2021 Vermilion Valley Vineyards – A Great Pinot from Ohio!! Who knew?
The Winery
From Vermilion Valley Vineyards
Vermilion Valley Vineyards is an estate winery located in the rural landscape of the Vermilion River Watershed in North Central Ohio. They are located at 11005 Gore Orphanage Road, Wakeman, Ohio. Their goal is to produce world-class wines to showcase both the sustainable terrior and skilled wine making.
Co-owner and winemaker Joe Jupiter and I have had many text exchanges on his participation in the Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition. His main concern was the judging of wine based on the regional terroir. Assuring him that we divide up the regions for judging, for example, East Coast (NY, VI); Central USA (MI & Ohio); Northwest (Oregon, Washington), etc. he decided to enter the event this year. Upon his submission he graciously sent a few other wines which I will be reviewing.
Vermilion Valley Vineyards has 100 planted acres in four different locations. With micro climates, this allows all his wines to be 100% estate grown. What is interesting about Ohio is that some 370 wineries exist but only 900 acres of grapes are planted! Doing some simple math, removing the five largest vineyards in the state, you are left with each winery having a one acre parcel! Thus many wineries in Ohio rely on importing juice from various areas like the Central Valley of California and Washington. That is one of many unique characteristics of Vermilion Valley Vineyards their estate wines.
Currently they produce the following red wines: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Dorsa, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lemberger, Chambourcin, Dornfelder, Nebbiolo, Malbec, Pinotage and Merlot. Ditto for their white wines producing: Muscat Ottonel, Riesling. Gruner Veltliner, Müller-Thurgau, Traminette, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Valvin Muscat, Ribola Gialla, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Albariño, Pinot Blanc and Arneis. That is a wide variety of wines and all estate grown!
You can read their webpage about their high level of sustainability incorporating land use and their buildings. Link at the bottom of the page.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” 2021 Vermilion Valley Pinot Noir– Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
As a Californian very familiar with Pinot Noir production from Anderson Valley, Russian River, Central Coast regions (Santa Lucia Highlands), etc., I was curious but apprehensive while pulling this bottle to go with our dinner. What a delightful surprise upon the aroma and first sip! The 2021 Pinot Noir showed a nice red brick color in the glass and darker than expected (later found out due to their view on extraction) and a medium viscosity. On the nose, soft black cherry wafted into the senses along with mild nutmeg spice. On the palate, thinking still this was going to be “soft to many California Pinot Noir’s”, it exploded with flavors strawberry and cherry and a remarkable “chewiness” but not based solely on tannins. On the finish soft tannins and a light smokiness made it so desirable and begged for yet another sip. I don’t know the price but their 2020 went for $26/bottle so that may give you an indication of things to come. Personally, I have never found a $26/bottle of California Pinot Noir with so much happiness from sight, smell and taste. In fact hard to find that much in some California Pinot Noir wines reaching $60! Even adding in freight of approximately $3-4/bottle, this is a great bargain. Who knew Pinot Noir from Ohio could be so delicious!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Dinner was left up to me this evening and went with a chicken breast, butterflied and stuffed with minced jalapeños and a smoky salsa. A few spices and then topped off again with minced jalapeños and salsa. Accompanied by steamed broccoli. While the meal was great and perhaps a bit spicy for the Pinot Noir, it did “calm down” the meal.
This wine at whatever price it comes out will make my annual Best Wines Tasted in 2024 (out in December). It is not often you find or taste a Pinot Noir from Ohio, but should you find one, embrace it enthusiastically.
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 