Today’s wine is a recent release from Ash Hollow Estate Vineyards and Winery. This wine, Headless Red, was released October 1, 2011. The release is being promoted with a YouTube video as well as Twitter posts and a Twitter contest.
This is a blend of Merlot (58%), Cabernet Sauvignon (26%), Syrah (13%), and Malbec (3%) from Washington. It was aged for 30 months (that’s 2½ years!) in 15% new French oak and 85% neutral oak.
The color is very deep. The wine is almost opaque.
The nose is a bit closed at first, but I’m picking up some fruits and some oak.
There’s fruit, spice, some mocha, and more fruit at the end. I’m getting lots of flavor here. I think there’s a bit of leather, too. The tannins provide good structure. There’s just enough acidity to balance everything out. It’s very smooth, too. I’m very impressed.
This wine needs some time to open up. Pour yourself a glass and let it breathe. As I drink a glass, I can taste the changes from the first sip to the last. I get more fruit at first, but that gives way to more of the spice and oak influences towards the end of the glass. (I really need to get a decanter for wines like this.)
This gets my “Excellent” rating.
I received this wine as a review sample courtesy of Ash Hollow.
Wine Details
Producer: Ash Hollow Estate Vineyards and Winery
Vintage: 2008
Appellation: Walla Walla Valley, Washington
Varieties: 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Syrah, 3% Malbec
Alcohol: 14.1% ABV
Price: $18.00 (750 ml) on the Ash Hollow website
My Rating: Excellent
