2012 Wellington Victory Reserve
This vintage of Victory has intense fruit aromas of black cherry, black currant (cassis) and blueberry with notes of anise, dark chocolate, leather and violets. It has a smooth, supple entry, is rich but never heavy, has mouth watering acidity that leads to a firm, slightly chewy finish. The fruit lingers on the palate long after swallowing. While this wine has yet to develop much in the way of secondary aromas or bottle bouquet, it is already very enjoyable. Cellaring will be duly rewarded; I have no reason to doubt that this wine will develop nicely for at least five years and hold long after that.
This is not a big, heavyweight “Parker style” wine. It is elegant and medium-bodied, with a creamy texture, moderate tartness, and firm but not harsh tannins. It is not a tannic monster that demands aging to be drinkable, but it is still a baby and has all the components that will allow it to age and develop beautifully for at least another decade. Even though a lot of new oak was used in the blend, there is no obvious oak in the aromas. The oak does show up on the finish, and will continue to integrate with the other components of the wine during aging, adding length and richness to the finish.
Wellington Vineyards is owned Peter Wellington. Peter's father John purchased the winery site in 1986. At the time, it consisted of 20 acres of old vines and a few decrepit old fruit and nut trees. Replanting of part of the old vineyard and orchard started in 1988. The winery was completed in time for the 1989 crush. We grow approximately half the grapes we use and purchase the remainder, primarily from small, unique vineyards.
The estate vineyards consist of 21 acres, 8 of which are 85 to 117 years old. There are 24 different varieties in the old vineyard, with the most common being Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache and Syrah. In addition, there are 10 acres of eleven to sixteen year old vines that consist of Merlot, Chardonnay, Marsanne, and Syrah. We grow more Merlot than anything else. Three more acres were replanted in 2001, predominantly to Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache.
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