The Midland project from the Jordan brothers sits on the top of our list of some of our favorite Virginia wines. Tim and Ben have mentored our wine careers here at RichWine, and the opportunity to work closely with them has allowed us to retain a firm grasp on the future of Virginia winemaking. The Midland project has been in process for quite some time. "Midland Construction" comes from the name of the carpentry business founded by father Ted Jordan in the 1970s. Tim and Ben lead the operation with an immense amount of wine experience. Ben is the former winemaker at Early Moutain Vineyards, and Tim has been a long-time consultant for Vineyard startups in management across the state. They began planting vines in 2007 and didn't produce their first wine until 2017. This kind of long-term thinking is emblematic of what they're trying to do: create a lasting family endeavor that will be a part of the next generation of Virginia winemaking.
Their Mt. Airy site in the hills of the Shenandoah Valley is quite different from most of the wine-growing regions in Virginia:
- The growing season is cooler and less humid.
- The limestone-based soils are unique and well-draining.
- Total rainfall is lower.
This allows them to make wines that are “more detailed and less about power” -their approach is shaping the future of Virginia Wine.
The 2019 Cabernet Franc is drinking perfectly right now. The wine expresses herbs and, smoked tea, red fruit. It's aromatic with a sexy texture with elegant balance.
2019 Midland Construction, Cabernet Franc, Shenandoah Valley Virginia
They farm sustainably, with an eye towards stewarding the property for future generations. In the cellar, the winemaking is low interventionist, avoiding additives besides SO2 (used sparingly as necessary). As Ben Jordan says, “We are inspired by the wines that are made by people who care, who do the work, and who want to keep learning and doing better. You can taste that in those people’s wines, and we want that to be part of what we do.”
Source - Williams Corner Wines
“With us, people can follow a young producer, as they learn their land, as they learn technique, and as they learn what needs to be changed and what needs to be kept around. We are not an established region, we know and embrace that fact, and that’s the journey we hope our wines will provide.” – Ben Jordan
Source - Williams Corner Wines
