Winery - Tamarack Cellars
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Grapes from one of the valley’s top vineyards create this Bordeaux blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 7% Cab Franc. Fragrant with scents of sandalwood, rose petals, toast and lead pencil, the wine grudgingly opens out into a beautifully balanced, elegant palate of sweet cherry, cranberry and pomegranate. Modest in size, but complex and delicious.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Substantial and authoritative, with the acid, backbone and structure to support the dense fruit. Happily, it is not smothered in chocolate. The wine unfolds in compact layers of blackberry, black cherry, light chocolate and a hint of tar.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Pure Sangiovese, soft and slightly leafy. It clearly shows its varietal character in the way the wine is structured, with relatively high acids and hints of tobacco leaf. Smooth and easy-drinking.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Along with the Merlot there is about 15% Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc. Good, grapy and dark; this is a broad, sturdy and ripe wine, which sails through the palate on a wide swath of black cherry fruit. It’s consistent with the rest of the Tamarack lineup; sweet, ripe fruit and plenty of barrel flavors, muscled together nicely.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Purple and blue, it tastes of tart cherry and blueberry fruit. The tannins are stiffer than the winery’s other reds, thicker and somewhat chalkier, and they seem a bit distanced from the soft, fruity mid-palate. Overall it’s another consistent, ripe, fruity, good, solid effort.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Pressed directly to barrel prior to fermentation, it’s dusty and fragrant, capturing the higher acidity of the vintage, and some underlying minerality. This 2008 does not have the ripe peachiness of the previous year, but the citrus/pineapple fruit makes an excellent food wine, stylish and affordable.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Lovely aromas mingle baking spices, white pepper, red fruits and black cherries. It’s a little light in terms of body, but not color or scent. The tannins are herbal and chewy, and the finish carries a pleasing floral note.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This pure, single-vineyard, Red Mountain Syrah shows pronounced minerality. There are interesting aromatic hints of herb and diesel, and a strong streak of gun metal running down the midpalate. The fruit is spicy, substantial and earthy, with thick, lightly chocolaty tannins and a long finish.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The fruit comes from Weinbau, DuBrul and Destiny Ridge. The Weinbau is old vine, and is the main component. This is a solid, meaty, deep purple and blue, with hints of smoked meat in the nose. Fruit flavors are tight, tart and run to the black cherry and blackberry flavors. Clearly varietal, with stiff tannins, a bit chalky, but plenty of varietal character and a long finish with streaks of coffee and light herb. This is winemaker Ron Coleman’s favorite red, and he gives it plenty of TLC that shines through in the bottle.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This shows the sappy, sweet, ripe character of the grape; fresh and forward and bursting with flavors of just-picked berries. It’s nicely dusted with chocolate and has both power and precision. The oak is layered in beautifully, enhancing but not obliterating the fruit. This is a wine to drink young.
0 out of 0 people thought this note was helpful.
