Today we share one of the electric wine brands of the Pacific Northwest. I’ll fully admit that I was floored when I first tasted these wines which are sourced from the WeatherEye Vineyard (https://www.weathereyevineyard.com) one of the famed sites in Washington State viticulture. This site is set on the windswept ridgeline of Red Mountain in Washington State and is planted to 30 acres of Rhône, Bordeaux, and Spanish varieties. Quite diverse, the vineyard ranges from 950’ to 1410’ of elevation, and has extreme slopes and soils ranging from dune sand to fractured bedrock basalt. The talented Ryan Johnson serves as vineyard manager, having previously managed the esteemed Ciel du Cheval Vineyard for 15 years. Ryan farms this vineyard meticulously and wines from this site have a very wild appearance from the sagebrush, rabbitbrush and yarrow as well as many other native plants that can be found amongst the vines. Liminal took aim to make wines that showcase this very wild terroir, creating wines that show serious nerve and viscosity. I’ve now tasted these wines for four vintages and they have been some of the most exceptional wines in the state.
The 2021 wines that I just tasted were extraordinarily good. The 2021 vintage so far has been really exceptional for red wines. This vintage was marred by a heat dome in early June but otherwise saw a very consistent growing season with limited heat spikes and warm weather throughout. I adored the new 2021 Liminal ‘WeatherEye Vineyard’ Grenache (OB, 96) which has a sensational purity of fruit and plenty of spicy and herbal nuances. Learn more at https://www.liminalwine.com Here are the beautiful new wines by Liminal Wines.
2021 Liminal Grenache-The 2021 Liminal Grenache is a knockout wine from this vintage and might be the best edition of this wine that I have tasted yet. Very dark in color, this offers a brooding bouquet of purple rose petals alongside citrus zest, cardamom and shades of roasted dates, with garrigue accents. The palate is soft and refined with a seamless texture and glorious sense of length. Finishing exceedingly long with bright red fruits and herbs, this is nothing short of a stunning Grenache that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2023-2037- 96
2021 Liminal ‘The Barbarous Heart’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘The Barbarous Heart’ is a stunning Melanie of 42% Grenache with near equal parts of Syrah and Mourvèdre all coming from the famed WeatherEye Vineyard. Once on the nose this takes on layers of green peppercorns and allspice dusted red fruits that collide with black currants and tar notes. The palate is plush and also mineral-laden with a seamless texture and deep concentration of red and dark fruit flavors. Finishing long, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2023-2038- 96
2021 Liminal Syrah- The 2021 Liminal Syrah is an incredible new bottling by winemaker Chris Peterson. Inky in the glass, this is coming from the WeatherEye Vineyard High Canyon and has a small portion of Viognier blended in. Stored in mostly neutral oak puncheons, this offers creosote and blackberry compote flavors that mingle well with Turkish coffee, Middle Eastern spices, and suggestions of creme de violette. Deep and concentrated, with a great acid backbone, this is glorious stuff to savor in its heady youth. Drink 2023-2038- 96