Kerloo Cellars, Wahluke Slope (Columbia Valley, Washington) Tempranillo 2018

 I have tasted and aged multiple vintages of Ryan Crane’s Stone Tree Vineyard Tempranillo.  In my experience, tertiary bottle-aging notes come through in 7 to 10 years. At the moment, the wine is dominated by suggestions of cherry, molasses, tobacco leaf, and red licorice.  With an additional five years, the wine generally settles out and starts to present chocolate and mushroom notes.  Ryan does an excellent job balancing rich, concentrated fruit with new oak usage.  For folks who want to start aging wine, but don’t have the patience to wait 10+ years, my recommendation is to buy three bottles.  Try one now and hold two for as long as you wish.