
The Obelisco Estate
It is the Red Mountain reputation for quality that brought Doug Long and his partners together to collaborate on a new winery and estate vineyard. This was the dream location to plant the dream vineyard Doug Long had always wanted to do. Doug not only brings extensive wine making, wine distribution and business experience to this venture, he has history too...
In 1971, Doug and his two brothers planted their first vineyard high above Napa Valley on a property their father had purchased years earlier without any idea that the property was perfect for grapes. Doug and his brothers figured it out quickly and with encouragement from nearby wine makers, they began their adventure. By 1980, their reputation for fine grapes was growing quickly and in 1981, they started their first winery called David Arthur that went on to be named "Winery of the Decade" by Spectator in the year 2000. The 1997 vintage scored 99 points.
Doug attempted to "retire" to Gig Harbor WA. After two years and a realization that his golfing and fishing skills weren't likely to improve, he got the "itch" to do something else. With the encouragement of his beautiful wife Betsy (the beauty is not debated, but the "encouragement" might be), he explored and found Red Mountain in Eastern Washington. By 2004, the vineyard site was purchased and planted. Doug was able to put his long time theory of intensely planted vines into action. It is one of the most intensely planted vineyards in the wine world.
The first vintage was 2007. The partners were not even sure if it would be bottled. The vines were still relatively young. After sampling from the barrels and realizing that there was something special, the first bottling took place. This first offering was named "Best Cabernet in the State over $20" by Seattle Magazine and also received the esteemed "Double Gold" from the Seattle Wine Awards. The Obelisco vineyard theory was now a reality.
In 2011, Doug Long bought out his partners and friends, to assume full ownership of Obelisco and continues to strive for the finest grapes in the world. His philosophy is "that no effort and no expense is too much in growing fine grapes... grapes are 95% of the quality of wine". His philosophy comes through in the wine.
The Obelisco Vineyards
The 30 acre vineyard, designed and planted for the sole purpose of producing intensely complex and rich Red Wines, is located on a southwest facing slope bathed in sunlight throughout long daylight hours. With cool nights and the moderating effect of the Yakima River below, their new Obelisco Estate vineyard is perfectly situated to grow world class grapes noted for their structure, acidity and intense varietal character.
The vineyard is one of the most intensively planted in the State of Washington, with grape production limited to four pounds per plant. This limited production per plant allows for very intense fruit concentrations. The hand picked, estate grown fruit is aged in new French and American oak and crafted into distinctive varietals which are later blended to enhance the flavors of each wine we produce.
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Torbreck Runrig Shiraz - Viognier is made from 98% Shiraz, 2% Viognier.
RunRig often draws comparison with the beautifully fragrant and tautly structured wines from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie. Shiraz from old dry grown Barossa vineyards is blended with Viognier, complementing the strengths and complexities of these individual parcels of fruit, whilst giving the resulting wine a further dimension.
The Highland clans used a ‘RunRig’ system to distribute land amongst their clansmen in a series of widely dispersed holdings. The emphasis was not on any one farm but rather the communal element of the whole. Shiraz from old dry grown vineyards is blended with Viognier, complementing the strengths and complexities of these individual parcels of fruit, whilst giving the resulting wine a further dimension.
Review:
Tasting the RunRig beside the Descendant is always a wise move, in order to gain some contextual understanding of how they are similar and, perhaps more importantly, how they differ. This 2020 RunRig was sourced from six different vineyards across Barossa (in Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Moppa, Ebenezer, Light Pass and Greenock) and includes a 2% “dosage” (as winemaker Ian Hongell described it) of Viognier. Matured for 30 months in a combination of new French oak (50%) and second and third fill barrels, the wine rests on its lees for that time. The lower percentage of Viognier here is a seductive and effective thing, adding just enough slick and polish to make this the sybaritic wine that it is, but little enough to allow the grunt, grit and muscle of the Shiraz from all those glorious locations to shine through. Despite the very long time in oak, the wine is balanced and excellent, big in almost every possible way but with an undeniable sense of class and length of flavor. Executed with detail and precision, this wine is clearly defined in its expression of house style
-Wine Advocate 97+ Points
Siegel San Elias Carmenere is made from 100 percent Carmenere.
The nose shows beautiful red and dark fruit aromas, earthy notes and violets with balanced acidity. Supple and round in the mouth, juicy tannins, good concentration.
Pairs well with pasta dishes, Mediterranean cuisine and grilled vegetables.