This just goes to show how there are good and less good bottles, and how context for wine matters. This was our last bottle of this first vintage of Rasa. Reminded us of meeting Billo in the incubator warehouse while we were tasting Lullaby. And tasted with a good hamburger after a long bike ride that ended in rain. Really lovely put together wine. Not at all like my previous bottles. Nice fruit balance with stone and savory notes. I got the rich earthy smell after a rain, so yes probably also triggering smell memories from the bike ride. Some left over for today so will update if warranted. This just reminds me why I keep searching for that wonderful experience with a new or old wine. This was one of those richly satisfying moments that many is us seek. If I had to score the wine, maybe low 90s. The experience and memories, 100.
Day 2. Now more coffee and dark chocolate, with some dark raspberry and blackberry notes. No bitterness at all. This tells me this wine needs five or more years. Sorry I don’t have any kore and won’t be able to test this. This would go great with a braised beef dish. I am going to score this at 93 now. Really lovely wine.
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A nose of dark fruits and spices, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied Rhone blend, with blackberry, raspberry, coffee and spice on finish, a bit past peak, drink now. www.winelx.com
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Vertical 2007-2011. Hard to believe this is 12 years old. Still feels pretty young with lush black fruit and a bit of pepper. Some oak and baking spice as well. Medium+ finish.
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Auction purchase a number of years ago. I was worried about this one, being 12 years past vintage, and noticing that wine had seeped out of the cork and stained the capsule. It was drinking beautifully however! Gorgeous black fruit, touches of white pepper, flowers and espresso. Came in just barely second place for my Wine of the Night. Drink now - 2020.
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This has become quite lovely. Some strong dark red fruits, and even some raspberry on the nose. A bit smooth and simple on the palatte Good, but not great.
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Agree with FORCUMBA that it is time to drink. However we did have some fruit to go with the savory notes. The wine also was definitely not a 92 by the end of the evening (2 + hours later)
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Still fresh and vibrant. Silky tannins are led by black raspberry, currant, blueberry with subtle notes of coffee, licorice and cocoa. Enjoyed at Red Salt in Richmond, VA with a hearty steak. Phenomenal with food and by itself.
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PNP. Heavy cigarette and turkey skin on the nose. Very smooth, peppery palate with some black currant. Rounded tannins on medium finish. This is a heavy sipper, not an everyday drinker. Very deep.
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Still holding up but losing its complexity, although to be fair this has always needed to decant a good hour before drinking to open up its great flavor profile. Overall still very enjoyable.
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Very dark red, earthy dark cherry aroma, dense black cherry/raspberry fruit with just a hint of pepper, tannins are fully integrated now (compared to 5-6 years ago), medium length earthy fruit finish. Went very well with grilled leg of lamb steaks.
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Agree with Triplets note below, very clean and well made Syrah, small amount of Grenache and Mourvèdre. Yet, it does seem it has lost perhaps a step, or perhaps even just a simple matter that it hasn't changed much since I had it in 2010, hard to say. A minor quibble, still excellent and a fun wine to drink
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Received as a gift. Grapey and very full bodied. Decent enough but I wouldn't buy it on my own. Overpriced at $50. Maybe at $25-$30 though. The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle.
It tastes like prune and plum. The body is full. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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As opposed to a few others, I feel like this still has some time in it. Still going strong. Decanted for 3 hours. I could drink this all the time. I really love what Billo is doing in Walla Walla. Black fruit on the nose. Not overpowering. Finish is lacking a little bit, but really nitpicking there. Very smooth right now. Not getting any funk that you might find from Cayuse or Reynvaan. And I kind of like that funk, so maybe knocking it down a notch for me.
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Last one of a bunch. Still just a very clean syrah. Classic nose and just a great drinking wine. However, it has lost some of the complexity over the years which brings it down a few notches.
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At first a bit too fruit forward and jammy for me. But the next day it had settled down a bit. Very much a new world profile. Strong dark berry -- blackberry? -- with some dark fruit syrup. A slight bit of heat on the nose.
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This wine just gets better and better. Layered and balanced, with a bit of Washington funk but more important a depth of black fruit, tar and earth that is as good as any Washington Syrah I have had, including Reynvaan, Cayuse, Gramercy, etc. So much better than three or four years ago.
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For all the great bottles Ive drank of the epic 07 QED I guess I was due for a bad one. Corked or previously not stored correctly, not sure, but i won't rate this one because if i did it would be ugly.
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Consistent. This is the year to drink this wine. Really nice fruit on the nose, some plums, minerality and dark berries. The palate is so nice on this wine. silky but with some depth and layers of fruit.
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We drank the 07 and 08 QEDs together. My brother and his girl couldn't tell the two apart. We slightly preferred the 07 although they are clearly made from the same cloth and differences are small. This wine has depth and complexity, I got some lighter floral hints in the 07 versus deeper hints of new leather in the 08. Both are great wines and drinking quite well. Opening a few hours before helped.
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Drank with Lunch at Veritable Quandary, no formal notes. Drinking great...was actually hard to put down at lunch, it just kept getting better and better with an hour open. Less of the meaty character and into a wine that just shows the greatness of great Syrah with great winemaking. No perceived gaps, great mouthfeel, long finish of bright red and black fruits.
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Ok, I agree with the previous notes on this wine. Jammy... blah blah blah.
Funny thing is that I let this decant for a couple/few hours tonight and it turned into a meat/beef jerk bomb. Delicious... didn't exactly go with my bbq brisket early on, but since dinner, wow, its a meat bomb. Last one I had near this was the "God only knows" Grenache, from Cayuse
For a wine enthusiast this is very interesting turn of taste.
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Dark ruby with magenta rim, red fruit nose. Dry with dusty tannins, medium fruit with a slight bitter note. Opened two nights ago and paired poorly with fresh caught salmon or lateer with mushroom penne. Put away and not much better when tasted last night. Perplexing as this in one of my favorite wines. Not a bad bottle, just too jammy and boring. OK, tonight and another chance at redemption, more time has resulted in a much more balanced wine. While still full bodied fruit, the acid which was lacking has started to emerge and the tannins have lost the bitter edge, all is good in Rasaland. Getting some leather and earthy flavors but would like a bit more acid. Best to drink up now.
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Decanted 1.5 hours. Silky smooth as tannins are well integrated. Lush fruit, but not too forward. A bit of spice offers the only secondary flavor. Medium finish.
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really good! concentrated, inky dark, smooth, quiet tannins, almost chewy. unfortunately, i made the wrong pick of this for a meditteranean dinner of baked chicken thighs, olives, lemons, onion and garlic, but HRH wanted a red. I think its drinking very well right now, with maybe a year or two left. I don't think I'd wait if I had more.
