Sometimes a wine tasting is a humbling experience. In a blind tasting, my notes said "Lots of nice Syrah and Grenache in this blend." Wrongo! All the markers are there, like blackberry, blueberry, leaf, tar, orange zest — all of which presented to me as rich and Rhône-ish, with firm grip, great length and nice white pepper coming forward. Then the reveal — 41% Zinfandel, 34% Sangiovese, 11% Malbec, 9% Blaufrankisch, 5% Merlot. From Washington? Slide this into your next blind tasting of Rhône styled wines and see what happens. Nicely done!
Owen Roe, Columbia Valley (Washington) 2013
By Rich Cook