Happy Friday! It's been a busy week and I could use a nice glass of wine. Thankfully, the UPS man was good to me today and delivered my wine lot from the Reveal Walla Walla wine auction last fall! So that means we all get a treat tonight as I get to preview this wine before its formally released (this fall?). The 2018 DaMa Wines Walla Walla Tempranillo is exciting for me for a number of reasons, first because I am a big fan of the wines that Founder and Winemaker, Mary Derby produces every year. Second, because this wine is the first 100% Tempranillo that Mary has produced from Les Collines Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington. For those unfamiliar, Les Collines Vineyard consists of about 290 acres situated in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, right on the Oregon border. So, let's get to the fun part, the wine!
The wine is a beautiful, deep ruby color in the glass, with lovely clarity just as you might expect from the varietal. A brief swirl in the glass releases aromas of earthy peat, smoke and sage intertwined with faint notes of blackberry and cherry suggesting deeper levels of complexity. A sip reveals a rush of strawberry, cherry and red currant, which subside to reveal wonderfully earthy notes of graphite and dusty limestone midpalate. The gripping tannins are a force to be reckoned with in this young wine, but they provide an ideal foundation for the long, smooth dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the nicest Tempranillos I've had in a while, and certainly one of the best I've had from Washington. This wine would pair exceedingly well with hearty dishes, from a charcuterie board to a wild mushroom risotto, a prime rib roast to oven roasted lamb. Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip along with some wild mushroom farro and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts. Cheers!
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