Barboursville Vineyards, Octagon, Virginia

For the first weekend of Virginia Wine Month, it seemed appropriate to pull both this lovely bottle and a Linden Hardscrabble from the same vintage. Abundant bright cherry and plum fruits with additional notes of tobo leaf, cinnamon, and cocoa on the finish. The mouthfeel is very smooth, almost velvety; with fully integrated tannins. It lacks the heft of the Linden, however, causing the table to split on which wine is preferred. And why choose when both are excellent. In …

2005 vintage

A blend driven by Merlot, with supporting roles from Reserve Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Flavors of black cherry, plum, leather and then earthy and mushroom. Something herbal appears that then segues to something off. Having enjoyed this wine somewhat recently and knowing how terrific it can be, we’ll chalk this up to an off bottle. A fair amount of sediment. 13.5% alc. With bison wellington. 12.30.23. No Recommendation due to off bottle.

2004 vintage

Great wine. Flavor, nose, color. Could believe was fine French.

2007 vintage

Russk. A wine I liked at the Suckling Event. 91+pts. Poured from magnum. Reminds me of a mature Chat Musar, some very earthy Bdx notes together with a little bit more fruit.

2005 vintage

At the winery

2007 vintage

Floral aromas. Woodsy and dark fruit on palate. Well balanced, long smooth finish.

2004 vintage

Merlot based (65%) with Cab. Sauv. (15%), Petit Verdot and Cab. Franc (each at 10%) filling out the blend. The wine has abundant fruit flavors (‘05 was a very good year in Virginia) of cranberry, plum, and blackberry, with additional scents of cinnamon, cedar, and tobo. Mocha dominates the very long finish. The tannins are fully integrated. A fair amount of sediment in the final pour. This is a very nice wine. 13.5% alc. With pan seared ribeyes to celebrate …

2005 vintage

Tasted at the winery. Not sure about the blend in this vintage, but I think it has a little more Petit Verdot than more recent ones?? It has a very floral nose and a very earthy and black fruited profile along with distinct tar and crushed stone. Nicely aged and well balanced. Good mouth feel. “Old World” in style definitely and really nice to drink now. Still lively with continuing aging potential.

2004 vintage

Much like the 05 vintage, the growing season for �05 was remarkably good. Jim instructs that the �06 is more finished and showy than the �classic� �05, but both are fine examples of what Virginia can do. The �07 is no slouch either based on the way this Octagon showed. The Linden was deeper hued from a good dose of Petit Verdot. Plum notes (PMB says cherry), graphite, cassis and a touch of bitterness on the finish. The Octagon showed …

2007 vintage

Poured into glass and set for half hour. Served about 55 degrees. Presentation: ruby red, viscous with slow, even legs. Smell: licorice, black cherry, vanilla, fruitcake, dark red berries. Taste: dried fruit, black cherry, anise, hint of leather, vanilla frosting, cranberry and sourdough. Beautiful acidity and tannin balance. Drinking wonderfully right now but possibly(?) has a little left in the bottle to mellow the tannic structure. This is as good as it gets for a Virginia wine and it competes …

2007 vintage

Bought this wine upon proposal to wife at Barboursville Winery in August 2017. Drank for 10 year anniversary. The wine was old school with nice red and black fruits with some nice herbaceous notes. What a treat for a Virginia wine bought on our engagement!

2004 vintage

fruit has largely disappeared.. not brickish but old

2004 vintage

Well matured Bordeaux blend. Drinking well. Well made. Just nothing special.

2005 vintage

Time has served this wine very well. Dark, red fruit with lots of complexity and a smooth finish. Was hard to believe this was a Virginia wine made from before Virginia wines were "put on the map" so to speak. Excellent job by Gianni Zonin.

2005 vintage

Perfectly aged and mature,. Beautiful ruby color in the glass, a well rounded nose complimented soft flavors and rounded tannins. Perfect with prime rib.

2005 vintage

Consistent with 9/6/15 note, very tasty.

