Reininger CPR Third Edition

Happy Boxing Day!  Well as with all the holiday rush, I confess I've been sorely neglecting the wine blog, and for that, I apologize.  Now that the rush is over, I have time to do more, though don't get too excited as it seems I'm also battling a cold which could hamper my wine blogging efforts.  To make up for that, I've opened up a bottle of very unique wine to share with you tonight, the Reininger CPR Third Edition.  Of course, the CPR represents Chuck Reininger's initials, and this wine comes in editions rather than vintages, as you see, this wine was inspired by the Solera blending tradition, where each year they bottle 20% of the wine and replace it with wine from the new vintage.  As a result you have a wine consisting of eight varietals from nine different vintages!  I reviewed the inagural edition here: CPR First Edition and had a chance to barrel taste the third and fourth editions on a visit to Walla Walla in 2017 (see: here), and since I was in an odd mood, I decided to skip the second edition and go right to the third tonight.  This edition is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (26%), Syrah (19%), Cabernet Franc (16%), Petit Verdot (10%), Merlot (9%), Malbec (7%), Sangiovese (7%) and Carmenere (6%) from the Ash Hollow, Pepper Bridge, Phinny Hill, Seven Hills, Stone Tree and XL Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA from vintages spanning 2005-13.  So let's see how this intriguing blend is tasting!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose exudes a cascade of wild berries, amid earthy aromas of leather, cardamom and some delicate floral notes.  The taste is a rush of cool black fruit, black raspberry, cherry and plum that excites the senses before transitioning to some wonderful notes of vanilla bean, a hint of cedar accentuated by some white pepper spice.  The flavors just dance around the palate until the fine grain tannins and delightful acidity cut in to establish a dramatic finish that lingers for what seems like hours.  This is certainly a wine that could pair exceedingly well with a variety of food, but it's also the kind of wine that will continue to develop nuances of flavor as you sip it throughout an evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a delight to drink and experience the evolution of flavor over an evening.  It's also a very food friendly wine as I could see myself enjoying this wine with everything from steak to barbecue, tacos to oven roasted salmon, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled petit prime New York strip, with some grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes with a merlot reduction.  Cheers!