Along the northern flank of the Horse Heaven Hills is Gordon Taylor’s Daven Lore Winery, one of Washington’s most skilled boutique winemakers. He used an anagram of arid soil to create the proprietary name for his eclectic blend of Syrah (40%), Grenache (20%), Petit Verdot (20%) and Malbec (20%) from Alder Ridge Vineyard, Lonesome Spring Ranch and Painted Hills. Those three sites represent sieve-like Warden, Scooteney and Shano loam soils, respectively. There’s an ample oak profile showing in the nose of dark chocolate, toasted almond and cola nut, with a solid core of red fruit on the palate. Sweet cherries and red currants make for a juicy structure that brings more acidity than tannins, backed by smoky finish with coffee and chocolate. Taylor encourages pairing his latest Aridisol Red with Sole Almandine, Eggplant Rolatini, ratatouille, mushroom risotto or hazelnut biscotti.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 111 cases
Alcohol: 14.5%
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