Early Mountain Vineyards, Virginia (United States) Petit Manseng 2020

 Virginia excels at making dry Petit Manseng and this grape has recently grown exponentially in popularity.  Petit Manseng does well, in part, due to its loose clusters which reduce disease pressure from mildew and rot — both of which can be an issue with Virginia’s late-season rainfall (including hurricanes).  This specific vintage was fortunate as Early Mountain was able to achieve 13.9% alcohol, giving the wine a rich textured body.  Additionally, the wine benefits from lees aging and malolactic conversion, both of which add creamy complexity to the fruit’s tropical pineapple and citrus pear fruit notes.  This is an excellent example of what Virginia is capable of producing.