Avennia Gravura 2014
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Wine Enthusiast
The 2014 Gravura should be a killer value and it offers Graves-like notes of dark fruits, coffee, damp earth and mineral in a fresh, elegant, silky style. You can feel the tannin here, but they're approachable and ripe, and I suspect this should show nicely right out of the gate.
Range: 91-93 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another great year for this cuvee, the 2014 Gravura checks in as 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc. And while it’s the entry-level cuvee, it still spent 20 months in 50% new French oak. It's a plump, rounded, sexy red from Chris that has terrific notes of blackcurrants, leafy herbs and lead pencil. Medium to full-bodied, it shows the house style but in a more forward, early drinking, delicious style.
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Avennia is inspired by the Roman name for the city of Avignon, and signifies for us the heart of Old World winemaking. The wines are designed to tease rather than flaunt; pique interest, not beg for attention. They stand for elegance, delicacy, purity. The wines are made to enhance conversation, not dominate it, and will be a welcome guest at the table.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.