‘I think these are some of the best wines we have made,’ Billo Naravane, MW proudly proclaimed. I think he was right. One of the most talented winemakers on the west coast and also one of the nicest people you will meet, Billo Naravane, MW is the brilliant mastermind behind all Rasa Vineyards bottlings. Alongside his brother, Pinto Naravane, Billo crafts very precise and singular expressions of Washington State terroir. His new lineup of wines is truly one of the best in the state — from crisp Rieslings to inky Syrahs.
Billo Naravane initially was inspired by wine while working in the computer world and living Austin, Texas. During that time Billo was exposed to some of the finest wines in the world and he fully caught the wine bug. Finally, he and his brother, Pinto, made the bold decision to start Rasa Vineyards in 2007. My first exposure to these great wines was many years back when I was served a 2007 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED’ Syrah blind. I was absolutely mesmerized by the seamless quality of the wine. With a bachelor’s degree from MIT and a master’s degree from Stanford, Billo then studied viticulture an enology at UC Davis. He is now one of the few masters of wine (MW) in the world. The wines he crafts show tremendous texture, richness, poise and terroir — and are only getting better by each vintage.
I loved these wines, mostly from the warm 2016 vintage, across the board. Billo has said that “2016 we cut the canopy back to slow the ripening and get good acidity. Even though this was one of our warmest years, we were able to get some really good acidity in the wine. We didn’t want to add any acid to the wines because we handed things in the vineyard so well.”
The Bordeaux style wines all showed bright acidity despite the obvious heat of the vintage. Billo noted “Around July 20th I was tracking the heat units and at that time I went to the vineyard managements and I hedged the canopy by 30%, and they were all surprised. I needed to slow down ripening and every leaf o the vine is a sugar producing factory so then I would be ripening too fast. But making that call was a bit risky because we didn’t know what the weather was going to do but in hind sight this was the right call. We were able to maintain the fresh acidity.”
I was blown away once again by the 2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘The Composer’ Riesling (WWB, 93) which is amongst the best of its kind in North America. The Syrah wines by Billo were just incredible and I loved the 2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘Principia Reserve’ Syrah (WWB, 96) which is a masterful effort that shows incredible aromatic and flavor range. 2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘For the Love of the Game’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 96) which is one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Washington that I have sampled over the past year. Learn more about this fantastic Walla Walla winery at rasavineyards.com Here are the gorgeous new wines by Rasa Vineyards.
2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘The Composer’ Riesling- The 2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘The Composer’ shows marvelous acidity and texture that you want in a dry, one of a kind, Alsace style Riesling. Right out of the gate this Riesling shows petrol aromas with shades of Japanese pear and starfruit that mingle in the glass. The palate is bone dry with good freshness and texture. Lemon rind and unripe cantaloupe with baking spices dominate the palate. The exceedingly long finish lingers. While marvelous to enjoy in its youth, the combination of freshness and weight suggests this will cellar brilliantly for at least another eight years. Drink 2020-2028- 93
2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘Dream Deferred’ Chardonnay- The 2018 ‘Dream Deferred’ Chardonnay was sourced from the Frenchman Hills Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope AVA. Mango and ripe pineapple combine with shades of nectarine rind, cloves and vanilla cream on the nose. The palate shows terrific verve, with great depth and concentration. Layers of vanilla cream and banana mingle with baking spice infused Challah bread and nutty as well as damp earth undertones and a faint dusting of salinity. A complete wine, this is sinfully good in its youth and will provide drinking enjoyment for another decade. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2019 Rasa Vineyards ‘Occam’s Razor’ White Wine- The 2019 ‘Occam’s Razor’ white wine is a new wine made by Rasa Vineyards. The Pinot Gris is slightly pink-hued as this wine saw extended skin contact and shows a great bouquet of Macadamia nut and cantaloupe with shades of saline drenched pear. The palate is wonderfully textured, as this is round and generous, revealing a silky mouthfeel. Ripe nectarine and baked apple flavors mingle with minerals and vanilla cream tones on the palate. This is seriously good stuff for the price. Drink 2020-2025- 92
