Happy Sunday! I spend the past seven hours blowing and raking leaves in my yard and now I am about to pass out! At least there's wine and food, so I think I'll survive. Tonight, I've opened a bottle from the latest wine club shipment from one of my favorite Walla Walla producers, Reininger Winery, this wine from the Columbia Valley label, Helix. The 2023 Helix Tempranillo is harvested from Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA of Washington. This wine is a perennial favorite, so let's see how it's shaping up!
The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from this varietal. The nose presents aromas of blackberry, vanilla caramel and hints of earthy graphite. The first sip is a rush of ripe red fruit, cherry, raspberry and currant that ease into some notes of cedar, leather and forest floor midpalate. The tannins are assuming a strong supporting role in the background for the long, smooth dry finish, with a reprise of sweet cherry at the end.
Overall,.I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's about as solid of an example of Tempranillo you could expect outside of Ribera del Duero. This wine would pair well with a range of hearty fall dishes, from beef stew to yankee pot roast, hearty pasta to braised lamb. Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a last gasp of summer, with barbecued bison back ribs, hatch chile mac and cheese and baked beans. Cheers!
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