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Good Rhone blend from Washington, this wine is in a very nice place right now and drinking well, don't know that there is any more up side to this wine, by holding it longer. Well balanced and very nice right now.
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Drinking great. May be at the top of the window right now. Super smooth with lush notes of red and black fruit, some earthy notes that are followed on by a great finish.
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Pop & pour. Noted some obvious seepage from the cork, oxidizing the capsule. This was a WineBid purchase, so obviously some poor storage at some point. Thankfully, the wine was still absolutely amazing! No porty/stewed notes of a cooked wine at all, which is what I expected. No decant needed, and drinking very well. Lots of earthiness and pepper to match the deep blackberry fruit. Paired well with our grilled chicken salad.
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No detailed notes. Drank with the 2010 Perfect Union. Dark purple in the glass. Highly aromatic, black fruits, olives, and pepper. Last time we drank this wine it was a monster that kept opening and getting bigger over the course of the night. This evening, the wine seems to have hit its stride, delivering a balanced experience over several hours. Meaty and bloody, rich with dark fruits, punctuated by olives and minerals, this wine showed more complexity, but less balance and a rougher texture than the 2010 Perfect Union. Still, what a great wine. Rasa consistently delivers some of my favorite WA offerings. While it is in a good place, I think this may really be at the beginning of its true drinking window. I plan on holding my last bottle for a year, or two, more.
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This is still the best year for QED. Great deep nose of dark cherry, blackberry and smoke. Palate is clean and round with plum, red fruit and a little bit of tar and a nice medium finish. May have scored higher for me if we had not drank an 07 Betz Clos and PDF after.
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Chocolate, cranberry, maybe a touch of smokiness, some currant, dark black cherry, maybe a hint of licorice(?). Was a touch tight upon opening, but after about a half hour it was really singing. Would be interesting to see what it would have been with more time, but it didn't make it that long. This is prob just a touch on the young side to be drinking yet, but we're enjoying it.
Decanted 2 hours. Deep and thick Syrah. Cali style basically in my opinion. Coffee, chocolate, dark fruits. Nose wasn't powerful. Smooth and easy to drink. There are other wineries like Lillian, Epoch, that I would choose in this style but at $45 I think this was a very good QPR relative to those other ones.
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Decanted 7 hours prior to tasting. Day one was dark and brooding with gamy, beef au jous, darkly roasted coffee flavors, imposing, even unsettling with its deep, mysterious palate and strong acid core. Day 2 was friendlier with red and dark fruits at the forefront, impeccable balance. I am new to this winery, but what a ride this wine offered. Wow.
Intense scents of allspice with a heavy rich mouthfeel that finishes with a lot of interesting flavors. Modern but doesn't go crazy over the top. Alcohol is there, but in balance. Drinking well now but I am curious how many glasses of this 14.8% alcohol wine a person can tolerate. Not my style, but impressive for it's voluptuousness.
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PnP straight to decanter for aeration; drank over the following 60 minutes. Deep ruby, nearly brooding. Thick, heavy aromas of freshly roasted dark coffee, toffee, caramel, and brown sugar that give way (by the second glass) to more dark berries, fruits, and scents of meat and pot roast gravy. The first glass was everything I've come to loathe in modern wines - flaunting sweet aromas that are more about winemaking than winegrowing. However, by the second glass this has really trimmed down, like one of those time-lapse commercials with a picture of an obviously grossly overweight man that magically slims down to a 44R coat and a taut waistline. Quite something to behold, actually - wine and fatty both, I suppose. In any event, the saving grace here was the 61F (my passive cellar) serving temperature, which allowed the layers of fruits some room for delineation, and the acids to remain very fresh. It also allowed the 14,8% abv to remain in harmony with the rest of the package. In a really good place now, with little chance of getting better, just different. A meal on its own, and a 3-star general of cocktail wines. It's funny, I can't click on the 'like it' button, but I can recommend it, because for what it's intended to be, it succeeds quite well.
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Not in the same league as 2008 - my favorite QED vintage. This is very rich and quite "big". Well balanced but not with the same precision as 2008. More on the fruit side than the savory side that I love from Rasa. I believe this may be the first QED vintage for them and a good effort given the successful trajectory into more recent vintages.
Didn't take notes but really enjoyed this - tasting it 3 nights later and it has held up well. Pretty modern Syrah but high acidity balances the fruit. Would buy this if offered again. Thanks Haslam!
Black and red fruits, pepper, minerals, and a lot more that I couldn't describe. Extremely complex and distinctive. Acidity was just a touch light for my taste, but this is truly outstanding stuff.
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As awesome as before. Just outstanding wine, plain and simple. Big blackberry fruit, great structure, nice acid, relaxed tannin, lonnnng finish. Me gusta.
At this point, decanted or in glass for 4 hours. Aromas are very rich and thick; dark toned. Offering tons of whole coffee bean on the nose, coupled with hoisin plum sauce. After all this time, it began showing a graphite component as well, which is quite nice. Palate enters very softly, and quite mute. I was expecting some intensity of flavor and alcohol, but it's primarily just there on the acid that's present. Pretty round body, but not too much delineation of flavor. Lots of richness, with noticeable alcoholic buzz, but not much depth. The finish hits initially with plenty of acidity, and really bright blackberries. Almost like under ripe blackberries. This wine is pretty balanced, and one of the finer Walla Walla wines I've had, with good evenness. Interesting, but a bit flat throughout.
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Beat the pants off a 2007 guigal brune et blonde cote rotie. Walla Walla is the best value for syrah imo and the qed is a shining example. Big dark powerful syrah with complex nose and fitting pallette. Recently purchased the 07-09 at the winery.
Portland CellarTracker offline (Sauvage et Fausse Piste Winery, Portland, Oregon): Freshly turned top soil, raw beef, crisping bacon, graphite, Logan berries and pomegranate aromatics. Incredible symmetry, stacked with layers of olives, molasses, berry driven acidity, loam and fresh roasted coffee beans. This wine offers compelling complexity, an alluring depth and a faultless finish. My favorite WA Rhone of the night. Wine of the night for the entire cellartracker offline group.
PDX Off line @ Sauvage. WOTN & top Rhone in some illustrious company. Opened 6 hrs & decanted one hr. Medium dark ruby, red fruits, light acid, luscious fruit, super smooth and perfect balance.
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Decanted for little over an hour. Nose of berries and oak. The palate was a mouthful of fruit and a ton of heat. I could not get over the heat. Did not improve on day 2.
I've had bottles of this before that were way better. Will hold my final bottle for 1-2 years and hope it is not like this one.
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We are not overly experienced with Washington Syrah so I was excited to try my first Rasa wine. My wife called it garish, poured her glass into mine and went back to her super Tuscan. Lucky me! I get cherries, black fruit and vanilla on the nose. Beautiful red and black fruit with smooth tannins and ong Finnish.
