This Southern Oregon boutique vineyard and winery remains a passion project of Chris Amen, whose late father, Lou, led the Certified Grocers of California. She wisely placed her wine production in the hands of renowned grower/winemaker Herb Quady and his Barrel 42 team in Medford, and that relationship has now led to a trio of Platinums. Two of those have been for Tempranillo from 2016, and her “First Tier” bottling is majestic at seven years beyond the vintage — which seems to be a sweet spot for this bold Spanish red variety. Think of chocolate-covered strawberry and pink peppercorns, joined by black olive and leather in the nose, followed by flavors of ripe raspberry, bing cherry and cured meat. Its clingy tannins ride through the finish of toasted walnut and chocolate-covered dried pomegranate. Qualifying award: Pacific Rim International (double gold)
Rating: Platinum • 90 points
Production: 304 cases
Alcohol: 13.8%
Leave a Reply