Pollak Vineyards
Meritage
2022
Virginia, USA
Monticello AVA
Cabernet Franc 44%
Merlot 39%
Petit Verdot 17%
18 Months
New French oak 40%
Neutral oak 60%
Oak influence on flavor
Red cherry, Strawberry, Black pepper, Balsamic.
About
Pollak 2022 Meritage
The Meritage 2022 is the blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 39% Merlot, and 17% Petit Verdot from our estate vineyards. This wine was created from a barrel selection of our best blocks. The lots were blended shortly after malolactic fermentation, and aged for a total of 18 months in French oak barrels (40% new, 60% neutral).
Well balanced and full of red fruit and cooking spices. Definitely a wine that needs to open up in its youth, but once it does there seems to be an endless line of flavor after flavor.
Pairings
In a Pinch
Charcuterie and hard cheeses.
Deeper Dive
This wine starts off subtly with a smooth mouthfeel, but opens up to a world of complexity full of red fruit and savory spices.
Lamb and pork are going to be great here, especially if grilled to add a smokey quality to the dish. Braised beef is also going to be an option provided the sauce doesn’t get too rich.
Stand out features: Red fruit, soft tannins, savory spice 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 definitely a wine that needs a decanter. If you don’t have one, make sure to really swirl it around in your glass for a while before sipping.
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 – 2032
Producer
ABOUT US
Owners Margo and David Pollak founded Pollak Vineyards out of a shared passion for wine and the vineyard lifestyle. David’s experience began in the 1970s with Sonoma’s Russian River vineyards and one of Napa Valley’s first Carneros wineries.
In Virginia, the Pollaks recognized the region’s potential for exceptional wines, selecting an ideal site and applying top-notch vineyard and winemaking practices with guidance from experienced vintners.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Innovative Winemaking
We opened our winery in 2008, designed to control every step of the winemaking process. We stabilize fruit in a cold room before crush and fermentation and produce small-batch wines with varied yeast treatments to highlight our terroir. Gravity flow moves the wine gently from the crush pad to the production area and into our hillside barrel aging room.
All cases of our estate-grown wines are hand-harvested and sorted before being cooled and fermented. We craft small lots to bring out unique flavors, blending only after blind taste tests. Our first wine, a 2005 Meritage, continues to deliver a consistent Bordeaux blend of merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot, with planting expanded to include varietals that thrive in Central Virginia.
Interested in joining our wine club?
MEMBER BENEFITS
4 bottles shipped or picked up at the winery 3 times a year
15% discount on all wine and merchandise purchases
e-newsletters announcing new releases and special events
Special Second Sunday of the month tasting events
Invitation to special Smuggler-only events
Prerelease and preference on new wines including limited production and reserve wines
Winemaker and tasting notes for each wine
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