Tamarack Cabernet Franc is made from 100 percent Cabernet Franc.
Glorius vintage with wonderful weather conditions for normal production of low tonnages equaling delicious, balanced and succulent fruit.
Elegant with spiced cherry, blackberry and boysenberry mingling pleasingly and lingering seductively with a hint of oak, smooth chocolate and mocha on the structured tannins and fine-grained finish.
Review:
"Sleekly layered, with precise cherry, lead pencil and dusty dill flavors that persist toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2028. 1,176 cases made. — TF"
- Wine Spectator (Web only 2019), 90 pts
Tamarack Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Crushed gently and dropped by gravity into 1.5 ton bins, cold soaked for 24 to 72 hours, then inoculated with a variety of yeasts, hand-punched and pressed directly to barrel where the wine finishes both primary and secondary fermentations. The individual lots of wine that compose the Cabernet Sauvignon are kept separate for at least one year before they are blended.
A warm summer led to an early start to harvest, followed by a stretch of lower than average temperatures in late September that slowed ripening so grapes hung longer without sugars skyrocketing, providing balance, more flavor development and concentration. A long but successful harvest!
Full bodied with black currant jam, honey glazed dates and black peppered seasoned T-bone steak aromas intertwined with piercing boysenberry, rosemary rack of lamb, balsamic, blue cheese, bacon wrapped figs and intriguing tannins extended out over an intricate and balanced finish.
Tamarack Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Bright aromas of ruby red grapefruit, mango and stone fruit are found in the bouquet while on the palate, the bright acidity of this wine showcases flavors of guava, crisp Granny Smith apples and Asian pears. Combing the best of both cooperage techniques, the combination of aging in stainless steel highlights the fruit while the aging in neutral French oak provides an added complexity to the wine.
Aged 60% in neutral premier French oak and 3% in new premier French Oak 37% stainless steel.Dropped by gravity straight to the press, the juice is pumped directly to barrel or tank and chilled, inoculated with Chardonnay 3079 yeast, primary fermentation started and finished, secondary fermentation started but completed to preferred taste, typically around 50% completion. All fermentation is done in a 58 degree Fahrenheit barrel room.
Walla Walla Valley Appellation: Alderbanks Vineyard
Columbia Valley Appellation: Bacchus and Gamache Brothers Vineyards
Yakima Valley Appellation: Olsen Brothers and French Creek Vineyards
Tamarack Ciel de Cheval Vineyard Reserve holds dark and chocolate nauces, spiced with pretty notes of allspice and clove, this wine is round and rich, bursting with ripe berries, combined with an earthy complexity and a velvety finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon makes up half of this blend, with the balance Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot
The wine spent 22 months on 75% new French oak with the remaining 25% second vintage French oak. Select barrels from the best forests of Taransaud, Boutes, Quintessance, and Vicard cooperages.
Tamarack Firehouse Red is 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Syrah, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 3% Sangiovese, 2% Grenache, 2% Cinsault 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Counoise, 1% Mourvèdre and 1% Carmenere.
Deceptively sweet aromas of strawberries, raspberries and rose petals. The flavors are dark, rich, lusciously mouthwatering, with cherries, boysenberries, tart plum skins, hints of leather, sweet pipe tobacco, and coffee beans. The tannins are firm, but not a bit edgy and the finish lingers with just a touch of anise. A truly lovely vintage.
Tamarack Merlot is made from 100 percent Merlot.
Dark aromas of cherry, mocha and blueberry lead to ripe plum, blackberry pie and flavors of a savory red wine reduction steak sauce, layered with intense chocolate and rich, velvety tannins.
Crushed gently and dropped by gravity into 1.5 ton bins, cold soaked 48 hours minimum, then inoculated with a variety of yeasts, hand-punched and pressed directly to barrel where the wine finishes both primary and secondary fermentations. The individual lots of wine that comprise the Merlot are kept separate for at least 12 months before they are blended. 50% new oak, the majority being American with some French and Hungarian oak from select coopers & a variety of forests with the wine aging in the oak for 19 months.
Tamara Tinto is a blend of 40% Aragones, 30% Castelao (Frances), 20%Trincadeira,10%Alicante Bouschet. The grapes are grown on sandy soils and harvested manually. Vinification: destemming, crushing of the grapes, temperature controlled fermentation at 25C in stainless steel tanks. Gentle extraction to ensure a good balance. Careful selection of the juice. Stabilization and filtration before bottling. Crystal clear, ruby red colored wine with ripe fruit aromas. Well-balanced, medium bodied with soft tannins, it expresses the delicate flavors and characters of the varietals. An easy-drinking style of wine and a very good value.
The Tamara Estate
Joao Portugal Ramos has been connected to Portuguese wines for more than 20 years, first as a consultant oenologist of well known wines, and since 1992, as a producer.
