Winemaker, Lee Hartman brings home Five Golds for Two Competitions
Bridgewater, VA- Bluestone Vineyard earned two double gold medals along with two Best in Class awards at the 2021 International Eastern Wine Competition (East Meets West) that was held in Windsor, California on February 23 and 24 involving 24 judges who determine the best wines based on flavor, smell, color, and overall quality. 2015 Blue Ice and 2017 Houndstooth add to the gold medal count at the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition that was completed on March 5 in San Francisco, California.
Earning 96 points out of 100, the 2019 Petit Manseng was awarded a double gold and best in class. This fruit comes from Lovingston Vineyard and Silver Creek Vineyards both in Virginia. It was fermented in oak and aged on the lees for 10 months. It has notes of orange blossom, honey, and baking spices on the nose that head to grilled pineapple and honeysuckle on the palate.
2019 The Steep Face scored 95 points and earned a double gold and best in class. Grown on one of the steepest vineyard slopes in the Commonwealth (hence the name, The Steep Face), this 100% Chambourcin wine is dry and concentrated. The 2019 vintage is a richer, rounder style wine. Fermented with 40% whole clusters gives the wine additional structure and tannins that one doesn’t often find in Chambourcin. Currently, this vintage is only available for Bluestone Vineyard Press Club members and will be released to the public once previous vintages are sold out.
The high honor of Double Gold is only awarded when all judges on the panel agree on a gold on the first round, without any discussion of moving one (or more) judge's Silver up to a Gold.
2019 Bridgewater Gold, a blend of 84% Petit Manseng and 16% Vidal Blanc, earned 92 points and a gold medal as well at the International Eastern Wine Competition. Bridgewater Gold is a wine made in collaboration with Bridgewater College. The blend is all barrel fermented mostly in acacia barrels.
Moving to the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, gold medal winning, 2015 Blue Ice, is Bluestone’s ice-style, dessert wine made from frozen Traminette grapes. This wine has 8.1% residual sugar. Blue Ice has done historical well at wine competitions as the previous 2014 vintage won 10 medals including 4 golds.
2017 Houndstooth, grouped in the Merlot leading blend category, won gold. An estate grown, red blend, the 2017 Houndstooth was the first vintage utilizing our vineyard expansion from 2015. That year Bluestone doubled the size of the farm and the blend now includes Cabernet Franc and Merlot on top of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
“2017 was an amazing harvest, and the wines show why the Shenandoah Valley is one of the best places to grow wine on the East Coast,” said winemaker, Lee Hartman. 2017 and 2019 both produced quantity and quality of fruit.
Full list of medals for both competitions includes:
2021 International Eastern Wine Competition (East Meets West)
• Double Gold & Best of Class: 2019 Petit Manseng (96 points) and 2019 The Steep Face (95 Points)
• Gold: 2019 Bridgewater Gold (92 points)
• Silver: 2017 Chardonnay, 2017 Houndstooth, 2020 Vidal Blanc, 2019 Viognier
• Bronze: 2015 Blue Ice, 2017 Cabernet Franc, 2019 Stainless Steel
2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
• Gold: 2015 Blue Ice, 2017 Houndstooth
• Silver: 2019 Stainless Steel Chardonnay, 2019 Petit Manseng, 2017 Chardonnay
• Bronze: 2017 The Steep Face, 2017 Cabernet Franc
Bridgewater, VA- Bluestone Vineyard earned two double gold medals along with two Best in Class awards at the 2021 International Eastern Wine Competition (East Meets West) that was held in Windsor, California on February 23 and 24 involving 24 judges who determine the best wines based on flavor, smell, color, and overall quality. 2015 Blue Ice and 2017 Houndstooth add to the gold medal count at the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition that was completed on March 5 in San Francisco, California.
Earning 96 points out of 100, the 2019 Petit Manseng was awarded a double gold and best in class. This fruit comes from Lovingston Vineyard and Silver Creek Vineyards both in Virginia. It was fermented in oak and aged on the lees for 10 months. It has notes of orange blossom, honey, and baking spices on the nose that head to grilled pineapple and honeysuckle on the palate.
2019 The Steep Face scored 95 points and earned a double gold and best in class. Grown on one of the steepest vineyard slopes in the Commonwealth (hence the name, The Steep Face), this 100% Chambourcin wine is dry and concentrated. The 2019 vintage is a richer, rounder style wine. Fermented with 40% whole clusters gives the wine additional structure and tannins that one doesn’t often find in Chambourcin. Currently, this vintage is only available for Bluestone Vineyard Press Club members and will be released to the public once previous vintages are sold out.
The high honor of Double Gold is only awarded when all judges on the panel agree on a gold on the first round, without any discussion of moving one (or more) judge's Silver up to a Gold.
2019 Bridgewater Gold, a blend of 84% Petit Manseng and 16% Vidal Blanc, earned 92 points and a gold medal as well at the International Eastern Wine Competition. Bridgewater Gold is a wine made in collaboration with Bridgewater College. The blend is all barrel fermented mostly in acacia barrels.
Moving to the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, gold medal winning, 2015 Blue Ice, is Bluestone’s ice-style, dessert wine made from frozen Traminette grapes. This wine has 8.1% residual sugar. Blue Ice has done historical well at wine competitions as the previous 2014 vintage won 10 medals including 4 golds.
2017 Houndstooth, grouped in the Merlot leading blend category, won gold. An estate grown, red blend, the 2017 Houndstooth was the first vintage utilizing our vineyard expansion from 2015. That year Bluestone doubled the size of the farm and the blend now includes Cabernet Franc and Merlot on top of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
“2017 was an amazing harvest, and the wines show why the Shenandoah Valley is one of the best places to grow wine on the East Coast,” said winemaker, Lee Hartman. 2017 and 2019 both produced quantity and quality of fruit.
Full list of medals for both competitions includes:
2021 International Eastern Wine Competition (East Meets West)
• Double Gold & Best of Class: 2019 Petit Manseng (96 points) and 2019 The Steep Face (95 Points)
• Gold: 2019 Bridgewater Gold (92 points)
• Silver: 2017 Chardonnay, 2017 Houndstooth, 2020 Vidal Blanc, 2019 Viognier
• Bronze: 2015 Blue Ice, 2017 Cabernet Franc, 2019 Stainless Steel
2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
• Gold: 2015 Blue Ice, 2017 Houndstooth
• Silver: 2019 Stainless Steel Chardonnay, 2019 Petit Manseng, 2017 Chardonnay
• Bronze: 2017 The Steep Face, 2017 Cabernet Franc
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