Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard is superb, wafting from the glass with a bouquet of kaleidoscopic complexity that features aromas of rose hips and peony, ripe cherries and orange rind, mingled with savory bass notes of garrigue, licorice and bay leaf. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and expansive, with a deep core of fruit framed by very fine-grained, velvety tannins, concluding with a sapid, even saline finish. Its concentration without weight, as well as its striking aromatic amplitude, mark it out as one of the finest expressions of Grenache to be found in the United States. The 2015 was cropped at 1.2 tons per acre and saw a saignée of 8% to 15%, and it was fermented with 70% to 80% whole cluster, attaining 14.2% alcohol.
-
Vinous
The 2015 God Only Knows has found a very happy place in its maturity. This bursts from the glass with a seductive mix of wild strawberry, licorice and sweet spice, complicated by more savory notes of white pepper, olive and seared meat. It's juicy to the core and soothingly round with hints of vividly ripe wild berry fruit, mineral stone and earth tones. A core of vibrant acidity maintains fabulous freshness.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the Armada Vineyard and a field blend of primarily Grenache, the 2015 God Only Knows is a singular beauty that could come from nowhere else. Its light ruby color is followed by a complex, nuanced bouquet of ripe cherries, sous bois, herbes de Provence, and charcoal/cold fireplace-like nuances. It blossoms with time in the glass, is medium-bodied, has integrated acidity, and fine tannin, and it just glides over the palate and is a joy to drink. It’s going to be better with 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for a decade.
-
Wine Spectator
Sleek and elegantly layered, with expressive huckleberry and raspberry flavors accented by smoky meat and cracked pepper notes that take on momentum toward polished tannins. Grenache. Drink now through 2023.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.