Visit Breaux Vineyards to Sample Our 2016 Merlot & 2016 Meritage

Michael Delano | September 17, 2020

Jim Koennicke and Jennifer Breaux sat down to discuss the winery’s recent changes and sample Breaux Vineyards’ 2016 Merlot and 2016 Meritage. While the Meritage contains a large portion of the 2016 Merlot, Jim and Jennifer explained the unique differences between the two wines.

2016 Merlot

Breaux Vineyards’ 2016 Merlot is a well-balanced, clean wine that makes you want to keep coming back for more. Because of this wine’s excellent acidity and softer tannins, it pairs well with a variety of dishes.

Breaux Vineyards understands the importance of proper practices when creating the perfect bottle of wine. Our winemakers use French oak barrels to produce a flavor that doesn’t overwhelm. The wine isn’t left too long in the barrel to ensure the oak doesn’t impart too much flavor. Out in the vineyard, we let the fruit fully ripen on the vine. This gives our Merlot a velvety mouthfeel. The grapes used to create our 2016 Merlot were picked in 2016. We released the wine in 2018.

2016 Meritage

The 2016 Meritage has the black fruit and body of our 2016 Merlot. However, the addition of Petit Verdot adds a lot of tannins to this wine. The Meritage has secondary aromas reminiscent of heavy cream. This wine will age extremely well with the fruit becoming more prominent over time.

The 2016 Meritage contains 57% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 18% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Malbec. This wine provides a nice full wash over the entire pallet. Our 2016 Meritage would pair well with a variety of dishes including coq au vin, pork tenderloin, or even grilled salmon.

Vintage Variation in Virginia

Unlike California and a lot of other regions, Virginia truly experiences vintage variation. Loudoun County, as well as other parts of Northern Virginia, experience some of the most varied weather conditions of any growing area in the world. Each of the types of wines produced in Virginia can vary significantly from year to year.

Changes to Our Winery

In order to maintain adequate social distancing and ensure a safe environment for both our guests and staff, Breaux Vineyards has made some changes to our winery. Earlier this month, we introduced a new registration system. Guests can now register and make reservations for their group to enjoy a guided tasting in our Cork and Key event space.

Led by one of Breaux Vineyards’ experienced wine educators, guests that participate in our wine tasting will have the opportunity to sample a variety of our award-winning wines. These tastings provide an excellent break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

At Breaux Vineyards, we care about the health and safety of our guests and staff. During tastings, we appropriately distance all guests and pre-pour all samples. Please note, we are only accepting two reservations per day.

Please contact us to reserve your guided wine tasting today. We look forward to seeing you and we hope you’ll join us on our next Taste of Breaux event on Facebook.