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Upchurch Vineyard 2015 Counterpart Red Wine, Red Mountain, $50
The Upchurch family unveiled Counterpart, its expression of Right Bank Bordeaux-style blends, to its club just ahead of Thanksgiving 2017, and the results were predictably successful. Acclaim has followed this debut blend of Merlot (65%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) from their Red Mountain estate, managed by the indefatigable Dick Boushey. Just 10 percent of the plantings, which they established in 2008, is dedicated to Merlot, so this is a worthy snapshot of the variety’s performance across their 18 acres. Chris Upchurch’s graceful barrel program with entirely new French oak allows for dark cherry, nutmeg and toast with touches of nutmeg, lavender, bay leaf and orange oil. The closing rush of pomegranate and cherries keeps the focus on acidity rather than tannins. Club members blew through their allocations, so look for this at leading restaurants and wine merchants.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 130 cases
Alcohol: 14.2%
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