Virginia just earned five gold medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards, one of the most respected and rigorous wine competitions in the world.
I highlight all five gold medalists in the “Awards” section below, but there’s one winery that stood out. Chestnut Oak Vineyard, a small estate in Barboursville, earned the same 95-point score as some of the state’s big-name producers.
Their winning 2023 'Chestnut One', a Bordeaux-style blend, is my “Bottle of the Week” below.
And beyond the gold medalists, three separate producers — Cana, Crimson Lane, and Mountain Brook — all medaled for Albariño.
The rise of this varietal in Virginia is hard to ignore.
In this week’s edition
🎉 Events: Monticello Wine Week, emerging producers’ bar takeover, summer dinner events, and July 4th fun
🍾 Bottle of the Week: Chestnut Oak Vineyard’s 2023 'Chestnut One'
🏆 Awards: All five Decanter gold medalists, broken down
🍷 New Releases: An emerging, small-batch producer releases its 2025 vintage
📰 News: Dave McIntyre’s report on ’The Judgment of Richmond’
👀 Behind the Scenes: Early Mountain announces inaugural wine writer fellowship
Events
This Weekend (June 26–28):
Monticello Wine Week: More than 40 wineries in the Charlottesville area are opening their doors for Monticello Wine Week starting on Monday. The Monticello Cup winner will be announced at the Gold Medal Celebration on June 26 at Boar's Head Resort.
Walsh's bar takeover: Walsh Family Wine (Purcellville) is hosting a bar takeover on June 26 featuring three boutique producers: Artemisia, Third Culture Kid, and Present Company, who are launching their first wines this year.
Veritas goes to Spain: Veritas Vineyard & Winery (Afton) is hosting a Basque Country–inspired dinner on June 26. Bold Spanish flavors will be paired with Veritas wine.
Summer Wine Dinner: The Winery at La Grange is hosting a Summer Wine Dinner on June 27, featuring a winemaker-led vineyard tour followed by a family-style feast.
Monticello Rosé Festival: Hark Vineyards is hosting a walk-around rosé tasting on June 27 from 11am–2pm as part of Monticello Wine Week. Fifteen Monticello wineries will be pouring their rosés, including King Family, Veritas, Michael Shaps, Jefferson Vineyards, and Flying Fox.
Next Weekend (July 3–5):
Independence Day Concert: Rosemont of Virginia is hosting an Independence Day concert and fireworks on July 3 from 5–9pm, featuring a band on the vineyard lawn and fireworks over the vines.
Crozet's 106th Independence Day Celebration: King Family Vineyards co-hosts the Crozet Independence Day Celebration on July 4. The Crozet Volunteer Fire Department leads a parade down Crozet Avenue at 5pm; gates open at 6pm with live music, food, local beer, and King Family wines on the polo field.
Fireworks in the Valley: Bluemont Vineyard is hosting Fireworks in the Valley on July 4 from 5–10pm — a ticketed mountaintop evening with golden-hour views, light fare, and wine before panoramic fireworks light up the Loudoun Valley.
Bottle of the Week
Chestnut Oak Vineyard — 2023 ‘Chestnut One’*
Monticello AVA • Bordeaux-style blend • $58
Why it’s here
Earning 95 points at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards, the 2023 ‘Chestnut One’ is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 21% Petit Verdot. Chestnut Oak describes their philosophy: "Similar to how a block of marble requires a chisel to captivate, a great wine is not one with the most stuff, but rather one with a fascinating and defined silhouette.”
Tasting notes
🫐 Blackberry & plum • 🍫 Chocolate • 🪶 Fine tannins • ✨ Long, dreamy finish
Awards & Reviews
🥇 The gold medalists at DWWA 2026
The following tasting notes are from the Decanter Judging Panel
Early Mountain — 2022 Quaker Run Cabernet Franc (95 pts)
“Thrilling red fruit and licorice succulence sets the tone, with graphite mineral fragments poking through. Elaborate tannins and vibrant acidity ensure longevity and effortless varietal authenticity.” (100% Cabernet Franc)
Veritas — 2024 Cabernet Franc (95 pts)
”Aromas of Loire-like sensibility: green herbs, pencil shavings and graphite with a contrasting flourish of richness on the palate; juicy fruit, full structure and grippy tannins.” (76% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot.)
