Villard Noir

Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Continued from Thursday, November 12

Both Christy and I found the reds to be interesting, fruity and quite enjoyable, and we definitely preferred them to the whites.  We also found ourselves somewhat puzzled as to why the staff so preferred the Winthrop White and Sweet Reserve over any of the reds.  But that’s the beauty of a tasting menu; hopefully there’s something for everyone somewhere on the list.

Heritage Trail currently produces three reds, beginning with the

Shetucket Red A blend of Rubiana grape (another grape developed by Cornell University) and Merlot, the Shetucket Red is a surprisingly pleasant drinkable table wine.  Garnet colored, the nose is lovely with rich cherry notes and that “sea-air tang” that I often find in northeastern reds.  Aged for one year in French oak, the wine is on the light side of medium-bodied with subtle notes of cherry and light spice on the end which provides an interesting finish.

Rochambeau Red Heritage Trail’s newest wine – 2007 was the first year produced – the Rochambeau Red is a blend of Villard Noir, Chambourcin, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in stainless steel for 20 days and then transferred to aged French Oak and racked in American oak.  The result is a lighter-bodied table wine with soft notes of cherry and dark berries and pleasant notes of toast on the finish.

Cabernet Franc The tasting finished with Heritage Trail’s Cabernet Franc.  A deep garnet color, this is a medium-bodied wine with a soft nose with nice notes of cherry.  In the mouth, cherry is again the predominant note with a pleasant vanilla finish from the oak.  This isn’t one of the strongest Cabernet Francs on the Connecticut Wine Trail, but it’s a eminently drinkable wine and my personal favorite of the Heritage Trail wine list.

Having finished up the tastings, we each ordered a glass, me of the Cab Franc and Christy the Shetucket Red and settled back to relax and enjoy the peacefulness of Heritage Trail’s lovely views in the late afternoon summer sun.

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