Rubus White Blend 2016

Rubus White Blend is made from 80% Colombard, 10% Ugni Blanc and 10 % Gros Manseng

Fresh, clean and lively with intense exotic fruit aromas. Crisp, clean and zesty in the mouth, it offers delicate flavors of citrus fruit and grapefruit, and a long lingering finish.

This is blend of three different grape varitals, all vinified separately.

Soil type is argilo-calcaire (limestone and clay)

Wine was aged on the lees for 3 months before bottling giving that extra boost of flavors..

A special bottle was used, darker, in order to protect the wine from the sunlight, gaining a few extra month of freshness, combined with the screwcap that also extands shelf life.

Enjoy as an aperitif or with grilled fish, shellfish and appetizers.

Rubus Proprietary Red is made from 90% Garnacha and 10% Syrah

Tasting Notes: This blend of red varietals combine to produce a flavorsome wine rich in blackberry and plum fruits. Aromas of subtle spices, berry and fruitcake.

The Grenaches represent 90% of the final blend. From all the Grenaches, more than 70% is represented by Garnacha Tinta, from 35 year old vines planted on very small plots using the goblet (bush vine) pruning technique, where you can see the typicities of it, the survival spirit of the vine and everything is very artisanal. The remaining Grenache is a blend of Garnacha Peluda (Lledoner Pelut), Garnacha Tintorera and some loose Garnacha Blanca vines.
The Syrah, representing 10% of the final blend, is mostly planted in trellis with irrigation, all mechanized, but where its quality is not diminished since this foreign variety requires another form of viticulture, it needs more water and other cultivation techniques, producing aromatic wines with a lot of color, contributing what the Grenache may lack.

Located in a mountainous area called SistemaI Ibérico, in an area with great geographical interest, undulating soils, and with a maximum altitude close to 1000 masl, characterized on stony, loose and nutrient-poor soils. Being heterogeneous soils in their entirety, but intended for this assembly, 80% of vineyards located at an altitude higher than 800 meters above sea level, planted in goblet (bush vine) with 60% of vines over 50 years old.

We can find these types of soils:
- Gravel, composed of pebbles and boulders, coming from alluvium, with good drainage giving intense, structured and fleshy wines.
- Red Slates, with low fertility and where they hardly retain rainwater, giving subtle, fine and elegant wines.
- Slates gray, darker in color, retain the heat of the day and expel it at night, resulting in high-grade grapes and low yields, with structured wines and mineral notes.
- Marl or marlstone, Composed of limestones and clays, deep soils, giving wines with body, warm, powerful and aromatic.
- In addition to areas with clay, sandy and limestone soils.

Vinification is carried out separately, using different strains of Saccharomyces yeasts, but also non-Saccharomyces strains for sugar consumption and that do not produce ethanol. We look for strains of yeast that provide primary aromas in the less old grenache, in the old we look for strains that provide polysaccharides from their cell walls and that produce glycerol. For the Syrah, vinifications are made at a lower temperature to favor primary and secondary aromas, but with successive delestages (racking) to obtain color; and once the alcoholic fermentation is finished, we make a first blending based on the correction of the acidity, so that later the malolactic fermentation takes place and once finished we decide on a final blend before the brief ageing in French oak of part of the blend, the part that we want to round by the contribution of tannin from the oak that will polymerize with the tannin of the grape.

Pairs with grilled meats, lamb, duck or barbecue pork

Tasting Notes: Deep, dark ruby color, aromas of blue fruits, confectionery and subtle licorice characters, thick luscious palate with good structure and soft finish.

The Blend is 44% Rubired, 31% Durif and 25% Shiraz.

Rubired is a cross between Tinto Cao and Alicante Ganzin (which is itself a cross between Alicante Bouschet and Aramon Rupestris Ganzin). It is known for being particularly adapted to the hot climate and producing dark wines, as the color is not only coming from the grape's skin, but also from the grape juice itself. It was developed in 1958 by H.P. Olmo of the University of California Davis.

Durif, also known as Petite Sirah, is also a cross of two different grape varietals: Syrah and Peloursin. It was created by French botanist François Durif in 1860 while keeping Syrah and Peloursin plants under the same roof; it happened from a natural process called "cross-pollination." The grape itself is known for its very aromatic, plummy character.

