The Walls Wonderful Nightmare 2020
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine &
Spirits -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A “wonderful nightmare,” how Hemingway described Spain’s Running of the Bulls, is the ultimate oxymoron: Tempranillo, grown in The Rocks District, is just that. It’s a challenge to grow here as frost can quickly cause this heat-loving grape to shut down. But when it works, it’s beautiful. Leather, yes! Tobacco, absolutely! All in harmony with the inherent Rocks District character: blood, earth, salinity and red fruit. A Tempranillo unlike any other in Washington State.
Blend: 100% Tempranillo
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from Les Collins and Stoney Vine, the all varietal 2020 Tempranillo Wonderful Nightmare saw 70% whole clusters and is still resting in 35% new French oak. It's a great expression of the variety and is medium to full-bodied, structured, yet balanced, with some funky dark fruits as well as notes of iron, tapenade, lavender, and game. I love its balance, it has building tannins, and I suspect short-term cellaring will be the name of the game.
Range: 3-95 - Wine & Spirits
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made from a mix of Rocks and Les Collines fruit, the 2020 Wonderful Nightmare is juicy on the nose, with dusty cherry and black raspberry notes and bright red florals. Medium-bodied, the wine offers a firm tannic edge that grips and narrows through the finish, showing that the Tempranillo loses steam, turning more astringent over time. Best After 2023
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.