Barboursville
Octagon
2017
Virginia, USA
Monticello AVA
Merlot 62%
Cabernet Franc 31%
Petit Verdot 7%
12 Months
New French oak 40%
Neutral oak 60%
Oak influence on flavor
Black cherry, Plum, Blackberry, Dried herbs.
About
Barboursville 2017 Octagon
A wine of noble character, created by blending estate-grown Bordeaux varieties, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot, Octagon’s great prestige rests further on its being created only in fine vintages, and with the most astute selection from the harvest.
This is the highest expression of our estate’s European derivation and inspiration, crafted to be a wine of distinctive character and age worthiness in every incarnation.
Octagon is consistently among the top wines produced in Virginia, and for good reason. Perfectly balanced, elegant, and age-worthy, this is a stunning example of “Right bank” Bordeaux style blend.
Pairings
In a Pinch
Lean cuts of red meat like tenderloin or strip steak. Cave-ripened cheeses.
Deeper Dive
This is a medium, almost medium plus bodied wine with some great acidity and soft tannins. All of which means it’s going to pair with a wide range of dishes. Lean, red meat is probably best here since anything too rich, especially thick sauces might start to overpower it.
This particular vintage shows some dark fruits and a bit of dried herbs. This wine is very well balanced overall and will go great with some classic meat dishes.
Stand out features: Bright acidity, soft tannins, herbal notes.
Pairing Scale
This is a general guide to give you an idea where this wine falls in a spectrum of dish complexities.
Steer Clear
Anything too rich or fatty or too light and delicate. Also, leave the chocolate for the dessert wines since a dry wine like this will make the chocolate taste bitter.
Cheeses
Recipe Ideas
Service
Which glasses?
Go with large Bordeaux glasses if you have them, otherwise all-purpose works just fine.
Should I decant this?
Why "Yes"?
This is a wine designed to age for decades. If you’re opening this bottle in its youth, which is perfectly ok to do, then you will want to let the wine breathe for a good amount of time.
How long?
Generally you would want to decant a younger wine for longer to help it open up and be cautious of exposing older wines to oxygen for too long. There are always exceptions of course, but this is a pretty good rule to follow.
Serving Temp
The correct serving temperature is important to show a wine’s true potential, but don’t stress over getting the temp exactly right. Use the chart below to try to get in the right ballpark.
Aging
When should I open this?
If a wine has been released by the producer and is available for sale, it means it is ready to drink. Wines don’t necessarily get “better” with age, they just change. Typically, this change involves things like losing fresh fruit flavors in exchange for more savory notes.
The moment you should open the bottle depends on your preference, so it’s more important to understand the evolution and the life span of the bottle than it is to try to time its opening perfectly. (It’s far better to open a bottle too early than too late.)
This bottle should probably be opened between:
2025 – 2051
Vintage
2017
A single, light frost at the outset of the season inflicted minor crop losses, but thereafter a pattern stabilized of moderate rain, and daytime temperatures never approaching hot ranges. In the crucial last 6 weeks of the growing season, from early September to mid-October, we enjoyed a period of consistent high pressure, with clear blue sky, warm days and cool evenings which ultimately allowed us to harvest at optimal times.
A signature of this vintage is that the reds bear a higher than average acidity, extravagant texture, fragrant aromatics – gifts of the cooler season.
Producer
ABOUT US
The new generation
The present generation of leadership of this estate is the seventh in a family tradition in viticulture dating back to 1821. In 2017, after 40 years and more in planting Barboursville Vineyards and establishing it in the world of wine, Gianni Zonin
Gianni Zonin, Ownertransferred executive duties to the three sons he raised in this life’s work. Domenico, Michele, and Francesco Zonin (L-R) are steeped in his dedication and fluency in winegrowing, commerce, and law.
Most importantly, the family’s devotion to the land and the people who sustain the Estate of Wine has been extended with the same foresight and energy which have always guided these vineyards.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Heritage
The estate of wine which Thomas Jefferson foresaw taking root in his own ground at Monticello would far from disappoint him to discover here at his friend’s plantation, for whom he designed the historic landmark mansion. That construction commenced in 1814, while James Barbour held office as Virginia’s Governor, and was completed in 1821, as Casa Vinicola Zonin was being founded in Palladio’s home province, the Veneto.
The assimilation of this plantation within the viticultural traditions of the Zonin family has conferred upon our work a heritage of agricultural passion and purpose through 8 generations.
THE LAND
Situated on the broad, rolling plateau and foothills of the Southwest Mountains in the Virginia Piedmont, running parallel with the Blue Ridge to the west, our 900 acres occupy ground of sedimentary rock of volcanic origin, and separate stratifications of sandstone and conglomerates, with sloping exposures of even greater variety.
Luca Paschina, WinemakerIn the temperate mid-Atlantic weather of our growing region, this estate presents the viticulturist with a dynamic mosaic of growing conditions. Some years favor one planting site for a given varietal, such as Cabernet Franc, and other years favor another in the same varietal.
The resulting engagement with the vines is exceptionally active and verifies the truism that the human hand, learned, seasoned, and schooled by many previous vintages, must be incorporated in any conception of “terroir.”
Contact