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The wine is still purple in color. The nose is huge with blackberries, cherry, espresso and chocolate.More cherry, white pepper, grilled meats, raspberry, tar and bacon on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long. Balanced with perfect acidity. This wine should age well for at least another 5 years. The wine lacks some of that funk that I really adore in Washington Syrah but that is just a minor critique. What a debut!
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This wine is 92 for the well made super smooth nature, but this bottle seemed to miss some of the complexity of bottles past. Some light spice, and bright blue and black fruit. Drink over the next 5+ years. Perfect balance, great with food, full flavored grilled or BBQed meats...AM
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Unfortunately this was a bit corked upon opening. Salvaged over time but not showing its best. The syrah fruit seemed very nice, deep, earthy and generous but not sweet. Nose was flawed with mustiness. By the end you could tell what an outstanding, new world experience this wine could be.
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At about the third hour of decant, this beauty showed what's in store for the future. Incredible! I'm gonna sit on the rest for a while. I will revisit in 2014 to check on the progress.
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Chris brought this to accompany my Rhys and Greg's Hobel. My first experience with Rasa and I was psyched! Nice medium bright red color - lighter than I expected. A more elegant style of Syrah as a whole - not driven by nearly as much savory meat as other Walla Walla bottlings - a nice change of pace. This sported a nice white pepper corn and vibrant berry and roasted pepper spice attack - white truffle, lighter earth and a more elegant style overall. As this opened up some floral rose and cotton candy play showed. The palate was equally elegant and more feminine. The finish showed nice acidity, bright already resolved tannins and moderate alcohol. I'm a fan of Rasa already. I wonder if all their wines are this supple and finesse driven - anything in the more savoy bold direction?
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Pop & pour at Serratto in Portland, and paired with 4-cheese baked macaroni, and a Painted Hills beef burger with bacon. Both were excellent pairings! This wine is so huge and peppery, it really should have been decanted for full enjoyment with our meals. It was only just starting to settle down at the dessert course, 90 min after opening. Lots of funk and black pepper to go with the deep blackberry fruit. Absolutely delicious wine, and one of my favorites this year!
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Awesome after decanting an hour and a half. Began with nice aromas of chocolate, cherry, coffee and a little brown sugar. Same on the palate with a little more cherry, smoke, leather and oak. Big, yet silky in the mouth. Beautiful and powerful. Great chocolatey finish. This has a lot going on. Could use some years in the cellar for sure.
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I started buying Rasa wines several years ago without tasting and I'm glad that I did. Decanted for several hours before serving and the bottle was drinking very well even though it could benefit from a couple more years in the cellar. Wonderful aromatics and the fruit is delicious and lush on the palate. Will definitely keep buying this wine.
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Decanted 90 min. and paired with a vegetarian pizza. Wow. I've tasted the 2007 QED, a blend of 94% Syrah, 3% Grenache and 3% Mourvedre, on several previous occasions, either at the winery in Walla Walla, or tasting events in Portland, and I was always very impressed with it, enough that I've purchased a handful of bottles. Perhaps it was the pairing, or the 90 minute decant, but this particular bottle of QED absolutely blew me (and my girlfriend) away! The nose was huge, all smoky blackberries and espresso. Extremely silky feeling in the mouth, and showing more blackberries, pepper, olives and smoke/roasted meat, finishing with espresso and dark chocolate. That tasty finish goes on for well over a minute. This wine is incredibly balanced, with nothing out of place, and everything perfectly in sync. I don't know how they do it, but Billo and Pinto Naravane continue to produce wines that fit my palate perfectly...from their reserve-level PRINCIPIA Syrah and Creative Impulse Bordeaux blend, to their "second label" PB Wines offerings. All are delicious!
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Smoky, smooth, silky taste - fantastic mouthfeel, great subdued floral nose. This is one of my favorates. Needs to get some air and will just get better with decant of about an hour. Must buy more.
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Big deep aromas of blackberry and coffee, highly structured Syrah that needs at least an hour to decant, once it opens up it is just awesome. Has a slight candy like sweetness to it, finish is very nice but a bit rough, but I'm confident the finish will smooth out with age as it's still a little young to drink. I would predict that in one to two years time this will change to a 94-95 rating.
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Massive wine - huge flavors and aromas and long, gripping finish. Smoke, anise, lush ripe fruit and a touch of oak without being too overdone. This was impressive.
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94+? Pts. Popped and poured, took 30mins to really sing. Expressive nose of ripe red fruit braced with baking spices and white pepper. Darkish red/purple color. Palate continues with wonderful ripe fruit compote density (without being heavy or over bearing), and is super smooth right through the very long finish. The fruit is married with soft acidity, spice and bold white pepper notes. This has improved since my last bottle, I'm excited to see this develop over the next 5 years...AMM
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Youthful and exuberant with wild blackberry/blueberry fruit, violets, bacon fat, and a roasted finish. Very lush and Betz like in its profile, with a similar core of acidity that keeps it lively.
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I popped and poured, this bottle should have been decanted for an hour or two at this point. Wonderful wine, full flavored with deep blue fruits and spice. This has an unmistakable incredible olive tapanade thing on the palate. Similar to an equisite sea salt that has mild flavor without being harsh. Great balance, wishing it has slightly higher acidity, but I think it that may develop as the primary fruit subsides. Going to buy more...Alex
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Tons of black pepper on the nose with meat juice, tar and some dark fruit in the background. Dense mouthfeel with more black pepper, mineral, and game. After a decant, dark berry fruit hits the back of the mid palate. The oak is present but in check and grippy tannins are present on the finish. This needs a few years to flesh out but I'm liking the style - definitely getting hints of the fruit that should come through with time but also a lot of terrior driven characteristics.
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So much hype about this wine that I was afraid it wouldn't live up to its hype. And, in some senses, it didn't. It is a very good wine - great balance...big, rich black fruit, with smoke, meat and rotting wood on the nose...broad, lush mouth, that includes a few stages of development, before collecting itself and dashing to the finish line at the back of the throat. Low acidity, as I would expect, and firm, grippy tannins. Overal, very nice. But, the way some people talk about this wine led me to believe that I was looking at a mid-90's rating on this wine. That it is not. But, it's good enough that I will most definitely try the other vintages.
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When I saw the pricing for the ‘Principia’ (the reserve bottle) I almost threw up on my keyboard, as I think they were asking $85 for a wine that has zero track record, and is the most expensive Syrah in the state form the first vintage. Great business plan guys! So, my dad gets a bottle of the QED on sale for $38 and I was anxious to see what these jokers we’re putting in the bottle. You know, I’d be lying to myself if I said this wasn’t really well made wine. Damn it was good. Perfect representation of what WA can do with the Syrah grape, this perfectly balances that act of new world fruit, but toned down from its CA counterparts to make a claim in its own right. The French oak adds richness but nothing overt, and there is a solid, solid underlying structure here. Already showing a good amount of complexity, look for this to improve over the next few years, and at the suggested price of $44, I can deal.
