Tasting - Chateau Morrisette Red Mountain Laurel Rose

Name: Chateau Morrisette Red Mountain Laurel Rose

Variety: Red Blend

Vintage: 2020

Region: Floyd, Virginia

Country: United States

Price: $11.99

 

Winery Review:

“I used to buy this red mountain laurel all the time. I loved the taste of it. Well, they changed it. I no longer buy it. I really loved this wine a lot. This was the only wine I bought for years. They changed it this year. The color is different. It used to e a darker color. That was the first thing I noticed. So I emailed them. They emailed me ack and said yes they did change the color, and it didn’t taste the same either. When they changed everything about this wine, it wasn’t the same. I don’t buy it no more. Remember I LOVED this wine… I wish they never changed the wine, because I miss it.”

-Pam Collins from Chateau Morrisette Website

 

Wine Folly:

Despite my best efforts, none of the websites that advertised this wine could tell me anything about the varieties in the blend. The only thing I could find is “a distinctive dessert wine made from a blend of native American grape varieties.” (This quote being pulled directly from the website.) By that logic, it can be assumed the blend might be Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Vidal Blanc, or Viognier. According to my research, these are common types of grapes grown in the Virginia region. According to Wine Folly, Cabernet Franc is described as- at least when grown in the United States- “ripe, sweet grapes with lower acidity; Wines are typically fruit-forward and jammy” (page 87). I feel like this description is a pretty accurate representation of the sweet, fruity complexities found in this wine.

My Review:

Talk about sweet. This was one of the sweetest wines I have ever had. The body is light, and the finish has a slight tartness that balances out that initial sweet cherry that hits the palate at the beginning. The slight acidic qualities from the grape blend lights up the side of the tongue. Although crisp, I would not describe this wine as refreshing. I think there is not enough acidity to balance out the high sugar content. Typically, I am a fan of dessert wines, but I felt like the intense cherry undertone makes it almost resemble medicine. (Not that this is necessarily the worst thing, but it is an important flavor comparison to note.) Because of the intense sweetness of this wine, I feel like there is not a lot of things that would pair well with it. I feel like most meaty proteins will not benefit from this pairing; however, I can imagine a spicier curry or sweet desserts might be good pairing solutions for dinner. I would recommend this wine as an apéritif or as a beverage to be enjoyed by itself.