William Heritage Winery
William Heritage is a well-known stop on Route 322 in Mullica Hill. Long before they started their winery they hosted a great farm market. Today they are one of the best wineries in the state and members of the Winemakers Co-Op. This organization consists of six great New Jersey wineries; William Heritage Winery, Unionville Vineyards, Beneduce Vineyards, Working Dog Winery, Hawk Haven Vineyards, and Auburn Road Vineyards.
I have written about William Heritage many times in the past seven or eight years. They have consistently been one of the best in the state and one of our favorites. They have many wines to choose from, two tasting rooms, and some delicious food offerings. We tend to visit the Mullica Hill tasting room most frequently, though we also love the one in Haddonfield.
On Thursday, we visited late in the afternoon to pick up our allotment and decided to have an early dinner with a couple of flights of wine. We took advantage of our membership perks: the flights of wine were free and we both got a glass of wine of our choice, included.
The Food
My wife and I ordered a hummus and veggie platter to go with our wine flights. Later we ordered a flatbread with wild mushrooms, aioli spread, crumbled goat cheese, fresh scallion, and drizzled with truffle oil. It is our new favorite flatbread and it is surprisingly filling. The one pictured below was taken after we already had a piece or two and tried to put back together again. We couldn’t wait for the picture!
The Wine
Flight #1 Classic Flight
- 2023 William Heritage Estate Rose-Made from Merlot, Cab Franc, Syrah, and Malbec.
- 2022 William Heritage Viognier-A very nice, medium to full-bodied white with tasty notes of peach and vanilla.
- 2022 William Heritage Syrah-Very good; full-bodied with a robust flavor of blackberries and blueberries.
- 2022 William Heritage Coeur d’Est-Nice version of this blend of Chambourcin, Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot.
- William Heritage Select Cabernet Sauvignon-A very good, smooth version, made from grapes sourced from their estate as well as New Jersey grower partners, within New Jersey, and other states.
Flight #2 Limited Release
- 2022 Pet Nat Rose– A lightly carbonated Rose with strawberry notes and a dark hue.
- 2022 Rose Grenache Syrah Rose- NJ Outer Coastal Plain-Beautiful salmon color and refreshing acidity with lemon and lime aromas.
- 2022 Gravel Block Chardonnay-Their best Chardonnay since their Pumpkin Hill Chardonnay (IMHO); delicious lemon flavor with lively acidity.
- 2022 Reserve BDX Blanc Estate Reserve-A full-bodied white powered by Sauvignon Blanc with a rich mouthfeel and notes of apple, lemongrass, and vanilla. This wine was awarded 93 Points from Decanter Magazine.
- 2021 BDX-The latest in this excellent series of Bordeaux-style wines. It continues to be a favorite in our house.
It was a hard choice, as to which wine we wanted to have a glass for our perk. My wife chose their Gravel Road Chardonnay, while I chose their BDX Blanc. Both were fabulous.
Our Allotment
I was excited to see that BDX was in the allotment, as that is one of my favorite wines in the state. I had also recently polished off my last one. I also was eager to try the GSM that everyone has been talking about. You may read more about this one after I get a chance to enjoy it. The third bottle is their Estate Rose.
When I saw the name GSM, I immediately thought of the GSM’s from the Rhone Region in France, where GSM stands for Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The limited production of this GSM is made from Grenache, Syrah, and Merlot (not Mourvèdre). More on this wine in a later post, after I’ve had a chance to pop and enjoy that one.
I did a little research on Mourvèdre (also known as Mataro and, more commonly, Monastrell). Thinking that I was not aware of any wineries in New Jersey that grow this grape, I looked up this varietal in a great book written by Lawrence Coia and Daniel Ward. It is called Wine Grape Varieties for New Jersey. Surprisingly Mourvèdre is mentioned, though it states that the growing season is usually too short and insufficiently warm in the North. So if any of you know of a New Jersey winery that does grow this variety and use it in their wine, please let me know.
Why Do You Reach for Your “Go-To” Wine So Often?
Most folks have a “Go-To” wine. The one when you are not thinking about pairing it with food, just enjoying a good glass of wine. For me that depends on other things like time of year (summer or winter, hot or cold), and a host of other things. However, I also believe in “Variety is the spice of life.” I am always encouraging others to try a few different wines. Think outside of the box, and you might just find your new favorite wine. You can still be true to your natural palate, as you begin to slowly expand upon it. But first you need to give thought to what it is about your favorite that you like. I will talk more about this topic next week-Choosing Your Next Bottle.
Coming Attractions
- Choosing Your Next Bottle of Wine
- Terra Nonno
- Saddle Hill Winery
- Va La Vineyards
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