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50+5+13+16+8 It's been almost a year since I first tasted this wine (see the esteemed Dr. Kaariainen's notes). Since then some of the funk has blown off the nose, althought there's still enough there to keep this wine interesting. Loaded with pepper, anise, cherry, and meat, and a silky mouthfeel. This wine is like a passionate lover that envelopes you with it's subtle power. Rasa has potential to give Cayuse a run for the money.
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Definitive Rhone (Fabi and Rosi European Kitchen Austin, Texas): [Decanted three hours before tasting] We decided to not rate the Rasa in our flight of "Other Northern Rhone" because it was the odd wine out, but we wanted to taste this fledgling Washington syrah alongside a fine young Crozes Hermitage and St. Joseph, and it almost held its own--its French oak helped much. It was riper, brighter, and sweeter than our other wines, and yet was also salty and savoury. It was the favorite wine of a young wine distributor, who found lotus root, red licorice, and white birthday cake. Our most veteran taster noted a classic California band-aid aroma, some VA, and complimented the wine "nice." Tasters found chocolate, vanilla, cherry syrup, licorice, bacon fat, currants, prunes, stewed fruit, and molasses--in short, some of the flavors we found in our lesser northern Rhone syrahs. The difference was more wood in evidence, higher alcohol, and lesser mid-palate. A very good first effort by a former Austinite, its "future looks oh so bright" (to quote another former Austinite).
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Great red rhone blend from Walla Walla WA enjoyed last night at dinner at Creek Town Cafe in Walla Walla with the two winemakers and a group of CT wine buddies. The first vintage, a very interesting and surprisingly good wine, recommend this, a reasonable QPR at this price point. Very dark, still young but complex and layered, big wine with good aftertaste. Muted layered nose, dark berries, primary flavors of red fruit, black pepper, granite and development of tar.
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I think most wine lovers/collectors enjoy going to wine country and tasting through the offerings of both the familiar and new wineries, looking to stay current on the wines they love, but more so, looking for that winery that as yet is "off radar", that diamond in the rough that hasn't yet had their mailing list sold out by a flash score of a wine critic. On a Spring Release weekend in Walla Walla this year, this was that wine. I just opened one after waiting about a month since barrel sampling the new vintages and tasting this wine in the bottle, I am still impressed. Purple-Black in the glass, I've enjoyed this wine over 4 nights without refrigeration or preservation, and it is still got the guts. Night one the nose was game meats, black fruits, minerals - the palate was smoothly balanced, full of game, cedar, just wild flavors that scream terroir in ways not seen in many Walla Walla offerings. Nights 2-4 the game blew off and the fruit took center stage on nose and palate, black and red fruits dominate but smooth. I told the winemaker (Billo) this is raspberry coated silk sheets, give it some long decant if you have one now, otherwise patience will be rewarded, this has a nice aging potential, open another in 4 years or so and see where it's at. 50+5+12+16+9=92
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9/19/2021 - Ron Slye wrote: 93 Points
This just goes to show how there are good and less good bottles, and how context for wine matters. This was our last bottle of this first vintage of Rasa. Reminded us of meeting Billo in the incubator warehouse while we were tasting Lullaby. And tasted with a good hamburger after a long bike ride that ended in rain. Really lovely put together wine. Not at all like my previous bottles. Nice fruit balance with stone and savory notes. I got the rich earthy smell after a rain, so yes probably also triggering smell memories from the bike ride. Some left over for today so will update if warranted. This just reminds me why I keep searching for that wonderful experience with a new or old wine. This was one of those richly satisfying moments that many is us seek. If I had to score the wine, maybe low 90s. The experience and memories, 100.
Day 2. Now more coffee and dark chocolate, with some dark raspberry and blackberry notes. No bitterness at all. This tells me this wine needs five or more years. Sorry I don’t have any kore and won’t be able to test this. This would go great with a braised beef dish. I am going to score this at 93 now. Really lovely wine.
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12/8/2019 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nose of dark fruits and spices, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied Rhone blend, with blackberry, raspberry, coffee and spice on finish, a bit past peak, drink now. www.winelx.com
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8/23/2019 - Jake112380 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vertical 2007-2011. Hard to believe this is 12 years old. Still feels pretty young with lush black fruit and a bit of pepper. Some oak and baking spice as well. Medium+ finish.
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5/26/2019 - RPerro Likes this wine: 95 Points
Auction purchase a number of years ago. I was worried about this one, being 12 years past vintage, and noticing that wine had seeped out of the cork and stained the capsule. It was drinking beautifully however! Gorgeous black fruit, touches of white pepper, flowers and espresso. Came in just barely second place for my Wine of the Night. Drink now - 2020.
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2/9/2019 - Ron Slye wrote: 88 Points
This has become quite lovely. Some strong dark red fruits, and even some raspberry on the nose. A bit smooth and simple on the palatte Good, but not great.
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12/4/2018 - MIRick wrote: 92 Points
Agree with FORCUMBA that it is time to drink. However we did have some fruit to go with the savory notes. The wine also was definitely not a 92 by the end of the evening (2 + hours later)
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4/25/2018 - forcumba wrote:
Enjoyed with cassoulet. Final bottle - savory notes still there but the fruit was largely gone. Definitely time to drink up.
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3/16/2018 - Dionysusx Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still fresh and vibrant. Silky tannins are led by black raspberry, currant, blueberry with subtle notes of coffee, licorice and cocoa.
Enjoyed at Red Salt in Richmond, VA with a hearty steak. Phenomenal with food and by itself.
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10/28/2017 - Jake112380 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really well integrated black fruit, earth, river rock, and spice. It’s a testament to the combination of great fruit, great winemaking, and time.
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8/25/2017 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 92 Points
PNP. Heavy cigarette and turkey skin on the nose. Very smooth, peppery palate with some black currant. Rounded tannins on medium finish. This is a heavy sipper, not an everyday drinker. Very deep.
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1/7/2017 - Nbkat8 wrote: 93 Points
So Good, was worried that this was going downhill. This still has the IT factor. Have 1 more bottle left.
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1/2/2017 - Mkeene wrote: 89 Points
Alas, while not yet spoiled this wine is definitely over its peak
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6/12/2016 - Nbkat8 wrote: 91 Points
Still holding up but losing its complexity, although to be fair this has always needed to decant a good hour before drinking to open up its great flavor profile. Overall still very enjoyable.
