Alleromb Red Years in Motion I Walla Walla Valley NV

“This Solera-style wine is a multi-vintage blend of Syrah (37%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Malbec (15%), Grenache (13%), and Merlot (5%), with 50% of the wine from the 2012 vintage and the remainder from the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 vintages. It has a nice juxtaposition between youthful and secondary fruits. It offers a rich base of dark berry fruits, complemented by liquorice, camphor, and smoky minerals, with notes of dark chocolate and toffee spices. A firm backbone of juicy acidity supports a complex, pixelated texture to the velvety tannins, leading to a spicy finish that lingers for over a minute. Quite intriguing and a strong case for making more multi-vintage blends from California.”

“The solera-like NV Years In Motion I is an eclectic blend of 37% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 13% Grenache, and the rest Merlot, aged 26-74 months in new and used 500-liter French oak barrels. The vintage breakdown is 50% from 2012, then equal parts from 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Plums, blackberries, baking chocolate, melted licorice, and cedary spice notes all give way to a ripe, evolved yet textured, still structured wine that should continue evolving and drinking nicely for a decade.”