of exceptional quality wines - proving that life goes on after 80! Congratulations to the entire staff.