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4/26/2016 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Very dark red, earthy dark cherry aroma, dense black cherry/raspberry fruit with just a hint of pepper, tannins are fully integrated now (compared to 5-6 years ago), medium length earthy fruit finish. Went very well with grilled leg of lamb steaks.
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3/13/2016 - Dale M wrote: 91 Points
Agree with Triplets note below, very clean and well made Syrah, small amount of Grenache and Mourvèdre. Yet, it does seem it has lost perhaps a step, or perhaps even just a simple matter that it hasn't changed much since I had it in 2010, hard to say. A minor quibble, still excellent and a fun wine to drink
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2/2/2016 - crushzone wrote: 88 Points
Received as a gift. Grapey and very full bodied. Decent enough but I wouldn't buy it on my own. Overpriced at $50. Maybe at $25-$30 though.
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle.
It tastes like prune and plum.
The body is full. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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1/16/2016 - knuckles1970 wrote: 92 Points
As opposed to a few others, I feel like this still has some time in it. Still going strong. Decanted for 3 hours. I could drink this all the time. I really love what Billo is doing in Walla Walla. Black fruit on the nose. Not overpowering. Finish is lacking a little bit, but really nitpicking there. Very smooth right now. Not getting any funk that you might find from Cayuse or Reynvaan. And I kind of like that funk, so maybe knocking it down a notch for me.
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1/13/2016 - enjoyvino wrote: 91 Points
Last one of a bunch. Still just a very clean syrah. Classic nose and just a great drinking wine. However, it has lost some of the complexity over the years which brings it down a few notches.
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12/13/2015 - Ron Slye wrote: 89 Points
At first a bit too fruit forward and jammy for me. But the next day it had settled down a bit. Very much a new world profile. Strong dark berry -- blackberry? -- with some dark fruit syrup. A slight bit of heat on the nose.
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11/19/2015 - randyjc wrote: 94 Points
This wine just gets better and better. Layered and balanced, with a bit of Washington funk but more important a depth of black fruit, tar and earth that is as good as any Washington Syrah I have had, including Reynvaan, Cayuse, Gramercy, etc. So much better than three or four years ago.
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10/4/2015 - Nbkat8 wrote:
For all the great bottles Ive drank of the epic 07 QED I guess I was due for a bad one. Corked or previously not stored correctly, not sure, but i won't rate this one because if i did it would be ugly.
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9/25/2015 - lirvingham wrote: 91 Points
Maybe on the way down but just slightly. Still beautiful but will probably drink this favorite wine of mine over the next year
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8/29/2015 - enjoyvino wrote: 92 Points
Consistent. This is the year to drink this wine. Really nice fruit on the nose, some plums, minerality and dark berries. The palate is so nice on this wine. silky but with some depth and layers of fruit.
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7/23/2015 - laetulos wrote: 91 Points
We drank the 07 and 08 QEDs together. My brother and his girl couldn't tell the two apart. We slightly preferred the 07 although they are clearly made from the same cloth and differences are small. This wine has depth and complexity, I got some lighter floral hints in the 07 versus deeper hints of new leather in the 08. Both are great wines and drinking quite well. Opening a few hours before helped.
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6/24/2015 - Hollowine wrote:
Drank with Lunch at Veritable Quandary, no formal notes. Drinking great...was actually hard to put down at lunch, it just kept getting better and better with an hour open. Less of the meaty character and into a wine that just shows the greatness of great Syrah with great winemaking. No perceived gaps, great mouthfeel, long finish of bright red and black fruits.
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6/13/2015 - Spook16 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ok, I agree with the previous notes on this wine. Jammy... blah blah blah.
Funny thing is that I let this decant for a couple/few hours tonight and it turned into a meat/beef jerk bomb. Delicious... didn't exactly go with my bbq brisket early on, but since dinner, wow, its a meat bomb. Last one I had near this was the "God only knows" Grenache, from Cayuse
For a wine enthusiast this is very interesting turn of taste.
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5/31/2015 - enjoyvino wrote: 92 Points
Same as last notes. Still drinking great.
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5/1/2015 - dsgris Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark ruby with magenta rim, red fruit nose. Dry with dusty tannins, medium fruit with a slight bitter note. Opened two nights ago and paired poorly with fresh caught salmon or lateer with mushroom penne. Put away and not much better when tasted last night. Perplexing as this in one of my favorite wines. Not a bad bottle, just too jammy and boring. OK, tonight and another chance at redemption, more time has resulted in a much more balanced wine. While still full bodied fruit, the acid which was lacking has started to emerge and the tannins have lost the bitter edge, all is good in Rasaland. Getting some leather and earthy flavors but would like a bit more acid. Best to drink up now.
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4/26/2015 - WestbyGod wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Silky smooth as tannins are well integrated. Lush fruit, but not too forward. A bit of spice offers the only secondary flavor. Medium finish.
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4/5/2015 - wine247365 Likes this wine:
really good! concentrated, inky dark, smooth, quiet tannins, almost chewy. unfortunately, i made the wrong pick of this for a meditteranean dinner of baked chicken thighs, olives, lemons, onion and garlic, but HRH wanted a red. I think its drinking very well right now, with maybe a year or two left. I don't think I'd wait if I had more.
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3/8/2015 - lirvingham Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine and can never get enough of this.
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1/25/2015 - SkeBum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good Rhone blend from Washington, this wine is in a very nice place right now and drinking well, don't know that there is any more up side to this wine, by holding it longer. Well balanced and very nice right now.
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1/2/2015 - Jamesgold wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic wine. Bright red and dark fruit with coffee and baking spice. This wine is in a really good spot.
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12/26/2014 - enjoyvino wrote: 92 Points
Drinking great. May be at the top of the window right now. Super smooth with lush notes of red and black fruit, some earthy notes that are followed on by a great finish.
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12/8/2014 - RPerro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop & pour. Noted some obvious seepage from the cork, oxidizing the capsule. This was a WineBid purchase, so obviously some poor storage at some point. Thankfully, the wine was still absolutely amazing! No porty/stewed notes of a cooked wine at all, which is what I expected. No decant needed, and drinking very well. Lots of earthiness and pepper to match the deep blackberry fruit. Paired well with our grilled chicken salad.
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11/14/2014 - lirvingham wrote: 91 Points
Definitely has changed. Less funk, slightly more earth and fruit. Still great.
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11/2/2014 - PDX-S wrote:
No detailed notes. Drank with the 2010 Perfect Union. Dark purple in the glass. Highly aromatic, black fruits, olives, and pepper. Last time we drank this wine it was a monster that kept opening and getting bigger over the course of the night. This evening, the wine seems to have hit its stride, delivering a balanced experience over several hours. Meaty and bloody, rich with dark fruits, punctuated by olives and minerals, this wine showed more complexity, but less balance and a rougher texture than the 2010 Perfect Union. Still, what a great wine. Rasa consistently delivers some of my favorite WA offerings. While it is in a good place, I think this may really be at the beginning of its true drinking window. I plan on holding my last bottle for a year, or two, more.
