AVALON RECOMMENDS -- Interested in the Rhone? here's one of the few bottlings of this enchanting red, usually blended into Chateneuf du Pape in France, and into McCrea's own Rhone blend Sirocco.
Blended with 13% Syrah, a tiny bit of Counoise is planted in the Northwest, at Ciel du Cheval Vineyard. THe vines are "Beaucastel", named for the famous Chateneur du Pape Estate they were sourced from.
Want to conduct a fascinating tasting? Try bottles of McCrea's Counoiuse, Mourvedre, Grenache, Viognier and Syrah wiht a bottle of McCrea's blend, Sirocco, and a bottle or two of Chateneuf do Pap or other Southern Rhone blends. You can experience the grapes, one by one, and then try how they tasted blended together. Take apart a classic wine style, discover its components, and compare Doug's pioneering "New World Northwest" Rhone wine to the source.
Wine & Spirits gave 88 points to the 2003 vintage: "This counoise, drawn from Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, has a brick-like, saturated red quality about it-red berry compote scents sweetened by brown sugar-oak notes. Its flavors are every bit as red, with a waxy texture that would pair well with chicken alla mattone (roasted under a brick)."
Detailed Info, Previous Vintage Notes, Reviews:
From the winery:
2004 was a year of many challenges. It began with a devastating freeze in January that
permanently damaged many Washington vineyards, particularly in the Walla Walla valley.
Fortunately, Rh?ne varietals are far more winter hardy than anyone would have imagined.
Most of our fruit was not affected. The summer was one of the hottest on record, suggesting
a very early harvest. But late August cooled and even brought some rain, which slowed sugar
development while promoting good acidity and proper physiological maturity. We had a
relatively normal harvest from mid-September through late October. The '04 wines are very
promising; the fruit characteristics are similar to 2002 and 2003. We anticipate good
complexity and intensity, with even better acid and pH ratios than prior vintages.
A pioneer of Rh?ne varietals in Washington State, winemaker Doug McCrea transforms grapes
from the finest Yakima Valley, Red Mountain and Columbia Valley vineyards into wines of
extraordinary depth, balance, complexity and finesse. Annual Production: 4000 cases of
Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, Mourv?dre, Roussanne and Counoise.