2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘Occam’s Razor’ Red Wine- This awesome value blend shows smoky and sagebrush tones that meld with the core of dark fruits on the nose. The freshness is impressive as the wine delivers medium-bodied layers of dark berries with chocolate and sagebrush undertones on the palate. While not the most complex, this is delicious wine to savor in the short-term. Drink 2020-2025- 90
2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED Convergence’ Red Wine- A blend of mainly Syrah (69%) with smaller portions Mourvedre, Grenache and Viognier, this shows orange blossom with ripe red and dark fruits with chocolate and sandalwood tones on the nose.The palate is silky smooth with a voluptuous mouthfeel but the wine maintains a good degree of freshness. A light dusting of salinity runs thorough the core of red and dark fruits, with orange rind undertones. The freshness and sense of mouthfeel is outstanding. You have to admire the high tones of this wine from the Viognier that really add to the experience. A complete wine, this scintillating new release will cellar well for another decade or more. Drink 2020-2032- 94
2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED Reductio ad Absurdum’ Syrah- This Columbia Valley bottling shows gorgeous underbrush undertones alongside smoked brisket, dark currants and kirsch cordial tones that all mingle in unison on the nose. The palate is fresh and vibrant, showing a great veil of tension that runs through the core of dark currants, blackberry compote, creosote and cocoa powder flavors, with saline accents rounding out this great Syrah. Delicious in its youth, the ‘QED Reductio ad Absurdum’ Syrah will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED Choice Function’ Cabernet Franc- Sourced from mainly the Weinbau Vineyard (roughly 75%) with the remainder Firethorn Vineyard, the ‘Choice Function’ opens with pretty, high toned red rose petal tones with shades of red currants, cocoa powder and a hint of red bell pepper. Silky smooth through the mid-palate, the Cabernet Franc reveals a seamless mid-palate with a light dusting of salinity. This is impeccably balanced wine, and while not showing a massive weight this has some seriously good right bank appeal. Fantastic to enjoy in its youth, I can see the ‘Choice Function’ providing drinking enjoyment for at least another decade. Drink 2020-2033- 93
2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED The Strong Law’ Red Wine- The 2018 ‘QED The Strong Law’ is a downright awesome wine that was sourced from a host of vineyards including Bacchus, Dionysus, DuBrul, and the Kiona Vineyard. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon with the reminder Merlot, the 2016 ‘QED The Strong Law’ shows toasty oak with black currants, florals, blackberry compote and mocha aromatics that all take shape in the glass. The palate is plush, showing elegant tannins that line the layers black fruits with cocoa powder alongside great freshness and richness. This has a seamless effect mid-palate that is truly inviting, as the long finish lingers. Great to enjoy right now, the 2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED The Strong Law’ will provide drinking enjoyment for more than a decade to come. Drink 2020-2035- 94
2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘Tilting At Windmills’ Red Wine- A truly great wine, the 2018 ‘Tilting at Windmills’ is superstar winemaker Billo Naravane, MW’s homage to the great wines of Priorat. Sourced from the ‘XL Vineyard’ this is a blend of mostly Grenache (54%) with the remainder near equal parts Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The aromatics jump out of the glass with pretty red rose petal tones that mingle with shades of with orange blossom and star jasmine that collide with the core of red and dark fruits. The palate is silky smooth with a soft mouthfeel and velvety texture. Layer of Bing cherry, cigar box and anise combine with the bright sense of minerality on the palate. The long finish lingers. Be sure to give this at least a one hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2020-2035- 94
2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘Principia Reserve’ Syrah- Sourced from a core of old vine Bacchus, fruit with a touch coming from the Upland and SJR Vineyard, the 2016 ‘Principia Reserve’ is a barrel selection wine that saw extended barrel age before bottling. This was aged in 25% new French oak for 22 months before bottling and underwent 50% whole cluster fermentation.The nose is nearly intoxicating with its smoky and damp earth tones that combine with shades of black currant jelly and blackberry pie that all mingle in the glass. The palate is marvelously balanced, showing a silky texture and wonderful sense of mouthfeel. The mouth-watering acidity catches you off guard but in a good way. Fresh and vibrant, the weight here is also truly outstanding as this wine effortlessly glides across the mid-palate. This is Billo Naravane, MW, at his best. Drink 2020-2035- 96