2007 vintage

One of the best showings from any Octagon I have ever tasted. Kind of half way between old world and new world both in style and topography. Balance flavors of sour black cherry, red plum, cassis, tea, mint and earthy notes that add complexity. Paired with duck & mushroom quiche, contrary to the previous note, though based on this bottle ready to drink, with several years of life left. IMHO!

2007 vintage

I love this blend - right balance - very ready to drink. I would suggest drinking this year as I sense in a couple of years it will lose the balance.

2007 vintage

A bit off. As part of a grand tasting of VIrginia Vs the world, this had noticeable VA and was a bit insipid.

2007 vintage

The oak has started to fade over the last couple years bringing everything into balance. I poured a glass and then let it breath for about 2 hours. Everybody loved it! Nice mix of red and dark fruit with integrated oak. The cork was almost fully saturated just like my last bottle. I think I'll go ahead and drink the remaining bottles over the next year. I don't think the corks will hold up plus the fruit will start fading …

2007 vintage

The color is deep burgundy - bright and clean. The nose is all cherry, plum, tobo, sandalwood and cedar. The nose shows tertiary elements but is still young. Tracking the nose with flavors on the palate, the wine is expansive and broad, with added flavors of brined black olives, rosemary ... and the tell-tale pine resin as the wine warmed and the evening lingered on. But the pine resin finish wasn’t present initially. No need to pull another of these …

2004 vintage

From a very dry year, nice balance, cherry, pomegranate, menthol,, smooth, fully intergrated tannins, ready for action. This is not a big wine, in fact quite subtle, nice with food.

2007 vintage

Great fruit nose, tasted great at the beginning after about 45 minutes of breathing (no decant, just a tiny pour to check it). After about an hour and a half, it fell off. This particular bottle was wonderfully fruity and a classic Bordeaux style with 7 years of age without the long cellaring of a traditional Bordeaux. It's a great value however, it should be drunk quickly if you have it as the 2007 we had probably would not have …

2007 vintage

PNP, this bottle has held up well in my cellar (since 2009) plenty of sour tart black cherry, tart plum, minerals, mint. Smooth, soft, and ready to drink, but based on this particular bottle (my last) no need to rush.

2005 vintage

PNP, very smooth, balanced, with Bordeaux like flavors of currants, berries, cedar and hints of terroir. Plenty of life left in a cool cellar.

2007 vintage

Wine Education Service - Virginia (LSE) : Opaque, a little age. A fragrance of sweet fruits, very attractive. Lovely taste, slightly fruity, could be in Bordeaux with this.

2007 vintage

Think it was kinda cooked. Cork was soaked most of the way through, looked like it had shrunk some. Tasted pretty astringent. Probably because of my improper storage. Shame.

2005 vintage

Leathery, minty and dry...it's amazing this Bordeaux blend is from Virginia.

2005 vintage

very thin -- flawed?

2007 vintage

Drinking very nice. Good nose and well integrated flavors. A very pleasant surprise as much better wine than I expected.

2005 vintage

Dark fruit on the nose. Fruit forward with hints of oak and slight tannins.

2004 vintage

This was the replacement for a spoiled (corked/oxidized) bottle that I returned to vendor; they were great and gave me a replacement when they heard my saga. Kudos. Taste notes: exhibits some herbaceousness and under ripeness, but finish is OK and tannins are somewhat balanced with acidity. Decent enough offering in general, and an outstanding wine from Virginia. Wait no more, no improvement from age here, but great local wine.

2004 vintage

A finely crafted European style blend. This is still a little tight and could benefit from another year or so in the cellar. But it drinks nicely after an hour of breathing. A muted mint on the nose, the attack is subtle with a blossoming middle and nice finish. Virginia has slowly been making its way onto the world stage and this is one of it's premier bottles from one of its better vineyard/winemakers.

2007 vintage

Very smooth. Decanted for half an hour. Already quite drinkable. Paired well with venison meatloaf.

