2007 Black Ankle Vineyards Bedlam
Cracked open a bottle of Black Ankle’s Bedlam tonight mostly because I’d had a bad run of local wines lately and wanted to pull something out that would be worth writing about. Recall, if you will, my initial impressions of Black Ankle Vineyards Bedlam at the Blank Ankle tasting back in January
Bunch of stuff included with this one, including Gruner Veltliner, a grape commonly found in Austrian wines. O’Herron said that they had a lot of white grapes left over from production, so they worked out the kinks and made Bedlam. Interesting that what amounts to second grapes have gone into a wine that is more expensive than the Chardonnay and the Viognier.
Anyway, this wine is filling in the gaps that the [Black Ankle] Viognier left out. Almost identical nose, but so much more on the palette. Lots of flavors coming together. Everything is sort of scattered and out of balance, but that makes it fun. Good wine.
It’s easy to chalk up high marks for a wine when your environment is a winery-sponsored tasting with cheese, wine, and good times. People get a little saucy and all of the sudden every wine is awesome and they take home a case. This is why I rarely put out notes on wines that I only tasted in the friendly confines of a winery tasting.
This time around, the Bedlam was different. Color was light, grassy, like a Sauvignon Blanc. Pear, apricot and peach up front on the palette. Fruit gives way to all steel all in your face. Very oily and waxy. The finish zinged around without direction or resolve. Again, its indecision is almost a hallmark of the wine.
When I wrote up the 2007 Elk Run Gewurztraminer I mentioned that the wine possessed something I couldn’t nail down.
The first sniff gave me the same sort of I-don’t-know that I get in a lot of Maryland wines. I don’t quite have down what it is (Old Bay?) but MD wines, both red and white, but it’s a little sulfuric, sharp… not particularly unpleasant but just distinct.
I got all that and then some on the Bedlam, likewise on a Serpent Ridge Albarino I drank last month. Could we be onto something about Maryland whites? Or can we even get more specific about Frederick County? Does Maryland have, wait for it, terroir?
We may be on to something here.
August 6th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I plan on visiting both Elk Run and Black Ankle in September (flying up for the Virginia Wine Festival). I’m looking forward to trying both wineries. Any other winery recommendations in that area?
August 11th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
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August 14th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Brian: Guest Blogger Jon just posted some about some more wineries in the area here: http://www.vinotrip.com/2009/08/13/a-quick-trip-through-mount-airy-maryland/
Also, Serpent Ridge is a nice experience.