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10/29/2014 - W2WineGuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
WOTN for us, compared to others we had. Decanted a couple of hours, well integrated, great nose, long finish, very good.
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10/19/2014 - patsox wrote: 92 Points
Power allied with elegance, balance and an exceptionally high deliciousness factor. Drink up!!
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10/9/2014 - annerk wrote:
Drank with Gille and Marie. Has aged to perfection.
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8/7/2014 - lirvingham wrote: 93 Points
Great. 3rd place in our 2007 party. Blind too and knocked the socks off our 2007 Pegeau.
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7/6/2014 - enjoyvino wrote: 92 Points
This is still the best year for QED. Great deep nose of dark cherry, blackberry and smoke. Palate is clean and round with plum, red fruit and a little bit of tar and a nice medium finish. May have scored higher for me if we had not drank an 07 Betz Clos and PDF after.
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7/4/2014 - vines4humanity Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful integration of all components. Like an orchestrated fireworks show for the senses.
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6/12/2014 - danielbleier wrote: 92 Points
Power wine, amazing amounts of blackberry, grilled meat and licorice. Sappy, with a long finish.
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4/19/2014 - lirvingham Likes this wine: 93 Points
similar to previous notes, still going strong
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4/2/2014 - Soxgirl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fabulous wine. Definitely needs some air time, and will continue to improve for another few years.
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3/8/2014 - ktkwine wrote:
Had
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2/19/2014 - MindMuse wrote: 91 Points
PnP at a wine dinner, and this was another case where half an hour of air really made a big difference in how well it delivered. 91+
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1/11/2014 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Chocolate, cranberry, maybe a touch of smokiness, some currant, dark black cherry, maybe a hint of licorice(?). Was a touch tight upon opening, but after about a half hour it was really singing. Would be interesting to see what it would have been with more time, but it didn't make it that long. This is prob just a touch on the young side to be drinking yet, but we're enjoying it.
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1/4/2014 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Deep and thick Syrah.
Cali style basically in my opinion. Coffee, chocolate, dark fruits.
Nose wasn't powerful. Smooth and easy to drink.
There are other wineries like Lillian, Epoch, that I would choose in this style but at $45 I think this was a very good QPR relative to those other ones.
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12/14/2013 - jeagle wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 7 hours prior to tasting. Day one was dark and brooding with gamy, beef au jous, darkly roasted coffee flavors, imposing, even unsettling with its deep, mysterious palate and strong acid core. Day 2 was friendlier with red and dark fruits at the forefront, impeccable balance. I am new to this winery, but what a ride this wine offered. Wow.
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11/29/2013 - khmark7 wrote: 91 Points
Intense scents of allspice with a heavy rich mouthfeel that finishes with a lot of interesting flavors. Modern but doesn't go crazy over the top. Alcohol is there, but in balance. Drinking well now but I am curious how many glasses of this 14.8% alcohol wine a person can tolerate. Not my style, but impressive for it's voluptuousness.
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11/16/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP straight to decanter for aeration; drank over the following 60 minutes. Deep ruby, nearly brooding. Thick, heavy aromas of freshly roasted dark coffee, toffee, caramel, and brown sugar that give way (by the second glass) to more dark berries, fruits, and scents of meat and pot roast gravy. The first glass was everything I've come to loathe in modern wines - flaunting sweet aromas that are more about winemaking than winegrowing. However, by the second glass this has really trimmed down, like one of those time-lapse commercials with a picture of an obviously grossly overweight man that magically slims down to a 44R coat and a taut waistline. Quite something to behold, actually - wine and fatty both, I suppose. In any event, the saving grace here was the 61F (my passive cellar) serving temperature, which allowed the layers of fruits some room for delineation, and the acids to remain very fresh. It also allowed the 14,8% abv to remain in harmony with the rest of the package. In a really good place now, with little chance of getting better, just different. A meal on its own, and a 3-star general of cocktail wines. It's funny, I can't click on the 'like it' button, but I can recommend it, because for what it's intended to be, it succeeds quite well.
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11/9/2013 - lirvingham wrote: 93 Points
Wes messed up. This wine is the best wine ever! We drank from cellar but not from restaurant
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11/9/2013 - lirvingham wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with previous bottles. Better than the 08 ;p
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11/9/2013 - smcilhen Likes this wine:
Blackberry, butter, and chocolate notes. Lots of acid. Better with lots of air time...at least 3 hours. Smooth tannins. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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10/21/2013 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not in the same league as 2008 - my favorite QED vintage. This is very rich and quite "big". Well balanced but not with the same precision as 2008. More on the fruit side than the savory side that I love from Rasa. I believe this may be the first QED vintage for them and a good effort given the successful trajectory into more recent vintages.
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9/22/2013 - ksde wrote: 93 Points
Best if you decant for a while. Luscious juice on the palate and nose.
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8/13/2013 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Didn't take notes but really enjoyed this - tasting it 3 nights later and it has held up well. Pretty modern Syrah but high acidity balances the fruit. Would buy this if offered again. Thanks Haslam!
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8/2/2013 - SonnyJay wrote:
Black and red fruits, pepper, minerals, and a lot more that I couldn't describe. Extremely complex and distinctive. Acidity was just a touch light for my taste, but this is truly outstanding stuff.
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7/20/2013 - RPerro Likes this wine: 95 Points
As awesome as before. Just outstanding wine, plain and simple. Big blackberry fruit, great structure, nice acid, relaxed tannin, lonnnng finish. Me gusta.
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7/19/2013 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 89 Points
At this point, decanted or in glass for 4 hours. Aromas are very rich and thick; dark toned. Offering tons of whole coffee bean on the nose, coupled with hoisin plum sauce. After all this time, it began showing a graphite component as well, which is quite nice. Palate enters very softly, and quite mute. I was expecting some intensity of flavor and alcohol, but it's primarily just there on the acid that's present. Pretty round body, but not too much delineation of flavor. Lots of richness, with noticeable alcoholic buzz, but not much depth. The finish hits initially with plenty of acidity, and really bright blackberries. Almost like under ripe blackberries. This wine is pretty balanced, and one of the finer Walla Walla wines I've had, with good evenness. Interesting, but a bit flat throughout.
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6/16/2013 - AMM3RD wrote: 93 Points
A great bottle of wine, perfect with grilled NY Strip steaks. Amazing nose of ripe fruit, vibrant. Ripe complex fruit, well balanced. Delicious...AM
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5/12/2013 - lirvingham wrote: 93 Points
Beat the pants off a 2007 guigal brune et blonde cote rotie. Walla Walla is the best value for syrah imo and the qed is a shining example. Big dark powerful syrah with complex nose and fitting pallette. Recently purchased the 07-09 at the winery.
