2013 DLD Les Gosses Vineyard Cuvée Marcel Dupont - Hedges Family Estate

Pristine blackberry, crushed charcoal, dried fig. Tart Morello cherry, burning sage, spiced cranberry. Star anise and whole peppercorn, singed violet and herbs de Provence. Dehydrated blueberry, raspberry, and licorice collide with graphite, iron, and brisket crust in a delightfully meaty and earthy attack. Tree bark, dried basil, and rosemary inject pronounced layers of savory complexity bolstered further by dry rub and au jus. Bitter cacao fights its way past saddle leather, dry brush, and tobacco leaf emerging in a thick cloud of barbecue smoke. Deep and contemplative with nice tartness and meticulously executed balance; throwing plenty of sediment and showing beautiful development. Full bodied and with elevated levels of tannin and acidity. This 2013 "DLD" Les Gosses Vineyard Cuvée Marcel Dupont by Hedges Family Estate is a fantastically classic and excitingly complex Syrah from Red Mountain.

Located in the heart of Washington's Yakima Valley, Red Mountain is a tiny appellation that is considered by many to produce some of the best red wine in the state. This bottling, crafted by Hedges Family Estate using 100% Syrah sourced from their Les Gosses Vineyard, is an outstanding example of the power, structure, and complexity that has become a signature of Red Mountain. Although developing notes of fresh and dried fruit are broadly present here they pale in comparison to the intensity of the earth, meat, and herbal character that erupt from the glass. This is Syrah at its most ruggedly handsome - unapologetic to its core and fully committed to the amplified expression of grape and place. While brawny, brooding, and brash this wine pulses with distinctly old world charm and certainly affirms the reputation of Red Mountain and its wines. Excellent, and quite a remarkable value to boot.