Blessed with one of the most exquisite palates that I have seen, Elizabeth Bourcier is quietly making some of the finest wines in North America. She is astute, humble and full of amazing insight into not only her wine, the elusive and nearly impossible to find La Rata, but the entire lineup of Cayuse wines. Her La Rata is one of the great cult wines that you will find on the west coast.
Originally initially inspired by the insanely good Clos Erasmus wines of the Priorat region, Elizabeth made the bold decision blend both Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon together, since they wines tend to ripen at the similar times. Elizabeth chose to use Grenache from Armada Vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon from En Cerise Vineyard. Now she has added a touch of Syrah to the equation. The wine was named “The Rat.” And then Spanglish-cized: ‘La Rata’. The name ‘La Rata’ also connects with Elizabeth, as her zodiac sign is the rat.
The new 2017 La Rata Red Wine (WWB, 96) is every bit as good and the 2016 edition. The finesse in this wine is just dazzling as it offers insanely good aromatic and flavor range. I tried the ’17 alongside the ’16 and found that the ’16 was a touch more towards weight, while the 2017 had an extra level of minerality. It is a stunner and must purchase for any serious Washington and Oregon wine collector. The 2017 ‘La Rata’ will soon be offered by Full Pull Wines and is very challenging to find in the retail market even on winebid.com. Learn more at http://laratawines.com/wines.html Here is my review of the scintillating 2017 La Rata Red Wine by Elizabeth Bourcier of Cayuse Vineyards.
2017 La Rata Red Wine- The 2017 La Rata Red Wine is a tour de force from the Walla Walla Valley. A head-turning blend of 61% Grenache with 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah, this wine by superstar vigneronne Elizabeth Bourcier was inspired of the famed houses in Priorat, particularly Clos Erasmus and Clos Mogador. The stony terroir aromatically really inspires alongside the Umami, peat moss, blood orange zest and pretty red fruits that all dance in unison. The palate shows great depth and concentration but also remarkable finesse. Layers of seaweed and Hoisin sauce march on with the core of salted pomegranate seed, wild blackberry compote, bulls blood and wet stone on the palate. The remarkable length and tension really add to the enjoyment here. Truly sensational in its youth, the 2017 La Rata will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another decade — but why wait? Drink 2020-2032- 96