Pearmund’s 99-Point Cabernet Franc Sets a New Virginia Benchmark

Consistency across vintages, validated this year

The number that grabbed attention was 99. Pearmund Cellars’ 2022 Cabernet Franc reached that near-perfect mark at the Harvest Challenge, where it was also named Best in Virginia. That score turned heads. The deeper story is what stood behind it. This year, judges across the country awarded top medals and 90-plus scores to wines from the Pearmund group that were made over several seasons, not just one. The pattern across vintages is what signals true consistency.

The three-winery portfolio, anchored by managing partner Chris Pearmund with winemaker Mark Ward and colleagues Anthony Sorrenti and Lawrence Nichols, pulled from different harvests and vineyards to assemble a year of results that traveled well from room to room. The standout Cabernet Franc is a 2022. The supporting cast stretches both earlier and later. Effingham Manor & Winery's reserve red, King’s Ransom, is a 2021. Pearmund’s vibrant Petit Manseng comes from 2023. Vint Hill’s sturdy Petit Verdot is a 2022. Even the white releases reach across seasons, from a 2022 Chardonnay at Pearmund to a 2024 Cuvée Blanc at Vint Hill. When awards for these different bottlings all land in the same calendar year, it is the clearest possible stress test of a house style. Different fruit. Different weather. Same verdict.

How the Results Stacked Up

The 99 at Harvest Challenge set the tone. From there, the group’s scoreboard filled quickly across multiple vintages and categories.

Vint Hill Craft Winery

Two white wines set the pace in San Francisco. The 2023 Petit Manseng earned 96 points and was named Best White Wine in Show at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. The 2023 Viognier also scored 96 points and took Best in Class at the same event. On the East Coast stage, the 2024 “Misty” Cuvée Blanc won Best in Class at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition. In the red column, the 2022 Petit Verdot from Vint Hill posted 95 points and a Double Gold at the Harvest Challenge.

Pearmund Cellars

The headliner is the 2022 Cabernet Franc, which secured 99 points, Double Gold, Best in Class, and Best in Virginia at the Harvest Challenge in Sonoma. It is the first Virginia wine to be awarded 99 points. In San Francisco, the 2023 Petit Manseng took 96 points and Double Gold. The bench strength reached back a vintage with the 2020 Cabernet Franc, which earned 96 points and Double Gold at the San Francisco International. Rounding out the set, the 2022 Chardonnay received a Double Gold and 92 points at the International East Meets West Wine Challenge.

Effingham Manor

The 2022 Chardonnay earned 93 points and Best in Class at the American Wine Society Commercial Wine Competition. In San Francisco, the 2021 King’s Ransom achieved 97 points and Double Gold. At the Virginia Wine Invitational, the 2022 Meritage was named Best Red Wine in Show.

Why Multi-Vintage Success Matters

Panels and protocols vary from competition to competition. The constant this year was the conclusion judges reached about these wines, regardless of vintage or venue. San Francisco’s international field rewarded both fresh white aromatics and layered reserve reds. East Meets West highlighted balance and texture in Chardonnay. The Mid-Atlantic competitions spotlighted clarity of style in categories Virginia cares deeply about. When the same team posts 90-plus scores with a 2020 Cabernet Franc, a 2021 reserve red, a suite of 2022s, and a pair of 2023 whites, then follows with a 2024 white blend winning its class, the result looks less like a spike and more like a line.

Mark Ward frames the reason plainly. “What makes these awards especially meaningful is their diversity. They represent nine different vineyards, three distinct wineries, and a wide range of varietals. None of this would be possible without the exceptional vineyard partners whose talent and dedication are reflected in every bottle.” Breadth provides options. Options allow a cellar to chase balance rather than fixes. Balance is what tends to win in blind rooms.

The Takeaway

The 99-point Cabernet Franc will live on shelf talkers and in memory. Its real power is what it confirms. Virginia’s signature red can meet a national standard, and the Pearmund group can repeat that standard across styles and across years. The scoreboard is crowded, from 2020 through 2024. The pattern is clear. Consistency travels.

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