Winery Visitation - Attimo Winery

On Thursday afternoon, our little group left from campus and headed out into the sticks. We drove around 30 minutes and found the Attimo Winery with relative easy. The winery is located just outside of Christiansburg, on Childress Road.The main building seen in the second picture contains

Me in front of the main building

the tastings room and offices. Off to the left out of shot is the barn that acts as teh production center for the winery. There are vine spread out around the building and on the hill behind.

When we arrived we were greeted by the wine maker himself, Rik, and jumped right into a tasting. The name Attimo means "in the moment" in Italian. All of the wines they produce are named for special moments and occasions.

Yesterday's Song. A lightly oake Chardonnay with a very pale color. Nose of pear, green apple, and limestone. The flavor was much the same, pear and sour apple with earthy hints and almost no oak, nice acidity in the finish. I haven't had many Chardonnays but this is one of my favorites yet.
Masquerade. Another Chardonnay, this one is oaked more and has a slightly darker color. The nose is sweet, vanilla pear. The first flavor is butterscotch, This fades into apples and pears, then finishes with more butter and some vanilla. This is the first real buttery Chardonnay I have had, and i must admit it was enjoyable.

The tasting room

Sonnet 98. This wine is a vidal blanc. The nose is very floral and grassy. The flavor is very much oak with hints of vanilla. The finish brings some acidity and mineral flavors. Not really my sort of wine.
Off-the-Cuff. This is a Riesling and Chardonnay blend. The nose is green apple and pear with hints of honey. The flavor is a mix of peaches and pears with similar honey notes and some sweetness. I had never heard of this blend and it seems to work well.
Just Kissed Blush. A blend of vidal and raspberries. Very light pink color, almost salmon. The nose was very tight to me, maybe some berry tones. The flavor was a very jammy raspberry with hints of mild oak in the background.
After Midnight. A Merlot, Zinfandel, Blackberry blend. The color is ruby red. Nose is a strong blackberry with earthen and spicy notes. The flavor is a very strong blackberry as well with hints of red berries. Some spicy, oak in the finish, some tannins as well. A semi sweet wine that wasn't half bad.

The 12 wines we tasted

Bull Frog Symphony. A red blend. A light red color. Nose is pine tree and forest. Flavor of oak and spice. A very dry wine with little tannin. Not my sort of wine.
Deep Silence. A Cabernet franc.Aroma of cherry and dark red fruits and jams. Flavor is strongly cherry with hints of licorice. Overall dry with a slightly smokey finish.
Aviator. Another Cabernet Franc. This wine followed a very old work style. The smell was an old leather boot covered in mud and leaves. The flavor was very oaky with hints of tobacco and spice, some tannins as well.
Vertex. A Cabernet sauvignon. Nose was a strong black currant with hints of cherries. The flavor was more black currant with hints of spice and a strong oak flavor. Dry with some mild tannins.

Hand press

AD 325. A Chambourcin, first I had ever heard of this varietal. Wine had a rich, purple color. The nose was very foresty. Hints of leaves, and stems, forest floor, perhaps a little vanilla at the back. Flavor was very mild. Earthy notes, with some wooden flavors. Went down extremely smooth and left a lingering tannic mouth feel.
Seduction. A blend of Tinta madera, Touriga nacional, and Souzao. A fortefied wine made with grapes grown in Portugal and pressed in California. Deep red color.  Cherry adn raspberry smells. Currant and cassis notes as well, dark chocolate. Flavor is chocolate covered raisins. Unfortunately it was very hot, which ruined it for me.

Aging barrels

One of the vineyards

After we had completed the tasting we took a quick tour of the wine making facilities. The wines are made in a separate building nearby. All of the wines they make, including the ones we tasted, are made on site. Pictured to the right is the hand press that is used to extract the juice form the grapes. Also in the barn was a crusher/destemer, many fermentation vessels and oak barrels. The winery emphasizes  an old world style. All of the pressing is done by hand. All of the wines are aged for at least a short time in oak. No stainless steel is used in the production of the wines.

The first vines were planted in 2006. Since then over 11,000 vines have been planted at this site. There are also thousands of blackberry and raspberry bushes. In addition to the fields on site the winery leases plots of land in Charlottesville and Bedford.

Good advice.