When I was attending college with Jared Burns, I think that we both never expected to find ourselves entrenched in the Washington Wine Industry. It took a certain amount of courage for us to dive in full time to wine. For Jared, this was a particularly large leap of faith. Jared grew up in Washington and has always been inspired by the wines of the Columbia Valley and I had the chance to interview him several years ago.
He founded Revelry Vintners in 2005, only two years after graduating from Whitman College. The new winery recently opened and is a gorgeous, modern space set on 20 acres of prime farming land in the south side tasting area of Walla Walla. Having visited there this summer, the tasting room has incredible energy and is a truly beautiful setting to taste wine, as they also have a great outdoor space that is great for a warm summer day.
The new wines by Revelry were outstanding across the board. I absolutely loved his 2016 Revelry Vintners Grenache (WWB, 92) which has a gorgeous texture and wonderful depth, with pretty red fruits. Just as good is his 2016 Revelry Vintners ‘Range’ Red Wine (WWB, 92) which has seriously good range and a lovely texture. Learn more about these great new wines at https://www.revelryvintners.com Here are the new releases by Revelry Vintners.
2016 Revelry Vintners Grenache- Sourced from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, the wine opens with aromas of toasty oak that wraps around a core of bright red fruits with citrus rind accents that round out the nose. The palate unveils its silky texture as the wine yields a soft mouthfeel and silky texture. The lovely astringency towards the back end really impresses. Enjoy this beautiful new wine over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 92
2016 Revelry Vintners ‘Range’ Red Wine- The 2016 ‘Range’ is a blend of mainly Grenache (63%) with the remainder Syrah. Lovely herbal tones meld with rich red currants and red cherry candy with blood orange zest on this expressive nose. The palate has a soft mouthfeel with really good freshness, yielding ripe red fruits that dance with orange zest and tobacco leaf flavors. The long finish lingers, as this beautiful wine will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2019-2029- 92
2016 Revelry Vintners ‘Block 18’ Syrah- Sourced from Block 18 of the Weinbau Vineyard, the wine underwent 30% whole cluster fermentation prior to bottling. Smoky and herbal tones greet you with ripe dark fruits that mingle together on the nose. The palate shows some wonderful freshness with ripe blackberry pie, tar and mocha flavors. Drink 2019-2029- 91
2016 Revelry Vintners ‘Block 19’ Syrah- The 2016 Revelry Vintners ‘Block 19’ Syrah was sourced from an area just south of the ‘Block 18’ Syrah as this wine is set on Southern Rhone rootstock. The freshness imparted is really nice as the wine shows a brighter, more red fruit-driven flavor profile, as tobacco leaf, leather and allspice with blood orange flavors round out this expansive palate. Drink 2019-2029- 91
2016 Revelry Vintners ‘Horse Heaven Hills Reserve’ Merlot- Sourced from the Alder Ridge VIneyard, the ‘Horse Heaven Hills Reserve’ Merlot opens with a dusting of cocoa powder with ripe Bing cherry and red raspberry aromatics that take their shape in the glass. The palate is quite forward and shows a nice, soft texture with red cherry preserves and mocha flavors taking the lead. Drink 2019-2029- 90
2016 Revelry Vintners Cabernet Franc- Sourced from the esteemed ‘Weinbau Vnieyard’ the Revelry Vintners Cabernet Franc opens with herbal undertones that mingle with the boysenberry and black tea aroma that dance together in the glass. The palate shows a good core of dark fruits, with toasty oak and herbal accents that round out this expressive wine. Enjoy this over the next decade. Drink 2019-2029- 91
2015 Revelry Vintners ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 Revelry Vintners ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a fantastic effort from this warm vintage in the Columbia Valley. Ripe red and dark fruits meld with suggestions of sagebrush and exotic spices on the nose. The palate has a good combination of depth and soft texture. Slightly tannic, the wine unveils ripe wild blackberry cobbler and Turkish coffee flavors with shades of dark chocolate shavings that all come together nicely on the mouth. Drink 2019-2029- 91
2015 Revelry Vintners ‘D11’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 ‘D11’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a fantastic effort from this somewhat challenging vintage for red wines in Washington. The nose offers classic underbrush that melds with ripe red and dark fruits with chocolate fudge undertones that round out the aromatics. The palate has a wonderful combination of depth and power, unveiling rich blackberry pie, mocha, tar, and sandalwood flavors. Fantastic now, this beautiful wine will continue to evolve well for the next fifteen years. Drink 2019-2033- 93