Avennia Gravura 2013
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Blend: 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The estate's entry-level Bordeaux blend is the 2013 Gravura, which is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc that spent 20 months in equal parts new and used French oak barrels. It’s deep ruby/purple color is followed by a classic notes of leafy herbs, chocolate, tobacco leaf, black currants and earth. This medium to full-bodied, rounded and downright sexy 2013 has terrific mid-palate depth, supple tannin and an already hard to resist style. Nevertheless, it should still keep for 7-8 years. One of the rising stars in the wine world, winemaker Chris Peterson continues to make incredible wines under his Avennia label. These are classic, firm, even a touch austere wines that will reward cellaring. Looking at the different releases, he divides the lineup into a Bordeaux blend range (the white Oliane, the entry level Gravura, the Cabernet Sauvignon dominated Sestina, and the Merlot heavy Valery) and a Rhone blend range (the GSM Justine, the Syrah based Le Corbeau, and the Syrah Boushey Vineyard Arnaut). These are made in tiny quantities but are worth the effort to track down!
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Wine Enthusiast
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot make up nearly equal parts of this blend, with the balance Cabernet Franc (9%). Coming from a who's who of vineyards that includes Bacchus, Red Willow, Klipsun and Boushey, it offers nuanced, supremely well balanced aromas of spice, dried herb, raspberry and blackberry. The palate delivers on all of this promise with succulent yet still reserved red and black fruit flavors that show purity, focus and impeccable balance that kicks it up a notch. Editors' Choice.
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Wine Spectator
Broad and generous, with prickly tannins studding a core of blackberry, currant and plum, gliding into a long and minty finish. Should benefit from cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2018 through 2023.
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Avennia is inspired by the Roman name for the city of Avignon, and signifies for us the heart of Old World winemaking. The wines are designed to tease rather than flaunt; pique interest, not beg for attention. They stand for elegance, delicacy, purity. The wines are made to enhance conversation, not dominate it, and will be a welcome guest at the table.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.