Chester Gap Cellars has quickly become one of my favorite Virginia wineries. One of my good friends fell in love with Chester Gap and introduced me to their wine. Ever since then, they have consistently proven to be one of the best wineries to visit with some of the best wine in Virginia.
Unlike some bloggers who have been quite prolific and sampled TONS of Virginia wine, I am definitely behind them. I have visited under 20 wineries and sampled less than 50 wines from various portions of the state.
However even with my lack of sampling prowess, Chester Gap stands above the rest. Chester Gap is a more relaxed environment. They cannot accommodate buses or large vehicles. Not that there's anything wrong with party buses, but having options for more chill places is important.
The tasting room is one of the friendliest I have visited with incredibly knowledgeable people working there. If you buy a bottle or more, your tasting fee is comped. Which, I cannot say that for many others. There are also no minimum requirements such as being a case club member to use the patio.
On this latest visit, the Roussanne didn't speak to me as it had in the past. I gravitated to the 2012 Viognier and 2012 Cabernet Franc. The 2012 Viognier is all stainless steel fermentation. I found notes of stone fruit and floral elements on the nose. The 2012 Cabernet Franc was a little tight and we were recommended to hold onto the wine until winter.