Shiraz, which we all know for being the most recognized grape varietal of Australia, brings some minty, spicy and fruity characteristics to the wines.

Grapes are crushed and destemmed then placed in rotary fermenters where three rotations per day break up the cap and extract color and tannin. Commercial yeast is added for fermentation. The juice is pressed to stainless steel for malolactic fermentation, undergoes oak maturation for 9 months, then is stored in stainless steel.

Pairs well with BBQ lamb with roast vegetables.

Avennia Justine Red Blend 56% Grenache, 31% Mourvèdre, 13% Syrah 

Justine reflects our belief that Washington is capable of producing world class blends of grape varieties traditional to the Southern Rhone region of France. The name is inspired by one of the great heroines of recent literature, who also sprung from the imagination of the Mediterranean. Dark, seductive, complex, with a chasm of depth: The Justine is a great reflection of Avennia's mission of expression, and Washington's generous terroir.

 Tasting Note: Big black cherry, blackberry, hints of orange peel, fresh herbs and loam on the nose. Plush and round on the palate. Dark earthy fruits from the Mourvedre, along with citrus high notes, mountain flowers, jasmine, and savory herbs. Balanced and complex without forgetting its hedonistic roots in the Southern Rhone.

Review:

A blend of 56% Grenache, 31% Mourvèdre, 13% Syrah brought up all in older oak, the 2016 Justine offers a great core of black fruits as well as lots of peppery herbs, earth, and classic meatiness. It looks to be a great vintage for this cuvée."
- Jeb Dunnuck (April 2018), 92-94 pts

Avennia Sestina Red Blend is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc

The Sestina is a poetic form from Medieval France. Just as a contemporary poet can use an old form like the Sestina to express modern ideas, we use the traditional Bordeaux blend to make modern wines that express Washington fruit. Sestina is our vision for an old vine blend where the focus is on structure, balance, and complexity. This wine is designed for the cellar, but is enjoyable now.

Sestina: This wine is a blockbuster, with black currant, black raspberry, saddle leather, freshly tilled earth, vanilla, and violet on the nose. Exceedingly rich and balanced on the palate, with great poise and structure for long aging. The finish echoes with fresh black fruits, minerally touches, and floral notes.

Review:

"The 2016 Sestina checks in as 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that saw 21 months in 48% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It shows the purity and elegance of the vintage beautifully and offers classic Cabernet notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil, crushed rocks, and tobacco leaf. With beautiful balance and that more elegant, finesse-driven style of the estate, it packs plenty of fruit and is a seamless wine that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (The 2016s From Washington State, April 11th 2019), 95+ pts
#52 in the TOP100 Red Wines of 2019

Avennia Valery Red Blend is made from 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc

Valery is named for the patron saint of wine in the St. Emilion region that inspired it.
We started with old vine Merlot from a stony block in the heart of the Yakima Valley and added complex, aromatic Cabernet Franc from the Horse Heaven Hills. The result is a balanced, complex wine with the elegance and ethereal perfume that this blend of two of Washington’s best varietals are known for.

The nose on this wine is very perfumed, almost exotic with notes of fresh violets, red plum, winter mint, fresh herbs and crushed limestone qualities. The palate is poised and balanced, with red fruits and mocha powder encapsulated in limestone. The finish lingers delicately, with the Cabernet Franc asserting a light tobacco and herb note, giving depth. A compelling wine that will continue to unwind for 7-10 years in the cellar.

Review:

"Brought up in 30% new French oak, the 2016 Valery (70/30 Merlot and Cabernet Franc) offers more black cherry and earthy, herbal notes as well as a medium-bodied, seamless, beautifully balanced style. It too shows a vibrant, fresh, yet concentrated style that has a Bordeaux feel in its weight and texture."
- Jeb Dunnuck (April 2019), 93 pts

"Good medium-dark red. Aromas of blueberry, mocha, licorice and violet are a bit darker than those of the 2015 version. Dense and penetrating, with wild flavors of dark berries, licorice and game given lift by rocky minerality and a minty nuance. Chris Peterson slightly acidified his Cabernet Franc from Champoux Vineyard, which he added to the wine for richness. This beauty may yet tighten up in the bottle.- Stephen Tanzer"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (November 2018), 92+ pts