Kyra Wines 2011 Garnet, Wahluke Slope, $20
Columbia Basin vintner Kyra Baerlocher marks the launch of a label, named for her great-grandmother, that will focus on blends from her estate vineyards on the Wahluke Slope — Pheasant and Purple Sage. The debut vintage is Merlot (33%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Petit Verdot (20%), Malbec (14%) and Sangiovese (13%). Her use of French, American and Hungarian oak shows in the nose of espresso, cocoa powder, ground savory and brown sugar with sweet cherry notes. The influence of the Italian grape pops with acidity that penetrates the juicy drink of plum and blueberry, backed by subtle tannins. The wines are distributed throughout Washington and Oregon.
Rating: Recommended
Production: 350 cases
Alcohol: 13%
Lisa Gerber says
Thank you for including us in this great list. We’re looking forward to trying a few of these we haven’t tasted before
Morten Scholer says
Thanks this update on red blends – and the bottles presented.
Could someone let me know whether any of the many blends happen to be co-fermented, i.e. grapes blended prior to fermentation. And whether co-fermentation is at all used in your area.
A wine-grower in Northern California told me that the old tradition with field blends is gaining popularity with some producers near him. However, not in the old-fashioned form of true field blends where different grapes are planted next to each other.
Burgundy in France does traditionally not blend wines (different from Bordeaux) but there are a few exceptions – called passetoutgrains or passe-tout-grains. And they are wonderful. Some parts of Austria have a strong tradition of field blending and co-fermentation but that is mainly for white wines.
Interested as I plan a wine-tour to Washington-Oregon-California in June-July 2014.
Morten Scholer, Coppet, Switzerland
Andy Perdue says
Morten,
Thank you for taking the time to write. Generally speaking, the only co-fermented wines we see are Syrah with a bit of Viognier, made in the Cote-Rotie tradition. There are rare instances where field blends are co-fermented, as well.
We’ve tasted one example of a passetoutgrains-style blend in the Northwest, and that is JoieFarm in Naramata, British Columbia, which makes a wine called, appropriately, PTG. It is superb, and if you make your way to British Columbia in your travels, that wine is well worth seeking out.
Take care.