Firethorn Vineyard
A Single Vineyard Bordeaux blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot from Firethorn Vineyard in the Columbia Valley AVA.
97 Points - Owen Bargreen
Winemaker Notes - 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley AVA. The Petit Verdot comes from Dionysus Vineyard and the rest of the fruit is from Firethorn Vineyard.
The 2019 En Passant is not a wine of power but rather of elegance and nuanced delicacy. The bouquet is riveting, notes of black cherry, blackberry, crushed stones, red plum, lead pencil, and gravel. On the palate, there is a great combination of vibrancy, suppleness, and texture. On the palate, notes of red plum, black raspberry, cassis, aged cigar tobacco, nutmeg, sage, leather, incense, and anise. Substantial fruit but perfectly balanced with the crisp acidity and underlying silky tannic structure. The long length finishes with precise tones of black cherry, dried herbs, and rose petal. Properly cellared, this wine should hit maturity in 7-9 years and gracefully evolve for 15+ years.
Technical Details: The wine had a pre-fermentation maceration of 151 hours and post-fermentation maceration of 96 hours. 100% Native fermentation. The wine was punched down by hand 3 times each day during maceration and fermentation. All individual wine components, including free run and press fractions, were kept separate until final blending. Elevage was 19 months in 60% new French oak and 40% neutral French oak. The wine achieved its sparkly brilliance from 4 judicious rackings, no fining agents were employed. The wine was very gently filtered using crossflow filtration. The alcohol is 14.3%, pH is 3.66, and the titratable acidity is 6.1 g/L.
Cases Produced: 76
2019 Rasa Vineyards ‘En Passant’ Red Wine
Formerly only made en magnum, the 2019 Rasa Vineyards ‘En Passant’ combines mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with smaller parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot which were all sourced from the Columbia Valley. Once on the nose this takes on layers of boysenberry cordial, leather and Earl Grey tea, with light vegetal underpinnings from the Cabernet Franc. The highly complex aromatics bring you back to the glass for more enjoyment. The palate is pillowy and inviting, as this effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. Simply marvelous to consume now, the 2019 Rasa Vineyards ‘En Passant’ will live on easily for another twenty years. Drink 2022-2042- Owen Bargreen