2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘Veritas Sequitur’ Grenache/Syrah- This is the first year that Billo Naravane has made this incredible wine. The Grenache entirely aged in natural oak while the Syrah saw 20% new oak before bottling. The wine is a stunning blend of 71% Grenache with 29% Syrah which was entirely sourced from the ‘SJR Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA. Pretty red rose petals, red cherry candy and orange rind combine with shades of Hoisin sauce and Umami tones on this exotic nose. The palate is silky smooth with wonderful freshness and a great sense of elegance. The seamless effect on the mid-palate is nothing short of captivating, as is the exceedingly long finish that provides the crescendo. Vibrant and youthful, this beautiful wine will cellar well for another decade — but why wait? Drink 2020-2028- 96
2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘Veritas Sequitur’ Syrah- The 2016 ‘Veritas Sequitur’ is a stunning wine that is truly one of a kind Syrah from the famed ‘SJR Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA. Fermented in puncheons, the perfumed nose is snippy incredible with horse manure, white truffle, green olive tapenade, bacon fat and gobs of Umami that all sing in harmony in the glass. The aromatic range is truly profound and takes you back to the glass for more enjoyment. The palate is silky smooth and seamless, as this effortlessly glides across the mid-palate. Showing great texture, verve, weight and elegance, this wine truly has it all. Smoky and damp earth tones combine with seaweed, blood orange zest, smoked pork shoulder, and a core of red and dark fruits on the palate. The aromatic and flavor range is nothing short of magical. Sinfully good in its youth, this beautiful wine will provide drinking enjoyment for another decade. This is ‘wow factor’ stuff. Drink 2020-2028- 97
2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘Plus One’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘Pius One’ was entirely sourced from the Kiona Vineyard which was first planted in 1973. The wine was aged in 50% new oak and all four year stave barrels before bottling. Translucent in the glass, the nose shows highly perfumed aromatics with shades of potpourri and suggestions of baking spices that collide with a deep core of wild blackberry cobbler and mocha that all come together in the glass. Once on the mouth the wine is seamless, effortlessly gliding across the mid-palate. The palate shows refined tannins that line a deep core of dark fruit with loads of non-fruit flavors from herbal undertones to milk chocolate. This drinks like a great warm vintage left bank Bordeaux. With great length the gorgeous 2017 ‘Plus One’ has the potential to cellar well for decades. Drink 2020-2038- 95
2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘For The Love of the Game’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the ‘Wallula Vineyard’ this wine was aged in 60% new French oak prior to bottling. And after trying this beautiful wine I am somewhat surprised that this is translucent in color when you consider the great weight of the wine. Charcoal and anise with suggestions of baking spices, black currant jelly and Turkish coffee tones all entice on the nose. The wine has marvelous sense of balance and texture, creating a seamless effect. Full-bodied, yet elegant, the ‘For The Love of the Game’ shows pretty rose water undertones that meld with suggestions of pipe tobacco, Black Forest Cake, exotic spices and black currants. The length of the wine is truly exceptional. Seamless and simply magical to enjoy in its youth, the 2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘For The Love of the Game’ Cabernet Sauvignon will be extremely long lived. Be sure to give this at least a two hour decant if enjoying right now. Drink 2020-2040- 96
2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘Fianchetto’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the ‘XL Vineyard’ this is a massive, gorgeous wine by Billo Naravane. The wine is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon with 29% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc. Aged entirely in 100% new French oak barrels, this nose is hedonistic and downright intoxicating. Layers of creme de cassis, red rose petals, anise, blackberry compote and tar all collide on the nose. The palate is silky smooth as this creates a seamless effect mid-palate. Layers of cocoa powder and blackberry pie connect with gobs of mouth-watering acidity, a light salinity and tar tones. This has an impeccable sense of balance. Gorgeous to enjoy in its youth this stunning wine will provide drinking enjoyment for decades to come. Be sure to give this a long decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2020-2040- 95