2018 River Rock Vineyard Grenache - Pášxa Wines

Smoky blueberry, wild rose, crushed mulberry. Sun-baked strawberry, pine tar, red cherry pit. An impressively complex and concentrated procession of huckleberry preserves, crunchy blackberry, and cranberry liqueur swaggers with fierce and feral intensity as notes of sagebrush, rosemary, thyme, and tobacco impart intricate layers of complex herbal depth. Hints of cactus blossom and trampled poppies gradually materialize within a uniquely wild floral bouquet balanced against wafts of paprika, peppercorn, cinnamon, and a range of surprisingly savory spices. Impressions of hot rocks, iron, and basalt reveal streaks of deeply stony minerality further enhanced in ruggedness by intriguing suggestions of smoke, ash, and red meat. Marvelously angsty, brooding, and serious on both the nose and the palate while expressing a brilliant combination of nuance and power; exhibiting a bold and muscular yet edgy presentation that flawlessly toes the line between beauty and brawn. Full in body with elevated tannin balanced perfectly by bright acidity. This 2018 River Rock Vineyard Grenache by Pášxa Wines is an incredibly compelling and cerebral red from the Walla Walla Valley.

Most famously grown in the cobblestone-littered vineyards of France's Southern Rhone Valley, Grenache is a legendary warm climate grape that finds itself perfectly at home in the terroir of the aptly named Rocks District within Washington & Oregon's Walla Walla Valley. This bottling, crafted by Pášxa Wines using Grenache sourced from the River Rock Vineyard in the Rocks District, brilliantly captures the incredible combination of power, depth, and complexity that this perfect marriage of grape and region can uniquely achieve. This wine gracefully yet muscularly emits a range of rugged red, blue, and black fruits magnificently enhanced by complex herbal tones, savory spices, wild flowers, and deeply ingrained dark minerality. It is extraordinarily well made, immensely layered, and absolutely stands tall against the greatest expressions of Grenache from France and beyond. World class.