Click below to read more about this month’s club
2022 Dichotomy Vineyards Estate Super Tuscan Style
Yakima Valley, Washington
Grape Varietals
- 50% Sangiovese
- 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 12% Syrah
- 8% Nebbiolo
Location
Yakima Valley AVA, Washington
Estate-grown fruit from Dichotomy Vineyards in the Yakima Valley.
Cellar Window: Drink now or cellar through 2032
Tasting Notes
This Washington interpretation of a Super Tuscan is energetic and savory rather than heavy. The winery describes the wine as bright and juicy, with tart cherry, olive, lemon myrtle and spice. You’ll fresh red cherry and sour cherry at the center, joined by red plum, dried herbs, cracked pepper and a distinctly savory olive note. Sangiovese provides the lively red-fruit character and acidity; Cabernet Sauvignon contributes darker fruit and structure; Nebbiolo adds aromatic lift, earthiness and tannin; and Syrah rounds the wine with spice and deeper fruit. The wine was open-fermented and aged for 20 months in oak, giving it additional texture and complexity without obscuring its fresh Yakima Valley fruit.
Food Pairings
This is an exceptionally versatile food wine because it combines Sangiovese-like acidity with the structure of Cabernet and Nebbiolo. Pair it with wild mushroom pasta, pappardelle with ragù, lasagna, tomato-based pasta dishes, grilled lamb, rosemary-roasted pork, sausage and peppers, or grilled steak with herbs. Its cherry-and-herb character would also be excellent with pizza topped with mushrooms, sausage or prosciutto. Aged cheeses such as Pecorino Toscano, Parmigiano-Reggiano or aged Gouda will play especially well with the wine’s savory character.
About the Producer
Dichotomy Vineyards is the project of husband-and-wife winemakers Rosie Signer and Jarred Jenner, whose backgrounds span two hemispheres. Rosie is originally from Washington and worked in Italy, Washington and Oregon before traveling to South Australia in 2010. Jarred grew up in South Australia’s Barossa Valley and has worked in Australia as well as California, Oregon, Canada and Austria. Together they bring roughly 40 vintages of winemaking experience to the project. Dichotomy began with their connection to South Australia and later expanded into an estate vineyard in Washington’s Yakima Valley. The winery’s name reflects their philosophy: exploring how the same grapes and winemaking ideas can express themselves differently according to soil, climate, harvest decisions and even hemisphere. Their Yakima Valley wines are produced in small quantities, making this Super Tuscan-style blend a particularly interesting example of Italian varieties interpreted through Washington terroir.
2018 Balboa Winery Carménère
Walla Walla Valley, Washington
Grape Varietal
- 100% Carménère
Location
Walla Walla Valley AVA, Washington
Summit View is one of the higher-elevation vineyard sites in the Walla Walla Valley. Balboa identifies the 2018 Carménère as a single-vineyard wine sourced entirely from Summit View Vineyard.
Cellar Window: Drink now or cellar through 2031
Tasting Notes
Balboa’s 2018 Carménère is a richer Washington interpretation of the variety, combining ripe fruit with the peppery, herbal character for which Carménère is known. The winery describes aromas of spice, leather and blueberry, followed on the palate by ripe strawberry, cranberry, vanilla and abundant white pepper. Expect blackberry and blueberry alongside red berry fruit, cracked pepper, dried herbs, tobacco and subtle earthy notes as the wine continues to mature. The fruit was hand harvested early in the morning, fermented in small lots in stainless steel with the cap punched down manually twice daily, then aged for 18 months in French oak before bottling.
Food Pairings
Carménère’s combination of dark fruit, spice and herbal character makes it particularly good with savory dishes that include peppers, herbs or smoke. Try it with grilled flank steak with chimichurri, herb-crusted lamb, braised short ribs, smoked brisket, grilled pork chops, roast beef, or sausage with roasted peppers. It would also work beautifully with mushroom dishes, lentils, roasted eggplant or a hearty beef stew. For cheese, look toward aged cheddar, Manchego or smoked Gouda. Dishes containing rosemary, thyme, black pepper or roasted red peppers can echo the wine’s naturally savory and spicy qualities.
About the Producer
Balboa Winery is a small-production Walla Walla Valley producer founded in 2005 with an emphasis on wines that reflect their grape variety, vineyard and vintage. The winery describes its approach as beginning in the vineyard, using sustainable growing practices and extensive hand work, with the winemaking team working closely with vineyard management throughout the growing season. Balboa says its wines commonly spend 16–22 months in barrel and are held after bottling until the winery believes they are ready to drink. Although much of Balboa’s production now comes from estate vineyards, this particular Carménère is sourced from Summit View Vineyard, one of the higher-elevation vineyard sites in the Walla Walla Valley. The winery’s current winemaking program is led by Tyler Grennan, while founder Tom Glase has played a central role in Balboa’s winemaking history.
