How driven is Melanie Krause to crafting Tempranillo? When winter damaged the 2017 vintage in Idaho, she drove to Southern Oregon and trucked home — a nine-hour sojourn — a load of Tempranillo grapes she purchased from acclaimed Abacela. Here, her work from Emerald Slope and Sawtooth vineyards is redolent of red fruits and spices, while the structure shows deft management of tannins. Here’s her second career Platinum with Tempranillo. Enjoy it with paella or what Krause describes as a “Basque Burger” — charred beef, topped with serrano ham, pimento cheese and aioli. Award: Idaho Wine Competition (gold).
Rating: Platinum, 93 points
Production: 930 cases
Alcohol: 14.7%
Leave a Reply