Washington State's Wahluke AVA (Wahluke is Native American for "watering hole") was established in 2005 and lives within the renowned Columbia Valley appellation. It is a small and intimate AVA with only 20 vineyards on the Wahluke Slope. It is 81k acres compared to 570k acres of the Horse Heaven Hills. It's the only 100% south-facing AVA in the state of WA, one of the warmest AVAs and receives less than 6 inches of annual rainfall. These conditions are ideal for wine grapes as the ample sunshine and scant rainfall create ripe, concentrated fruit. The 2014 vintage in Eastern Washington was one of the warmest seasons in decades-- ripening was excellent for all varieties in all locations and the evidence is in this tasty, balanced bottling.
The winery name comes from the 7 waterfalls, spanning 10 miles, that once ran through the Wahluke Slope: three at the base, two at the head, and two in between.
Rapids Red is a blend of 68% Syrah, 23% Merlot and 9% Cinsault. The nose highlights ripe fruits and berries, plums and cherries, with secondary notes of chocolate, cedar, spice and a touch of anise. The palate reiterates the bright fruits from the nose with easy tannins that seemingly grow as the soft fruits embolden to a lengthy finish of more ripe cherries, red berries and excellent structure. Versatile with food, try pepper steak, lamb, rich stews or strong cheeses (think blue). Great holiday red!
The winery name comes from the 7 waterfalls, spanning 10 miles, that once ran through the Wahluke Slope: three at the base, two at the head, and two in between.
Rapids Red is a blend of 68% Syrah, 23% Merlot and 9% Cinsault. The nose highlights ripe fruits and berries, plums and cherries, with secondary notes of chocolate, cedar, spice and a touch of anise. The palate reiterates the bright fruits from the nose with easy tannins that seemingly grow as the soft fruits embolden to a lengthy finish of more ripe cherries, red berries and excellent structure. Versatile with food, try pepper steak, lamb, rich stews or strong cheeses (think blue). Great holiday red!