Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has some savory, fresh leather, earth and tobacco character with more flowers than fruits on offer. The palate has an understated core of smoothly sheeted tannin with quite a juicy edge. Wild-herb infusion, blackcurrants and cherries to close. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Not yet released when I tasted it in November 2019, the 2016 Tempranillo la Paciencia has a dusty core of dark fruit on the nose, with blackberry, wild strawberry and hints of soft leather and wet river rock. In the mouth, the wine is medium to full-bodied and shows a subtle spiciness that persists through to the finish, with building and structuring tannins. It ends with a long, mineral finish and lingering tannins that make this wine ready for food.
Rating: 94+
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Wine Enthusiast
The aromas are expressive, with notes of firepit, dried tobacco, cherry, plum and funk. The fruit and savory flavors are rich and layered, showing an exquisite sense of balance. A long fruit, savory and firepit-filled finish follows.
Notoriously food-friendly, long-lasting and Spain’s most widely planted grape, Tempranillo is the star variety of red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone. Somm Secret—Tempranillo claims many different names depending on location. In Penedès, it is called Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Known as Tinta Roriz in Portugal, Tempranillo plays an important role in Port wine.
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.