Tamarack Cellars Reserve Tapteil Vineyard, Red Mountain - 2017 (750ml)
Tamarack Cellars Reserve Tapteil Vineyard, Red Mountain - 2017 (750ml)
Varietal Specifics : 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot
Case Production: 50
Sweet cherry pie and baking spices lead on the nose, followed by a savory, peppery meat character and a hint of mint and rosemary. The palate is very concentrated and shows red fruits including plum, cherry, and raspberry. Subtle, dry tannins lead to blackberry, cassis, and dark chocolate on the finish with hints of cigar box.
Winemaker Notes
Crushed gently and dropped by gravity into 1.5 ton bins, cold-soaked 48 hours, inoculated with a variety of yeasts, hand punched and pressed directly to barrel, where the wine finished both primary and secondary fermentations. The varietals were kept individual until blending at 12 months to create the Tapteil Vineyard Reserve blend.
Vineyard Notes
Tapteil Vineyard is in the Red Mountain Appellation near the highest elevation and farthest northern point of the Appellation boundary. Tapteil is owned by Larry Pearson who diligently manages the grapes at this superior vineyard site.
The 2017 Tapteil Vineyard Reserve is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 14% Merlot. The nose is juicy, condensed and expressive with concentrated, dark-berried aromas that waft from the glass with elegant oak spices and a dusty floral essence. Full-bodied and impeccably balanced, the palate offers layers of oak spices, vanilla and cinnamon along with juicy black raspberry skin, dark cherry, crème brûlée tones and balanced, firm, fine-grained tannins. The wine somersaults to an elongated finish that continues to evolve on the aftertaste for moments, long after the wine has left the mouth. On the 600 bottles were filled after the wine rested for two years in 50% new French oak barrels. Of the two Tamarack reserve wines in this report, the Tapteil is my preferred choice for this vintage. Drink Date: 2021 - 2035 - Anthony Mueller