Rasa Vineyards

It is always a pleasure tasting with Master of Wine Billo Naravane, one of the great minds in Pacific Northwest wine. 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.

Originally a scientist, Billo Naravane initially was inspired by wine while 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 adored all of the new Rasa wines from their twenty dollar value selections to their top Syrah bottlings. I adored the 2020 Rasa Vineyards ‘Occam’s Razor’ Pinot Gris (OB, 92) which is a sink contact Gris that has a beautiful texture and totally over-delivers for the price. Even better was the sinfully good  2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘Veritas Sequitur’ Syrah (OB, 97) which is one of the great Syrah wines that I have tasted in the past year. Learn more about this fantastic Walla Walla winery at rasavineyards.com Here are the outstanding new wines by Rasa Vineyards. 

2020 Rasa Vineyards ‘Occam’s Razor’ Pinot Gris- The 2019 ‘Occam’s Razor’ is a skin contact Pinot Gris wine showing nutty and earthy tones alongside ripe pear and marzipan notes on the palate. The texture from the extended battonage really impresses as this is layered and delicious wine that over-delivers for the price. Drink 2021-2026- 92

2019 Rasa Vineyards ‘Occam’s Razor’ Red Wine- A pre-release wine that is Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah dominant, the 2019 ‘Occam’s Razor’ evokes ripe dark fruits alongside chocolate and cigar box notes on the nose. The palate is soft, showing off blackberry and black tea flavors that combine with chocolate and coffee ground undertones on the palate. Drink 2021-2027- 91

2019 Rasa Vineyards ‘Occam’s Razor’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Focused with good tension, the 2019 Rasas vineyards ‘Occam’s Razor’ Cabernet Sauvignon delivers medium-boded and fresh dark fruit flavors alongside minerals, sagebrush and scorched earth undertones. This effort exudes great value. Drink 2021-2027-91

2019 Rasa Vineyard ‘QED Choice Function’ Cabernet Franc- The 2019 ‘Choice Function’ Cabernet Franc was sourced from the Weinbau and Firethorn Vineyards which are slightly cooler sites. The nose is fantastic with dried herbs, red bell pepper and a good core of dark fruits. The palate shows off a silky texture. Ripe dark currants combine with creme de violette, mocha and tar tones all brilliantly combine on the palate. Drink 2021-2033- 93

2019 Rasa Vineyard ‘QED Reductio ad Absurdum’ Syrah- The 2019 ‘Reductio ad Absurdum’ is 100% Syrah sourced from a host of vineyards throughout Washington. The palate is plush, showing ripe dark currants and chocolate flavors alongside tar and smoky undertones.Salty and umami tones add to the enjoyment as this is gorgeous wine to be consumed over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2021-2035- 93

2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED Convergence’ Red Wine- The 2017 ‘QED Convergence’ blends 71% Syrah with smaller parts Mouvedre, Grenache and a touch of Viognier. Smoked meats and tobacco notes combine with milk chocolate and shades of Hoisin sauce on the nose. The palate is dense and plush as this is beautifully texturally. This finishes very long and shows great flavor density alongside the rich core of dark fruits. Drink 2021-2033- 94

2019 Rasa Vineyards ‘Tilting At Windmills’ Red Wine- A Priorat inspired wine, the 2019 ‘Tilting At Windmills’ blends 56%Grenache and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon with 19% Syrah. The Grenache is really showing brilliantly right now as pretty guava and red cherry combine with orange rind and coffee grounds. The palate is silky and elegant, showing a weightlessness. Showing great flavor density with red and dark fruits, finishing extremely long, this glorious new wine will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2021-2033- 95

2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘Veritas Sequitur’ Syrah- Sourced from the famed ‘SJR Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA, the 2017 ‘Veritas Sequitur’ is an utterly spectacular new Syrah that was aged in 100% new French oak before bottling. The nose is downright intoxicating with black olive tapenade, soy sauce, violets, smoldering stones and shades of white pepper dusted bacon. The wine is seamless and pillowy. While overt and rich, everything is impeccably balanced here. The salty and savory tones add to the enjoyment as this is drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve well over the next decade. Drink 2021-2031- 97

2015 Rasa Vineyards ‘Fianchetto’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Entirely sourced from the high elevation ‘XL Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Valley, the 2015 ‘Fianchetto’ was aged in 60% new French oak for 30 months and also saw two years of bottle age before release. The flavor density is outstanding considering the challenges that presented themselves in this exceedingly warm vintage, as ripe dark currants collide with cherry cordial, Earl Grey tea and exotic spices on the palate. Super refined and elegant, this has a long way to go. Drink 2021-2033- 94

2018 Rasa Vineyards ‘Plus One’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 ‘Plus One’ is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine sourced form from very old vines in the Kiona Vineyard. The palate is unbelievably elegant and highly refined with silky tannins the frame a beautiful core of red and dark fruits alongside red rose petals, cigar ash and an exceedingly long finish. Everything is beautifully balanced here, as fine grained tannins hold everything in place. Wait for the exceedingly long finish. Drink 2021-2035- 96

2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘In Order To Form A Perfect Union’ Red Wine- A silky blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot, the 2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘In Order To Form A Perfect Union’ Red Wine exudes class with black tea, tar, black licorice and blackberry compote tones on the palate. With great viscosity and a soft texture, this beautiful wine is really hitting its sweet spot at the five year mark and has more than a decade to go. Drink 2021-2035- 95

2017 Rasa Vineyards ‘In Order To Form A Perfect Union’ Red Wine- In this vintage Billo Naravane has blended in 9% Petit Verdot which is the most in any vintage. The palate is seamless and dense with a massive core of dark fruit and non-fruit character. Tobacco, tar, leather, anise and creme de cassis all collide with minerals and scorched earthy tones on the palate. Generous but exceedingly well-balanced, this outstanding new bottling has a really long ways to go in the cellar. Drink 2022-2038- 95

2016 Rasa Vineyards ‘Creative Impulse’ Red Wine- Entirely sourced from the ‘DuBrul Vineyard’ in the Yakima Valley this blends 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot. The mid-palate is extremely seamless and weightless with incredible finesse and elegance. Tobacco, blackberry compote, red cherry and violets and asphalt with wet gravel accents all meld together on the palate. Stunning and shining brightly at the five year mark, this gorgeous bottling will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another fifteen years. Drink 2021-2036- 96