Cayuse Armada Vineyard God Only Knows Grenache, Walla Walla Valley, USA

凱尤斯阿曼達園上帝方知歌海娜干紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：10437

Bursting with aromas of potpourri with a dusty, red-fruited essence of wild strawberries, savory herbs and red and black spice, the 2019 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard is an instant success. Medium-bodied, the palate is fresh with a fine mineral tension that gives way to a firm tannic edge before gliding to a seductive, red cherry skin essence over the lingering, spicy finish. Only 223 cases were produced. I'm always a sucker for this bottling.

Erupting from the glass with spiced cherry and smoked plum tones, the 2018 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard offers up notions of dusty roses, red peppercorn and dried potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is balanced with energetic acidity, a spicy, red-fruited expression and fine-grained, succulent tannins. The wine concludes with a dusty essence and a lingering flavor of red pepper skin. The wine rested for 22 months in neutral French demi-muids and foudre. It's stunningly good, and I have no choice but to finish the glass. Just over 6,200 bottles produced.

The 2017 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard displays a beautiful ruby color and offers up from aromas of wild raspberry and smoked cherry with an underlying savory tone of rosemary and lavender bushes after a dust storm. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is supple and ripe with a polished shine to the mid-palate, showing a balanced structure that is floral and lifted with a high-toned red fruit sensation. Showing fine-grained tannins, aligned with a soft umami character, the long-lingering finish delivers pleasure for more than a minute. The 2017 is showing beautifully now and is approachable in youth but has the propensity to age for a decade or more. Only 554 cases were produced.

Featuring a playful label, the 2016 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard is a blend of 90% Grenache, with the remaining 10% comprising unknown varieties. This has a seductive nose of cherry and wild strawberry, with a floral essence and rich minerality, tamed by soft red spices. There is a touch of black pepper here, suggesting a splash of Syrah in the blend. The wine is tight on the palate but gives pleasure on many different levels, as it has both breadth and depth. There is a focused core of rocky minerality to the wine as it lingers on the long, textured finish with good balance and structured tannins. This is impressive juice! Only 535 cases produced.

The 2015 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard is superb, wafting from the glass with a bouquet of kaleidoscopic complexity that features aromas of rose hips and peony, ripe cherries and orange rind, mingled with savory bass notes of garrigue, licorice and bay leaf. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and expansive, with a deep core of fruit framed by very fine-grained, velvety tannins, concluding with a sapid, even saline finish. Its concentration without weight, as well as its striking aromatic amplitude, mark it out as one of the finest expressions of Grenache to be found in the United States. The 2015 was cropped at 1.2 tons per acre and saw a saignée of 8% to 15%, and it was fermented with 70% to 80% whole cluster, attaining 14.2% alcohol.