For the second straight vintage, this Vineyard Series blend of red Rhône varieties has rocked the wine competition circuit, starting the year with a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle. There’s no secret behind the ingredients of Grenache (35%), Syrah (52%) and Mourvedre from Joe Hattrup’s vineyards above the Yakima Valley as his Elephant Mountain site produced a 2011 GSM that merited best of show at the 2014 Great Northwest Wine Competition. The nose brings hints of dusty cherry, boysenberry, dark chocolate and hazelnut. What follows is a thick and plush entry and midpalate of black cherry and blackberry. Fine-grained tannins and a juicy finish give this impeccable balance and worthy of dishes such as barbecued ribs, grilled salmon or stuffed pork chops. This is a wine club offering, but the weight of the medals won by Richard Batchelor since his arrival in 2009 makes a compelling case to join. And this is the second consecutive vintage that this GSM has received our top rating.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 570 cases
Alcohol: 14.5%
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