Pollak — 2022 Smuggler (95 pts)
”A smorgasbord of delights: cassis, dark florals, tobacco and leafy herbals show charisma and charm over the composed structure and lovely cedar-oak tannins. Long and savoury.” (60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc)
King Family — 2024 Viognier (95 pts)
“Potent vestiges of orange blossom and apricot shimmer over the weighty structure and fleshy acidity with an intriguing bitter twist on the finish. A varietal showcase.” (90% Viognier, 5% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Petit Manseng)
Chestnut Oak — 2023 ‘Chestnut One’ (95 pts)
“Resplendent plush blackberry and plum perfume encased in fudge and milk chocolate luxury. Very soft and velvety with gossamer tannins and a long, dreamy finish.“ (46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 21% Petit Verdot)
New Releases
Early Mountain's 2025 Sauvignon Blanc: Early Mountain Vineyards has released their 2025 Sauvignon Blanc — ”crisp, refreshing, and made for summer on the patio.” Complimentary shipping available all week.
Third Culture Kid's 2025 vintage: Pawel Podbielski's 2025 vintage is making its debut at the upcoming bar takeover at Walsh Family Wine. It’s a great chance to taste one of the state's most interesting young labels.
Revalation's 2025 Albariño: Revalation Vineyards has released their 2025 Albariño. Described as saline, vivid and coastal, it’s another entry in what's becoming a compelling Virginia Albariño story.
Lost Mountain's Friends & Family 2024: Lost Mountain Vineyards is previewing their 2024 Friends & Family — a highly sought-after, Bordeaux-style red blend that they release to their members.
Wine News
The Judgment of Richmond
In his latest article, wine writer Dave McIntyre provides inside analysis on the Virginia Wine Trade Intensive at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond on June 9.
For industry professionals, the intensive is one of the marquee events of the year, built for the trade to “taste, learn, and sell Virginia Wine with confidence.”
McIntyre joined a panel of wine experts in a comparative grand tasting (playfully nicknamed the "Judgment of Richmond") where they blind tasted Virginia wines against European and California benchmarks.
I highly recommend subscribing to his blog, Dave McIntyre's WineLine, for his tasting notes and takeaways. The result of one matchup drew murmurs from the room.
But here’s his takeaway: Virginia is producing wines comparable in quality to its international counterparts — and often at lower prices.
In other news:
Kent Arendt to leave Walsh: Kent Arendt, assistant winemaker for Walsh Family Wine and the winemaker behind his own boutique label, Boden Young, announced he's moving on from Walsh to pursue winemaking opportunities domestically and abroad. It’s a significant departure from one of Northern Virginia's most influential wineries.
Another winery for sale: 8 Chains North, a popular winery in Waterford, has listed the property for $3,950,000, according to Northern Virginia Magazine. The 13.87-acre estate includes 7.5 acres under vine (Albariño, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah), a 2,200-square-foot tasting room with a 50-foot bar, two private event spaces, and a 4,000-square-foot home.
Behind the Scenes
Early Mountain is looking for a wine writer: Early Mountain Vineyards has opened applications for its first Wine Writer Fellowship — a five-day harvest residency running September 30–October 4. The fellowship comes with hands-on time alongside winemaker Maya Hood White, a seat at the Taste of Virginia Grand Tasting, and a $5,000 unrestricted stipend.
Drink like a winemaker: Winery at Bull Run has launched a new series with winemaker Kendell Anderson where he shares simple, practical tips for tasting wine. For their first episode, Anderson talks about tasting white wine.
A woolly workforce: Riverside Vines in Dinwiddie appeared on WTVR to speak about how their 85 sheep have transformed the soil around their vines, decreased costs and made their wines ”more expressive than they’ve ever been.”