It is my delight to share one of the unique wines of North America. What was originally a trial, Bionic Wines Director of Winemaking Elizabeth Bourcier’s La Rata Red Wine has become one of the outstanding cult wines out of the Pacific Northwest. For years Elizabeth has been touched 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 on the stony terroir of Milton-Freewater. 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 which is the rat. This truly novel wine retails for under 100 dollars.
The 2020 La Rata (OB, 95) is a beautiful effort from a really tough vintage. This edition is slightly more towards weight and texture, like the 2018 and less towards tension like the 2019 and 2017. The flavor range here is nothing short of thrilling. Give this 30 minutes of air if enjoying now to really take on the head-turning flavor range. Learn more at http://laratawines.com/wines.html Here is my review of the thrilling 2020 La Rata Red Wine by Elizabeth Bourcier of Cayuse Vineyards.
2020 La Rata Red Wine- The gorgeous 2020 La Rata combines 53% Grenache with 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder Syrah. This shows serious range on the nose from Nori and charcuterie notes alongside green olives and tobacco leaf with boysenberry fruit coming in after some more air. The palate comes off fresh and polished with a bright level of minerality and a silky texture. Coming off clean this is a gorgeous effort that is drinking beautifully right now. Just give this a little bit of air if you are enjoying now and watch this stunner evolve. Drink 2023-2028- 95