WASHINGTON — The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards won this year’s Governor’s Cup award from the Virginia Wineries Association, the first Loudoun County vineyard to win the award.
The winning wine is its 2014 cabernet sauvignon.
The awards ceremony, hosted by the Virginia Wine Board, was held Tuesday at the John Marshall Hotel in Richmond.
The Barns at Hamilton Station owners Andrew and Maryann Fialdini, former government employees, opened their vineyard in Hamilton in 2012, just north of Leesburg.
“After years in government service, my wife and I were looking to start a second career where we could work the land. This experience has surpassed all our expectations,” Andrew Fialdini said. “We are very proud of this cabernet sauvignon.”
Winemaker Michael Shaps calls the vintage a classic Virginia cabernet sauvignon, aged in French and American oak, expressing notes of dark cherry and coffee. It is also 100 percent cabernet sauvignon grape.
The fruit comes from two other Virginia vineyards, Carter’s Mountain and Mount Juliet vineyards.
The winner was chosen from 494 entries of reds and whites from 102 Virginia wineries, a list that was pared down to the top 12 scoring wines over four weeks of tastings held at the Capital Wine School in Washington, D.C., in January. The final round of tastings was held at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond.
The 12 top wines each year become the Governor’s Cup Case.
The other 11 wines in the 2017 Governor’s Cup Case are:
- Barboursville Vineyards 2013 Paxxito
- Breaux Vineyards 2012 Meritage
- Horton Vineyards 2015 Viognier
- Ingleside Vineyards 2014 Petit Verdot
- Jefferson Vineyards 2014 Petit Verdot
- King Family Vineyards 2014 Loreley
- King Family Vineyards 2014 Petit Verdot
- Michael Shaps Wineworks 2014 Meritage
- Valley Road Vineyards 2014 Petit Verdot
- Veritas Vineyard and Winery 2014 Petit Manseng
- Veritas Vineyard and Winery 2014 Petit Verdot Paul Shaffer 6th Edition
This was the Governor’s Cup’s 35th year.