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1/20/2013 - danielbleier wrote: 92 Points
big powerful wine, with black fruits and pepper. Sampled at the Rasa tasting for WFFT...nice juice
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1/11/2013 - VinLancaster wrote:
Portland CellarTracker offline (Sauvage et Fausse Piste Winery, Portland, Oregon): Freshly turned top soil, raw beef, crisping bacon, graphite, Logan berries and pomegranate aromatics. Incredible symmetry, stacked with layers of olives, molasses, berry driven acidity, loam and fresh roasted coffee beans. This wine offers compelling complexity, an alluring depth and a faultless finish.
My favorite WA Rhone of the night.
Wine of the night for the entire cellartracker offline group.
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1/11/2013 - dsgris Likes this wine: 95 Points
PDX Off line @ Sauvage. WOTN & top Rhone in some illustrious company. Opened 6 hrs & decanted one hr. Medium dark ruby, red fruits, light acid, luscious fruit, super smooth and perfect balance.
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12/24/2012 - WestbyGod wrote: 82 Points
Decanted for little over an hour. Nose of berries and oak. The palate was a mouthful of fruit and a ton of heat. I could not get over the heat. Did not improve on day 2.
I've had bottles of this before that were way better. Will hold my final bottle for 1-2 years and hope it is not like this one.
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12/13/2012 - MarkMich wrote: 91 Points
We are not overly experienced with Washington Syrah so I was excited to try my first Rasa wine. My wife called it garish, poured her glass into mine and went back to her super Tuscan. Lucky me! I get cherries, black fruit and vanilla on the nose. Beautiful red and black fruit with smooth tannins and ong Finnish.
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10/13/2012 - lirvingham wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Excellent. Nose is smooth and silky, with hints of bacon and red fruit. Long and lasting finish. Love it.
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9/17/2012 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
The wine is still purple in color. The nose is huge with blackberries, cherry, espresso and chocolate.More cherry, white pepper, grilled meats, raspberry, tar and bacon on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long. Balanced with perfect acidity. This wine should age well for at least another 5 years. The wine lacks some of that funk that I really adore in Washington Syrah but that is just a minor critique. What a debut!
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7/23/2012 - AMM3RD wrote: 92 Points
This wine is 92 for the well made super smooth nature, but this bottle seemed to miss some of the complexity of bottles past. Some light spice, and bright blue and black fruit. Drink over the next 5+ years. Perfect balance, great with food, full flavored grilled or BBQed meats...AM
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7/18/2012 - Brownvino wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for three hours. Very smooth and long. Hint of tobacco and smoked meat.
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6/25/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 91 Points
Unfortunately this was a bit corked upon opening. Salvaged over time but not showing its best. The syrah fruit seemed very nice, deep, earthy and generous but not sweet. Nose was flawed with mustiness. By the end you could tell what an outstanding, new world experience this wine could be.
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5/2/2012 - Dollar Spot wrote: 93 Points
At about the third hour of decant, this beauty showed what's in store for the future. Incredible! I'm gonna sit on the rest for a while. I will revisit in 2014 to check on the progress.
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4/16/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Chris brought this to accompany my Rhys and Greg's Hobel. My first experience with Rasa and I was psyched!
Nice medium bright red color - lighter than I expected. A more elegant style of Syrah as a whole - not driven by nearly as much savory meat as other Walla Walla bottlings - a nice change of pace.
This sported a nice white pepper corn and vibrant berry and roasted pepper spice attack - white truffle, lighter earth and a more elegant style overall. As this opened up some floral rose and cotton candy play showed.
The palate was equally elegant and more feminine. The finish showed nice acidity, bright already resolved tannins and moderate alcohol.
I'm a fan of Rasa already. I wonder if all their wines are this supple and finesse driven - anything in the more savoy bold direction?
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4/9/2012 - RPerro wrote: 95 Points
Pop & pour at Serratto in Portland, and paired with 4-cheese baked macaroni, and a Painted Hills beef burger with bacon. Both were excellent pairings! This wine is so huge and peppery, it really should have been decanted for full enjoyment with our meals. It was only just starting to settle down at the dessert course, 90 min after opening. Lots of funk and black pepper to go with the deep blackberry fruit. Absolutely delicious wine, and one of my favorites this year!
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2/11/2012 - AMM3RD wrote: 93 Points
Special balance of fruit, spice, tannin, and acidity. Dark color and room filling ripe fruit scents. This should be enjoyed for 5 yrs+. Enjoy! AM
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1/8/2012 - jeremyzolk wrote: 93 Points
Awesome after decanting an hour and a half. Began with nice aromas of chocolate, cherry, coffee and a little brown sugar. Same on the palate with a little more cherry, smoke, leather and oak. Big, yet silky in the mouth. Beautiful and powerful. Great chocolatey finish. This has a lot going on.
Could use some years in the cellar for sure.
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12/31/2011 - joeroth Likes this wine: 88 Points
Opened at 10:00 am for 7:30 pm dinner. Tannic at first, opened up after decanting. Nice fruit and long finish on the palate.
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12/3/2011 - curtispomeroy wrote: 92 Points
I started buying Rasa wines several years ago without tasting and I'm glad that I did. Decanted for several hours before serving and the bottle was drinking very well even though it could benefit from a couple more years in the cellar. Wonderful aromatics and the fruit is delicious and lush on the palate. Will definitely keep buying this wine.
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7/15/2011 - Nbkat8 wrote: 94 Points
This wine is just crazy good after an hour decant.
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6/11/2011 - RPerro wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 90 min. and paired with a vegetarian pizza. Wow. I've tasted the 2007 QED, a blend of 94% Syrah, 3% Grenache and 3% Mourvedre, on several previous occasions, either at the winery in Walla Walla, or tasting events in Portland, and I was always very impressed with it, enough that I've purchased a handful of bottles. Perhaps it was the pairing, or the 90 minute decant, but this particular bottle of QED absolutely blew me (and my girlfriend) away! The nose was huge, all smoky blackberries and espresso. Extremely silky feeling in the mouth, and showing more blackberries, pepper, olives and smoke/roasted meat, finishing with espresso and dark chocolate. That tasty finish goes on for well over a minute. This wine is incredibly balanced, with nothing out of place, and everything perfectly in sync. I don't know how they do it, but Billo and Pinto Naravane continue to produce wines that fit my palate perfectly...from their reserve-level PRINCIPIA Syrah and Creative Impulse Bordeaux blend, to their "second label" PB Wines offerings. All are delicious!
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4/22/2011 - Nbkat8 wrote: 93 Points
Smoky, smooth, silky taste - fantastic mouthfeel, great subdued floral nose. This is one of my favorates. Needs to get some air and will just get better with decant of about an hour. Must buy more.
