The Walls The Ramparts 2019
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Wine Cellar
International
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 53% Grenache, 22% Mourvèdre, 14% Counoise, 11% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The Southern Rhône-style blend from this estate, the 2019 The Ramparts sports a ruby/plum hue to go with an incredibly spicy, cedary style offering plenty of savory red fruits, medium to full body, ripe yet building tannins, and complex notes of sandalwood, white pepper, and dried flowers. I love its complexity, balance, and texture. Give bottles a year or three and enjoy over the following decade.
Range: 94-96 -
International Wine Cellar
Mostly Grenache (60%), the 2019 The Ramparts is a Southern Rhône-inspired blend that shows off really good aromatic range, from white-pepper-dusted bacon to orange rind, pipe tobacco and bright red fruits that all collide in the glass. The palate is soft, elegant and beautifully textured, with really good length. Impressive to enjoy now, this beauty can be savored for at least another eight years.
Other Vintages
2020-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spirits
Wine &
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.