2007 vintage

Decanted 2hrs, subtle, balanced, smooth and silky, hints of eucalyptus.

2007 vintage

Decanted 2hrs, eucalytus, plum, blackcherry on the nose. Nice balance of berries, mint and a touch of stone on the finish. Soft and smooth finish, best Octagon I've tasted since the 2002 vintage.

2007 vintage

Wine had an "authentic" Bordeaux nose and was full bodied with great red berry and chocolate overtones.

2004 vintage

Cab in a different style but still a very warm and tasty wine.

2004 vintage

Drank at Christmas with the family. Decanted for approximately four hours. Compared with Cakebread 2003 Napa Cab. Not as complex, not as intense, but this was better than expected for a VA cab franc blend. Fruit forward and balanced.

2005 vintage

Leather dipped in chocolate.

2005 vintage

VACATION TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD; 9/13/2010-9/18/2010 (BALTIMORE, MD/MARTHA'S VINEYARD/ATLANTIC CITY) : Day one a little musty, on day two earthy, spicey and smooth. Surprisingly old world.

2005 vintage

Decanted and tasted, blackberry, smoke and earth in the nose. Quite rich with dark fruits, chocolate, earth and a bitter almost metalic flavor that distracted from overall quality. Still a solid Virginia cab, that may improve with short term cellaring. 88+

2005 vintage

Ok, I normally never would spend this much at a winery that I know nothing about - much less from a state where I've never had their wines. But, I rolled the dice thinking that at this price "hey, this must be the best they have to offer." I could not be more wrong. It's been a while since I've had a wine where it tasted like I was biting into a green pepper, but this one is it. One …

2005 vintage

Wines from Spring Break; 4/1/2010-4/6/2010 : (Town House Grill, Chilhowie VA) Good stuff. On the cusp of modern for me, but holds very resolute with a nice square structure. Solid dark fruits, good backbone of acids and tannins. Holds a really good vibe and expresses the Meritage blend in a clever fashion. Quite enjoyable.

2005 vintage

Notes from day 2. Color of dark red. Nose of red raspberry, plum, and sweet tobacco. Palate the same with red fruit leading the way, leather, tobacco, and tannin noted. The finish is above average in length and there is decent balance, little light on the fruit for my palate and there is something unpleasant on the midpalate. Hold. 50+5+10+14+7

2005 vintage

I think this is just a bad bottle: wow, it is sooo green and under ripe.

2004 vintage

Barboursville Octagon release party : Classic old world style Bordeaux blend. Deep garnet color. Softer more restrained plum & flowers with a hint of cassis on the nose. Plum, black pepper spice. Silky mellow tannins. Long finish. Still youthful; age worthy for at least another 8 – 10 years. Paired with Braised Lamb Shank with Porcini Polenta, Sautéed Local Greens & Lamb-Coriander Jus.

2004 vintage

Barboursville Octagon release party : Classic old world style Bordeaux blend. Deep garnet color. Plum, raspberry & hint of coffee on the nose. Plum, raspberry, spice & hint of coffee. Silky tannins, firmer than the 2006. Long finish. Age worthy for at least 12 – 15 years. Paired with Braised Beef Brisket “Plin” ravioli in Rich Broth with a Splash of Red Wine and Freshly Sliced Black Truffles.

2005 vintage

This was a delicious meritage blend. No detailed tasting notes to offer as we had with dinner after tasting several other wines, but I was quite impressed by the quality of this wine. Seemed to be drinking very well right now.

2005 vintage

Vertical tasting of Octagon 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. In general, the tannins and fruit increased with the younger wines as expected. The favorite of the group was the 2004 for its balanced tannic structure and fruit while still beginning to reveal secondary taste characteristics. The wines were then paired against an entree of wild mushroom quesadillas and a main course of chateaubriand with roasted potatoes and asparagus, followed by a cheese course with Roquefort, Brie, and Gruyere. Although …

2005 vintage

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Barboursville Vineyards, Octagon, Virginia

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