We recently were in Denver to visit family and friends and catch a few Rockies games. Sarah met some of the owners and staff of Blanchard Family Wines at VinCO and they graciously invited us to visit their tasting room at the Dairy Block when we came to town, so we decided to stop in for a wine tasting prior to a Rockies game. We immediately fell in love with the cozy and refined atmosphere at the tasting room. It was warm and welcoming with little details that elevated the overall experience, including paintings made by a local artist using Blanchard wine.
We were welcomed by the tasting room manager Claire who explained that the focus of Blanchard Family Wines is to highlight the family's wines made from Colorado and California grapes, showcase wine from other Colorado wineries, and serve locally-made snacks. We were glad to see wine on the tasting menu from many familiar Grand Valley/West Elks wineries including Sauvage Spectrum, The Storm Cellar, Restoration Vineyards, Carlson Vineyards, The Ordinary Fellow, Colterris Winery, Evolve Wines, and Plum Creek Cellars. We decided to share a flight of all of Blanchard's wines since we had not tried any of them previously.
Their wines did not disappoint! The sparkling brut was made of 100% Chardonnay grapes from Sonoma County. It opened with light peach and honeysuckle on the nose and finished with ripe apple on the palate. It was very soft and refreshing.
The Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek Valley was bursting on the nose begging you to take a sip, so we gladly did! It displayed well-balanced minerality and citrus notes. Sarah tasted guava while beer connoisseur Jason picked up something "hop-like" on the nose.
The Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley had a cherry and herbaceous nose, with hints of oak on the nose and palate. This fruit-forward Pinot was well-balanced and easy to enjoy.
The Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley was very unique. It was a much lighter Cab than the traditional California Cab. Hints of baking spice, plum, and white pepper lent a depth of flavor with well-balanced alcohol. This Cab could definitely stand up to a traditional steak dinner but might be really interesting paired with lighter fare such as shrimp fra diavolo or jerk pork loin.
We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Blanchard Family Wines. From the moment we stepped into the tasting room we felt like family. We will definitely be back the next time we are in Denver!
Cheers,
Sarah and Jason