For many years now Master of Wine, Billo Naravane, has been crafting beautiful expressions of Washington State wine. His new lineup of wines is truly one of the best in the state — from crisp Rieslings to inky Syrahs. Billo also has a remarkable story in wine. If you have never tried these wines then you are in for a serious treat. A scientist by trade, Billo Naravane initially was inspired by wine while living Austin, Texas. During that time Naravane 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. Meeting with Naravane last weekend we chatted about the difficulty of him passing the MW exam. He was correctly able to name specific 1st and 2nd growth houses in Bordeaux, identifying the differences between Pauillac and Saint-Julien. This is a next level wine tasting ability that he possesses.
The wines by Rasa were amazing across the board. Do not miss out on the 2020 Rasa Vineyards ‘Veritas Sequitur’ Syrah (OB, 97) which is a world-class wine made from this very challenging vintage. Even better is a new wine to the portfolio. The 2021 Naravane Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 100) which is the finest wine I have had from this house. Silky, magical and exceedingly elegant, enjoy this stunner over the next twenty years. Learn more about this fantastic Walla Walla winery at rasavineyards.com Here are the sensational new wines by Rasa Vineyards.
2019 Rasa Vineyards ‘The Composer Encore’ Riesling- This is a GG style Riesling that saw considerable amount of time on the lees. Coming from the Bacchus Vineyards, this offers incredible weight and depth with peach and stony minerals alongside rich pear, mango, almond paste and apricot notes. The flavor complexity is otherworldly. Loaded with stony minerals, and mouth-watering acidity, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 96
NV Rasa Vineyards ‘Nivas’ Fortified Muscat- This was stored outside and was a 10 year solera wine with a base wine being from 2014. Golden in the glass, this has 237G/L residual sugar. White raisin and cardamom alongside apricot jelly and shades of honey on the nose. This is a dense beast yet has incredible underlying acidity and a finish that just won’t quit. A stunning, one of a kind wine, enjoy for the next twenty years. Drink 2024-2044- 99
2022 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED Reductio Ad Absurdum’ Syrah- The QED ‘Reductio Ad Absurdum’ is a 100% varietal Syrah was sourced from mostly the Weinbau and Bacchus Vineyards. Black olive tapenade and tar mark the nose alongside black cherry compote and shades of graphite. The palate is beautifully nervy and dense with beautiful freshness and a generous core of black fruits. Enjoy now and over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 94
2022 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED The Strong Law’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘QED The Strong Law’ combines Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Stored in 35% new French oak for 20 months before bottling, this offers black tea and black currants on the nose alongside shades of Asian spices and Black Forest cake. The palate is soft and inviting with a smooth texture and bright underlying tension that makes your mouth water. Enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2021 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED Convergence’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘QED Convergence’ combines 63% Syrah with smaller parts Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier. The wine was stored in 20% new French oak before bottling. The wine come from several sites in the Columbia Valley including Seven Hills and Weinbau Vineyards. Whiffs of honeysuckle from the Viognier are shining brightly as white pepper dusted brisket, beef drippings and wild blackberry all mingle well with creosote tones on the nose. The palate is fresh and elegant with good tension and flavor density. Enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94
2020 Rasa Vineyard ‘Veritas Sequitur SJR Vineyard’ Syrah- A stunning wine from a tough vintage, this saw 100% whole cluster fermentation and and all new French oak before bottling. Smoldering stones and tar notes combine with shades of Kalamata olive, bacon grease and shades of wild blackberry compote. This is one of the great wines made this vintage, showing insane flavor range from red cherry and seaweed, bulls blood, orange peel, pipe tobacco and shades of creosote. The weight, flavor range and finish is stunning. A remarkable achievement to enjoy now. Drink 2024-2034- 97
2021 Rasa Vineyards ‘Principia Reserve’ Syrah- The stunning 2021 ‘Principia Reserve’ comes from a range of vineyards including Bacchus, Scarline and Dionysus. Showing off a deep core, this offers rich blackberry cordial and coffee grounds alongside smoked meats and black licorice notes. This offers beautiful harmony on the mouth with generous figs, black cherry and blackberry flavors alongside the plush mouthfeel and bright underlying acidity. Complex and delicious, enjoy this now and over the next twelve years to come. Drink 2024-2036- 96
2021 Rasa Vineyards ‘For The Love Of The Game’ Red Wine- A Bordeaux inspired wine that comes from five vyineyards in the Columbia Valley, this was stored in 65% new French oak before bottling. This is seriously good in terms of richness, freshness and flavor density with mouth-watering acidity. Broad shouldered and generous, with its core of black fruits alongside espresso grounds and sandalwood, enjoy this beauty over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2040- 96
2021 Rasa Vineyards ‘Plus One’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Plus One’ comes from the Kiona Vineyard as vines for this block were planted back in 1975. These are some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Washington State. Eucalyptus and black currants alongside cedar and blackberry compote all mark the nose. The palate is powerful and dense with beautiful freshness and lift. Rich and layered, enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2040- 96
2022 Rasa Vineyards ‘Humane’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This is a wine that is made for charity, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from some of the state’s top vineyards. This is neatly balanced stuff with black cherry and tar alongside shades of menthol and shades of cassis. Delicious and nicely textured, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2021 Rasa Vineyards ‘Naravane’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Naravane’ is a new wine by Rasa Vineyards with a hefty price tag. This is what winemaker Billo Naravane has chosen as his top barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon from the vintage. Stored for 36 months in new French oak barrels, this delivers sandalwood and anise on the nose alongside shades of creme de violette and tar. The palate is utterly seamless and elegant with a great underlying sense of poise and weight. This effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience, with no rough edges. Give this at least two hours in the decanter if enjoying now. Drink 2024-2044- 100