Eastwood Blending Workshop Judge
Every once in a while something really unexpected shows up in my life, and that’s what makes writing this blog worthwhile. Just a week or so ago, Jake Busching reached out to me to ask if I would be a judge at Eastwood’s Meritage Blending Workshop. An opportunity to taste and rate wines? That one of my favorite winemakers has prepared for blending? Wow. Yes, please.
People infer that I know a ton about wine and must have taken classes and certifications – I have none, and I always remind them that I am Jon Snow, “I know nothing.” Long time readers know that I simply share my impressions of wines I sample and don’t try to pick out the tertiary hints of lemongrass and forest floor in them – my palate simply isn’t trained that well. But I can talk about the weight in a wine, the tannic backbone it has, dark earthy flavors, and finding fruit come through bright and fresh. I can usually sense acidity and balance and tell you if the total package works for me or not. I often remind people that what I love, other people pour out, and I sometimes pour out wines that earn gold medals. Everything is so individual in terms of taste, and that makes it fun.
So to my shock, I found myself on stage at Eastwood on Wednesday evening, being introduced as a judge for the nine teams who would take four barrel samples and make a Meritage that they hoped would impress the judges. This evening was Eastwood’s sixth blending competition, and in this one, teams would blend for a Meritage, and Eastwood pledged to bottle 100 cases of the wine that won the judges over. The judging team included Eastwood owner, Athena Eastwood, winemaker Jake Busching, and Ethos Wine and Tea co-owner and actual wine expert Kylie Britt. The four of us would determine the winning blend AND the winning team name.
Athena started the evening introducing us and setting the ground rules for the competition. She talked to the group about the rules for making a Meritage, and explained that each team had four barrel samples to work with – the 2023 Merlot, 2023 Petit Verdot, and 2023 Cabernet Franc, as well as the 2021 Cabernet Franc. A Meritage had to blend at least three of the wines, and no wine could be more than 90% of the final blend. Each group went to work right away sampling their four components and starting to blend.
The judges mingled among the groups, talking with them about their choices and process as they attempted different blends. It was interesting to hear each group talk about their personal goals for the blend, and ask me about what I was looking for in a Meritage. We talked about how Petit Verdot adds darkness and depth to a wine, how Merlot often adds fruity and lighter characteristics, and how to get to a balanced state. Each group reported they were looking for something a little bit different out of their blend, and it was fun to watch them decide to increase or reduce certain components.
The teams had about an hour to work on their blends. I tried to taste each of the components as I went to each table, but I ended up missing out on the 2023 Cabernet Franc. That’s ok, I hope to see it it bottled by Eastwood in the future! Every component was expressive and wonderful – and once again I was reminded of the power of the 2023 vintage.
At 7:20 p.m. time was called and the blends were collected and brought to the stage. Judges poured each wine and scored across this rubric:
This was truly the hard part. Partly because 9 wines is a lot to sample and pick out the differences, and partly because Jake brought out his 2017 F8 and kept encouraging me to have another sip. Nothing wrong with that, no.
It was really fun to see what people had made. Each of the nine blends was wonderful – some had more tannin from Petit Verdot and a little more edge to them, some were lighter and presented more fruit. This is what it’s all about, right? Find what you love and go with it – everyone has a style that appeals to them, and they need to embrace and run with it.
Amusingly, none of the four judges had the same top three wines in the same order. There was overlap for everyone, but as Jake pointed out to the crowd, every single team made at least one judge’s top three. That speaks to the broad appeal of different styles of wine, and arguably, the broad appeal of the 2023 vintage that was three of the four components here.
The winning blend was developed by a team that called themselves “Tardy to the Party.” You can call me anything you like, but don’t call me late for wine time. Their blend was nicely balanced, brought forward a nice tannic structure, had some good clear fruit showing up in it, and presented well on the nose. This wine did make my top three, and I really enjoyed it. I would, in fact, happily share a bottle (or three) of this with friends around the firepit or while discussing the current state of affairs in our nation. The blend was as follows:
- 40% 2023 Merlot
- 40% 2023 Petit Verdot
- 15% 2021 Cabernet Franc
- 5% 2023 Cabernet Franc
I absolutely loved the balance of the soft Merlot with the earthy and grippy Petit Verdot. The winning team name was “Wine and Order.” I need wine and order in my life.
Shout out to everyone who was part of a team for this – I saw a lot of care and energy devoted to creating a blend that would be enjoyable for everyone. Thoughtful consideration of the characteristics of each barrel sample went into every trial you did, and it was fun to watch and listen to you work. If anything, this demonstrates further to me, just how much energy the winemaker is putting into each bottle – the thoughtfulness of every blending trial, the consideration of the qualities of every sip. Refining these raw materials that were nurtured from buds on the vines to grapes ready to crush, and then contemplating the right mix to bring out the very best qualities of each while not muting what you love is truly a work of art.
These types of events are so much fun – I’ve been to some blending and bottling ones in the past. I strongly recommend signing up for something like this when you see it. Likewise, Eastwood has the perfect laid-back atmosphere for relaxing – I enjoyed their grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner before the judging and there were plenty of guests just enjoying something in the early evening, having fun. This is a great spot, so close to the city, for a get together with friends. Many thanks to Athena and Jake for inviting me, and to Kylie for sharing her insights into each component and blend. Virginia Wine is so fun to explore with others who enjoy it.
Published by: My NOVA Wine Blog
