| Country: | United States |
| Region: | Washington (Walla Walla) |
| Winery: | Waterbrook Winery |
| Grape Type: | Merlot |
| Vintage: | 2008 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles Reserve is made from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot
Dark, ruby/purple core with a medium intensity rim and moderately stained tears. Complex and very aromatic with black cherry, cassis, toasty vanilla, cinnamon, cedar, graphite, oak, dusty leaf notes, star anise and red licorice. Full bodied, with ripe black fruit of cherry, currant and berry with baking spice on entry. The mid-palate features sustained fruit with sweet tobacco, leather, vanilla and licorice, and mouth coating tannins that balance its full fruit character through a very long, fresh and beautifully balanced finish that evolves with a complex mix of fruit, spice and savory elements.
The 2016 ISOSCELES Reserve is a bold, but balanced wine that pairs nicely with rich meat dishes like slow cooked stews and braises, but shines beautifully with a simple grilled ribeye steak.
Review:
Clean lines of blackberry jam, charred toast and crushed slate make for a focused nose in this reserve blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. It is very dense and thick on the palate, where mocha, caramel, loamy earth and dark berry flavors align into an lusciously rich yet elegantly dry experience.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
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.
Trump Winery New World Reserve is made from 53% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 7% Malbec.
Awards:
Tasting Notes:
This signature Bordeaux-style blend is complex and round with well-structured tannins and developed flavors of blackberry, cassis, vanilla, and toasted oak. Just released, this wine will develop and evolve in the bottle softening into a seamless wine with aging potential. Enjoy with steak, lamb, and hard, salty cheeses such as gruyère
Alexandre Monmousseau Gaudrelle Vouvray Reserve Personelle is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc
Fine Chenin Blanc typicity, with aromas of ripe apples and honeyed notes. Rich, smooth, rounded palate with great structure and weight. Has the acidity to support ageing for 10 years.
Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir thrives in Willamette Valley's long growing seasons with cool autumn breezes and sunny days. This culmination of extra time on the vine yields aromatics of crunchy dried leaves, pomegranate molasses, black tea leaves, and tart cherries. Earthy undertones and great textured tannins that continue to smooth out with time - adding to the body and longevity.
Review:
Rich and polished, this Pinot offers multilayered raspberry and blueberry flavors. Shows dusky spice and fresh forest floor accents while building structure toward refined tannins.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot Toscana IGT is made from Merlot.
Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot has an explosive olfactory impact. The wide aromatic bouquet ranges from cherry and plum jam to notes of black tea, rhubarb and graphite, with small final notes of fermented tobacco. The entrance is bursting. The palate is invested by the imposing and typical structure of Tuscan Merlot, enveloping and warm. Tastefully in symbiosis with the olfactory notes, the dense and linear tannin accompanies hints of coconut and black pepper in retrolfaction.
Review:
James Suckling 94 Points
Waterbrook Merlot Reserve is aged for 19 months in oak barrels (39% new).
(59% American Oak, 31% French Oak, 10% Hungarian Oak)
Tasting Notes: Wonderfully developed cherry, smoke and leather aromas swirl in the glass. Juicy, bright cherries welcome you to the well-rounded palate. Layered notes of rich fruit, cocoa powder and leather lead to balanced tannins and lingering oak on the finish.
The Waterbrook Winery Estate
Waterbrook Winery was founded in 1984 by Eric and Janet Rindal and is located in Washington State's lovely Walla Walla Valley. This name was chosen to complement the translation from Nez Perce Indian dialect for the name Walla Walla, meaning "running water". Production has slowly increased to a total of 30,000 cases annually.
“Nearly definitive Washington State winery; top choice for genuinely expressive wines of moderate prices.” - Anthony Dias' blue pocket guide to wine 2006
The Waterbrook Winery Vineyards
The region is characterized by dry, arid conditions with long daylight hours and cool nights, which allow the grapes to ripen at a slow, even pace. The Walla Walla Valley is slightly cooler and wetter. The regions must all rely completely on irrigation throughout the season as rainfall averages only 8 to 11 inches annually. Grapes are purchased from some of Columbia Valley's finest and oldest vineyards. Since exceptional wines can only be made from exceptional fruit, close contact with growers is maintained throughout the year.
- Red Mountains, Yakima Valley: The area's southwestern slope has produced some of the most coveted grapes in the Columbia Valley and sealed its reputation as one of the top sights for superlative fruit in Washington State. The unique combination of topography, soil, altitude and microclimate produce the perfect environment for red wine grapes.
- Waterbrook Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley: Planted in the spring of 1998 this twelve acre chardonnay vineyard is in the heart of the Walla Walla Valley. The vineyard's growth is consistent and uniform but not overly vegitative, showing great potential in the years ahead. It's first harvest is successful with low tonage and exceptional flavored fruit.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Intense ruby color of high layer with garnet edge, clean and shiny. Intense nose that, from the beginning, transmits complexity, penetrating, with aromas of black fruits, blueberries and currants, undergrowth, roasted memories, toffee, coffee powder, liquorice, cloves, vanilla and lebanese cedar. Mouth with freshness and balance, with tannins ripe and creamy, which highlight its elegance, with a step harmonious and intense. Long and pleasant aftertaste, with a great variety of balsamic and spicy memories.
Review:
Complex but neat and vivid, with outstanding depth and vibrancy at the same time. White pepper, nettles, red berries, chalk, minerals and spices. Full-bodied and so cohesive and chalky on the palate, with a long, broad, dusty finish. The slight warmth in the finish does not affect the greatness of this Ribera del Duero. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 95 Points
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