Columbia Valley, Oregon/Washington, USA
Big at 14.6%, but wears it well with pure (borderline jammy) strawberry and raspberry fruit that is floral and candied in character. Medium ruby color, fruit forward, nice length. Six months in neutral oak. Blind tasters guessed Priorat and Côtes du Rhône, dancing around the Grenache. Only 260 cases made by Erica Orr. Very nice QPR for Washington.
Big at 14.6%, but wears it well with pure (borderline jammy) strawberry and raspberry fruit that is floral and candied in character. Medium ruby color, fruit forward, nice length. Six months in neutral oak. Blind tasters guessed Priorat and Côtes du Rhône, dancing around the Grenache. Only 260 cases made by Erica Orr. Very nice QPR for Washington.
Jun 3rd, 2024
14.6% alc/vol, 152 cases made by a young female winemaker, UC Davis grad. Go Aggies! Ruby red, excellent clarity, moderate pigment extraction. Cherry and black currant in the nose, cherry in the mouth initially. Mild skin astringency in finish. Decanting. After 30 minutes, a tart plum and slightly phenolic cherry cough syrup flavor emerge in the finish with hints of mint, eucalyptus and tangerine, accompanied by light floral aromas, and maybe even a hint of rosehip. After an hour, a light raspberry flavor emerges. A tough wine to analyze after pouring, as this vintage is different from the previous vintages though, granted, these may be new vineyards or perhaps just my first exposure to this AVA. Haven’t decided what I think of this wine yet, but definitely something new and challenging for me.
14.6% alc/vol, 152 cases made by a young female winemaker, UC Davis grad. Go Aggies! Ruby red, excellent clarity, moderate pigment extraction. Cherry and black currant in the nose, cherry in the mouth initially. Mild skin astringency in finish. Decanting. After 30 minutes, a tart plum and slightly phenolic cherry cough syrup flavor emerge in the finish with hints of mint, eucalyptus and tangerine, accompanied by light floral aromas, and maybe even a hint of rosehip. After an hour, a light raspberry flavor emerges. A tough wine to analyze after pouring, as this vintage is different from the previous vintages though, granted, these may be new vineyards or perhaps just my first exposure to this AVA. Haven’t decided what I think of this wine yet, but definitely something new and challenging for me.
Dec 16th, 2022