At this year's Eastern Winery Exposition 2026 in Richmond, Virginia, I had the pleasure of tasting Rosemontt of Virginia along with Richard Leahy, Michael Kaiser, and David Falchek. I have long been a fan of Rosemont, but I don't get to try them as often as I would like.
Rosemont Vineyards is a family-owned and operated establishment located on the 450 acre Rosemont Estate near beautiful Lake Gaston, in La Crosse, Virginia. The estate has been in the Rose Family since 1858.
Justin Rose is the head winemaker. A chemical engineering graduate, Justin returned to his family's historic farm in 2007 after studying oenology and viticulture in Napa Valley. Under his guidance, the winery produces red blends, Cabernet Franc, and Tannat, as well as several white French-American hybrids: Justin runs the daily operations alongside his wife, Aubrey, who serves as the Director of Sales and Marketing.
The Rosemont of Virginia Merlot 2023, made from 100% estate grown fruit, is a medium-bodied red that leads with black cherry, blackberry, plum, dark dark chocolate, with some exotic spice, and a nice dose of black yea and black pepper at the end. This is a lovely, chewy Merlot, with some nice acidity as well as nice fruit that lingers for a nice long time.
This Merlot is First Rate!