Adobe Guadalupe
Rafael Red Blend
Baja California, Mexico
Adobe Guadalupe is one of the few labels that are estate-bottled. Not an official number but based on anecdotes, there are about 10 to 15 estate-bottled labels among the ~150 wine producers in the valley.
Rafael is a blend of Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon. The percentage of blend is different each year and for 2010, it's 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Nebbiolo. The latest vintage of Rafael is 2012 and it has more Nebbiolo in the blend.
Wine was left to aerate for about 20 minutes before drinking. On the nose, it was extremely layered and complicated with many things going on - green pepper, freshly ground black pepper, tart plum and black fruit, lit cigar, pencil lead, cumin, and oregano. Overall, it showed more savoury aroma but the fruit characteristic remained subtlety present. On the palate, it had a vibrant front palate with high acidity carried by flavours of tobacco, green pepper, and hint of black fruit. Structure was fantastic; it opened up gradually like a V shape in the mouth. End palate was long (10 seconds or more) and mostly dominated by savoury spice but fruit remained as backbone through the mouth. Many minutes later, the wine became more fruit-forward and expressive all around from front to mid to end palate. The black fruit flavour became mouth-coating and the tannins became sweeter. The greenness and tobacco also faded.
Conclusion: You know it's a good wine when you wish it was in magnum, and you don't need any food to clean up the palate! Dominant fruit flavours, sweet & chewy tannins, and high acidity suggest that it can see a few more years before performing at its peak. I can imagine how the wine will taste even better in a few years as it gains a bit more texture. Since I only had a couple of sips of Rafael 2012 at the tasting room, it'd be unfair to compare the two vintages; but as far as I remember 2010 showed more of the red fruit and harsh tannins characteristics of Nebbiolo, which was interesting to me.
Adobe Guadalupe is one of the few labels that are estate-bottled. Not an official number but based on anecdotes, there are about 10 to 15 estate-bottled labels among the ~150 wine producers in the valley.
Rafael is a blend of Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon. The percentage of blend is different each year and for 2010, it's 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Nebbiolo. The latest vintage of Rafael is 2012 and it has more Nebbiolo in the blend.
Wine was left to aerate for about 20 minutes before drinking. On the nose, it was extremely layered and complicated with many things going on - green pepper, freshly ground black pepper, tart plum and black fruit, lit cigar, pencil lead, cumin, and oregano. Overall, it showed more savoury aroma but the fruit characteristic remained subtlety present. On the palate, it had a vibrant front palate with high acidity carried by flavours of tobacco, green pepper, and hint of black fruit. Structure was fantastic; it opened up gradually like a V shape in the mouth. End palate was long (10 seconds or more) and mostly dominated by savoury spice but fruit remained as backbone through the mouth. Many minutes later, the wine became more fruit-forward and expressive all around from front to mid to end palate. The black fruit flavour became mouth-coating and the tannins became sweeter. The greenness and tobacco also faded.
Conclusion: You know it's a good wine when you wish it was in magnum, and you don't need any food to clean up the palate! Dominant fruit flavours, sweet & chewy tannins, and high acidity suggest that it can see a few more years before performing at its peak. I can imagine how the wine will taste even better in a few years as it gains a bit more texture. Since I only had a couple of sips of Rafael 2012 at the tasting room, it'd be unfair to compare the two vintages; but as far as I remember 2010 showed more of the red fruit and harsh tannins characteristics of Nebbiolo, which was interesting to me.
Last bottle from Baja trip. Med to full body , very complex. Black&Red fruit and lots of minerality but not as salty as some Mexican wines. Lingers and love it
Last bottle from Baja trip. Med to full body , very complex. Black&Red fruit and lots of minerality but not as salty as some Mexican wines. Lingers and love it
Feb 28th, 2015
