Winemaker Notes
Blend: 40% Grenache, 38% Mourvedre, 22% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Showing similar to last year, the 2015 Tenet GSM is a terrific blend of 40% Grenache, 38% Mourvèdre, and 22% Syrah that saw one-third stems and 13 months in larger oak. Black raspberries, blackberries, tobacco, and licorice notes all emerge from this full-bodied, supple, gorgeously layered GSM blend that has sweet tannin and a great mid-palate.
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James Suckling
An array of sanguine, sappy and stemmy notes around an array of brambly red and blue berries and gently smoky nuances. The palate has approachable, tangy red-fruit flavors, while punchy tannins kick crunchy into the finish. Blend of 40% grenache, 38% mourvedre and 22% syrah.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Tenet GSM checks in as a blend of 43% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 22% Mourvèdre that was brought up in a mix of barrel and concrete. It offers a ripe, forward, incredibly sexy style as well as notes of blueberries, black raspberries, spice and licorice. Textured, rich and layered, it's already hard to resist yet will keep for 7-8 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine—a joint project between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Rhône stars Michel Gassier and Philippe Cambie—is a blend of 40% Grenache, 38% Mourvèdre and 22% Syrah. The aromas are locked up on first pour, with notes of blackberry, underbrush, orange peel and spice. The palate packs a big punch of red and black fruit flavors that are bold but still show a lot of finesse and brightness.
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Wine Spectator
Dense but well-structured, with vivid smoky plum and black olive aromas and focused blackberry, pepper and bitter chocolate flavors that finish with refined tannins. Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Drink now through 2022.
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.
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.