Grand Reve Collaboration Series V 2008
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Producing small quantities of Bordeaux- and Rhone-inspired wines from Ciel du Cheval Vineyard from 2004 to 2013, the "Collaboration Series" garnered many accolades and permitted the release of exceptional single-vineyard wines.
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The 2008 Collaboration Series V is a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah sourced from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard (as are all these wines for the time being). It was aged in 100% new French oak and made by Chris Gorman. It is rare for this much new oak to be used with Grenache, but here it seems to work. The wine delivers an expressive nose of sandalwood, smoke, Asian spices, lilacs, black cherry, and black raspberry. Full-bodied and plush on the palate, it has layered spicy red and black fruits, good volume, enough structure to evolve for several years, and a lengthy, pure finish. It will be at its best from 2013 to 2023.
Grand Reve Vintners is a collaboration between Paul McBride and Ryan Johnson to grow grapes and produce wine focused on the Red Mountain AVA. They are planting the first hillside vineyard in Red Mountain on the slopes above Col Solare at 955 to 1230 feet of elevation. I visited the site in June, 2010, and it is a remarkable piece of work. The winemaking is in the hands of five top local winemakers, Ben Smith (Collaboration I) making a Cabernet blend, Ross Michel (Collaboration II) a Rhone blend, Mark McNeilly (Collaboration III) a Syrah, Carolyn Lakewold (Collaboration IV) a Merlot, and Chris Gorman (Collaboration V) a Grenache. There are also two Reserve wines being offered in the new collection.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.