Alentejo was the region elected to produce his first wines, such as the Marques de Borba, Vila Santa, various Single Varieties, Quinta da Viçosa and Loios.
Afterwards, Ribatejo came along and the main objective was to highlight the wines from this region and make them better known worldwide.
The facility was renovated in 2004 with new wine making and bottling premises in Almeirim (Ribatejo) using the most sophisticated and modern equipment that now allows Falua to produce 1.5 million bottles of red, white and rosé wines of high quality.
The new striking metallic edifice enhances the modernity of the winery and makes Falua stand out from the other more traditional wineries of the area.
The oenologist for Tamara Red is Antonina Barbosa.
The Tamara Vineyard
The grapes come from Ribatejo, in East Central Portugal, along the Tajus river and are grown in sandy soil.
Ribatejo (called Tejo since 2009) is located in the north of Lisbon, with low hills surrounding the Tagus River. Ribatejo is divided into three sub-regions with different characteristics:
- “Campo”: marshy land alongside the river
- “Bairro”: on the right bank of the Tagus River, slightly higher elevation
- “Charneca”: stretches from the Tagus right bank to the Alentejo region.
Vines are grown in all three regions. Falua vines come mainly from “Charneca” that provides with the most favorable soils.
The three different regions “Charneca”, “Bairro” and “Campo” have specific characteristics in the composition of their soils that vary between alluvial, clay and sandy.
They own 100 hectares of vineyards planted with the following varieties: Arinto, Castelão, Trincadeira, Aragonês, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Fernão Pires and Chardonnay.
The climate is mild Mediterranean, and thanks to the proximity of the river, it is characterized by winters with compacted rainfall and dry warm summers.
The average summer temperature runs between 20 and 35ºC.
The insulation varies between 2700 and 2900 hours per year and the rainfall between 600 and 800 mm.
Betz Family La Serenne Syrah is 100% Syrah
La Serenne is the most reflective of the site/vintage dynamic of our three single-site 2012 Syrahs. Lovers of this wine know that its source, the Boushey Vineyard, is the highest altitude of the three vineyards and is typically the latest harvested. This cool site was accentuated by the cooler season and the results reflect the seriousness of this vineyard and its care.
An extraordinary, nearly impenetrable black purple color leads to a concentrated, inky aromatic impression: smoky black cherry and wild blackberry dominate, but a litany of supporting aromas is already emerging: smoke, violet, mushroom, roasted meat, Chinese 5 spice and minerals. It has a full attack on entry and a big, rich mouthfeel that goes on and on.
2012 is our 13th harvest from this site and these rows. We continue to be impressed with the chameleon nature of this vineyard, in cool years and hot, in heat spikes and cool springs: it provides us with surprises and opportunities at every harvest. While the themes of deep black fruits and pliant structure always surface, the nuance of this vineyard and its care (thank you, Dick Boushey) make it some of the most satisfying fruit we work with every harvest.
Review:
"The pure, elegant and textured 2014 Syrah la Serenne offers that classic violet and floral characteristics of the cuvee, as well as medium to full-bodied richness, lots of black raspberry fruit, fine, sweet tannin and a great finish. It’s not as powerful or concentrated as the La Cote Rousse, yet it’s a joy to drink and will cruise for a decade or more on its balance and purity. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #225, June 2016), 93 pts
J Lohr Signature Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon 6% Cabernet Franc 6% Saint Macaire 4% Petit Verdot 4% Malbec.
1,600 three-bottle cases, bottled June 201
J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon was first produced to honor the 80th birthday of founder Jerry Lohr. This limited release was specially selected and blended from the exceptional 2016 vintage in Paso Robles. It is both a tribute to Jerry's pioneering efforts in the region and our red wine portfolio's ultimate expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. VINEYARDS & CELLAR Beck Vineyard, in the Creston District of Paso Robles, is a unique, high elevation site that sits at 1,700 feet above the early morning fog line. Its calcareous soils and cooling afternoon winds are perfect for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet from this vineyard ripens early with excellent color, purity of fruit, and phenolic maturity. Incorporation of Cabernet Franc brings freshness to the blend, while the rare Bordeaux variety, Saint Macaire, brings density and a savory character. Petit Verdot and Malbec add structure, color, and a component of bright fruit. The hand-harvested grapes were held separate at harvest and berry-sorted into six-ton open top tanks for fermentation. Maceration took place on the skins for five days, before early pressing to achieve ideal tannin extraction. Aged 19 months in 100% new French oak from coopers Nadalie and Sylvain.
Review:
"Dense in the glass, this top-tier Cabernet Sauvignon includes small additions of Saint-Macaire, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Elegant layers of black currant, black cherry, milk chocolate and cappuccino show on the nose. An expertly chiseled structure is immediately apparent on the palate, where rich and deep yet balanced flavors of black cherry cream and mocha latte prove luxurious." - Wine Enthusiast 97 Points
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