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3/13/2011 - Nbkat8 wrote: 93 Points
Big deep aromas of blackberry and coffee, highly structured Syrah that needs at least an hour to decant, once it opens up it is just awesome. Has a slight candy like sweetness to it, finish is very nice but a bit rough, but I'm confident the finish will smooth out with age as it's still a little young to drink. I would predict that in one to two years time this will change to a 94-95 rating.
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1/31/2011 - Jack O'Brien wrote:
Massive wine - huge flavors and aromas and long, gripping finish. Smoke, anise, lush ripe fruit and a touch of oak without being too overdone. This was impressive.
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1/5/2011 - AMM3RD wrote: 94 Points
94+? Pts. Popped and poured, took 30mins to really sing. Expressive nose of ripe red fruit braced with baking spices and white pepper. Darkish red/purple color. Palate continues with wonderful ripe fruit compote density (without being heavy or over bearing), and is super smooth right through the very long finish. The fruit is married with soft acidity, spice and bold white pepper notes. This has improved since my last bottle, I'm excited to see this develop over the next 5 years...AMM
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12/27/2010 - rmodak wrote: 92 Points
Youthful and exuberant with wild blackberry/blueberry fruit, violets, bacon fat, and a roasted finish. Very lush and Betz like in its profile, with a similar core of acidity that keeps it lively.
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10/8/2010 - AMM3RD wrote: 93 Points
I popped and poured, this bottle should have been decanted for an hour or two at this point. Wonderful wine, full flavored with deep blue fruits and spice. This has an unmistakable incredible olive tapanade thing on the palate. Similar to an equisite sea salt that has mild flavor without being harsh. Great balance, wishing it has slightly higher acidity, but I think it that may develop as the primary fruit subsides. Going to buy more...Alex
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10/5/2010 - pete s. wrote: 91 Points
Tons of black pepper on the nose with meat juice, tar and some dark fruit in the background. Dense mouthfeel with more black pepper, mineral, and game. After a decant, dark berry fruit hits the back of the mid palate. The oak is present but in check and grippy tannins are present on the finish. This needs a few years to flesh out but I'm liking the style - definitely getting hints of the fruit that should come through with time but also a lot of terrior driven characteristics.
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9/23/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
So much hype about this wine that I was afraid it wouldn't live up to its hype. And, in some senses, it didn't. It is a very good wine - great balance...big, rich black fruit, with smoke, meat and rotting wood on the nose...broad, lush mouth, that includes a few stages of development, before collecting itself and dashing to the finish line at the back of the throat. Low acidity, as I would expect, and firm, grippy tannins. Overal, very nice. But, the way some people talk about this wine led me to believe that I was looking at a mid-90's rating on this wine. That it is not. But, it's good enough that I will most definitely try the other vintages.
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9/18/2010 - Ben Carlson wrote: 92 Points
Very Nice
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7/19/2010 - Dale M wrote:
When I saw the pricing for the ‘Principia’ (the reserve bottle) I almost threw up on my keyboard, as I think they were asking $85 for a wine that has zero track record, and is the most expensive Syrah in the state form the first vintage. Great business plan guys! So, my dad gets a bottle of the QED on sale for $38 and I was anxious to see what these jokers we’re putting in the bottle. You know, I’d be lying to myself if I said this wasn’t really well made wine. Damn it was good. Perfect representation of what WA can do with the Syrah grape, this perfectly balances that act of new world fruit, but toned down from its CA counterparts to make a claim in its own right. The French oak adds richness but nothing overt, and there is a solid, solid underlying structure here. Already showing a good amount of complexity, look for this to improve over the next few years, and at the suggested price of $44, I can deal.
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6/20/2010 - annerk wrote: 92 Points
50+5+13+16+8 It's been almost a year since I first tasted this wine (see the esteemed Dr. Kaariainen's notes). Since then some of the funk has blown off the nose, althought there's still enough there to keep this wine interesting. Loaded with pepper, anise, cherry, and meat, and a silky mouthfeel. This wine is like a passionate lover that envelopes you with it's subtle power. Rasa has potential to give Cayuse a run for the money.
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3/25/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote:
Definitive Rhone (Fabi and Rosi European Kitchen Austin, Texas): [Decanted three hours before tasting] We decided to not rate the Rasa in our flight of "Other Northern Rhone" because it was the odd wine out, but we wanted to taste this fledgling Washington syrah alongside a fine young Crozes Hermitage and St. Joseph, and it almost held its own--its French oak helped much. It was riper, brighter, and sweeter than our other wines, and yet was also salty and savoury. It was the favorite wine of a young wine distributor, who found lotus root, red licorice, and white birthday cake. Our most veteran taster noted a classic California band-aid aroma, some VA, and complimented the wine "nice." Tasters found chocolate, vanilla, cherry syrup, licorice, bacon fat, currants, prunes, stewed fruit, and molasses--in short, some of the flavors we found in our lesser northern Rhone syrahs. The difference was more wood in evidence, higher alcohol, and lesser mid-palate. A very good first effort by a former Austinite, its "future looks oh so bright" (to quote another former Austinite).
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9/5/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 89 Points
Great red rhone blend from Walla Walla WA enjoyed last night at dinner at Creek Town Cafe in Walla Walla with the two winemakers and a group of CT wine buddies. The first vintage, a very interesting and surprisingly good wine, recommend this, a reasonable QPR at this price point. Very dark, still young but complex and layered, big wine with good aftertaste. Muted layered nose, dark berries, primary flavors of red fruit, black pepper, granite and development of tar.
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5/28/2009 - Hollowine wrote: 92 Points
I think most wine lovers/collectors enjoy going to wine country and tasting through the offerings of both the familiar and new wineries, looking to stay current on the wines they love, but more so, looking for that winery that as yet is "off radar", that diamond in the rough that hasn't yet had their mailing list sold out by a flash score of a wine critic. On a Spring Release weekend in Walla Walla this year, this was that wine. I just opened one after waiting about a month since barrel sampling the new vintages and tasting this wine in the bottle, I am still impressed. Purple-Black in the glass, I've enjoyed this wine over 4 nights without refrigeration or preservation, and it is still got the guts. Night one the nose was game meats, black fruits, minerals - the palate was smoothly balanced, full of game, cedar, just wild flavors that scream terroir in ways not seen in many Walla Walla offerings. Nights 2-4 the game blew off and the fruit took center stage on nose and palate, black and red fruits dominate but smooth. I told the winemaker (Billo) this is raspberry coated silk sheets, give it some long decant if you have one now, otherwise patience will be rewarded, this has a nice aging potential, open another in 4 years or so and see where it's at. 50+5+12+16+9=92
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