A Ndrew R Ich Vintner
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A NDREW RICH VINTNER Sourcing fruit from select Oregon and Washington vineyards, Andrew Rich has been crafting distinctive wines in his adopted state since 1995. He handcrafts wines using grapes from the Pacific Northwest's finest vineyards. Some of the region's most respected examples of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Rhone and Bordeaux style blends as well as a cultish Gewurztraminer Ice Wine...are created by Andrew at his winery in the Carlton Winemakers' Studio (the nation's first "green" cooperative winemaking facility) located in Carlton, Oregon. Andrew Rich 2006 Roussanne - 12/750ml Net $180 The great white grape of France’s Rhône Valley was first planted in Eastern Washington in the late 90s, so it’s not surprising that most people are still unaware of its existence. That’s too bad, because Roussanne is already proving itself to be well-suited to the Columbia Valley’s warm, dry climate. Sourced from Ciel du Cheval, Alder Ridge, and Lonesome Springs, my 2006 was fer- mented slowly in neutral French oak, remaining on the lees until bottling in July of 2007. The nose reveals scents of flowers, honey, minerals and stone fruits, while the palate is rich, structured, and somehow elegant all at once. Drink now and over the next two or three years… ~AR Andrew Rich 2005 Pinot Noir - 12/750ml Net $300 12/375ml Net $162 I would rank the 2005 vintage right up there with 1999 and 2002 as among my best to date. Cooler weather along with some showers at harvest gave us balanced, elegant wines with sane alcohols (13.5 on average) and good acidity. There is a marvelous purity of fruit, both in the nose and on the palate, and just enough new oak to frame the wine without overwhelming it. Bottled at the beginning of February 2007, the Pinot is still a tad reserved. It will benefit from a further 6 months in bottle and should age well in a cool cellar for 5 to 7 years. ~AR Wine Enthusiast 90 points. Andrew Rich 2005 Syrah ‘Les Vignes en Face’ - 12/750ml Net $280 I’ve been accused of concocting confusing, unpronounceable names for my wines, but it’s all really quite logical. (If you’re me. And a French major.) This is a 50/50 blend of my two best Syrah vineyards, Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval, just as the 2003 Reserve Syrah was. I find intriguing the synergy between these two. They are both located in the tiny Red Mountain AVA, right across the road from each other. (Hence “en Face”: across from or opposite.) The Klipsun is large-scaled, structured, full of big fruit and even bigger tannins. The Ciel brings great purity of fruit, elegance, harmony, and balance. We selected the best barrels of each to craft a wine of power and beauty. This is wine can be enjoyed now for its opulent nature or cel- lared five to seven years to reveal more subtle and complex nuances. 180 cases produced. ~AR Andrew Rich 2005 Mesalliance (Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Syrah) - 12/750ml Net $180 Those of you with a long memory will no doubt recall the Mésalliances of yore. Way back when—I think the last vintage was the 2001—it was a Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and it got its name with the ’98 vintage. I had been making Cab, but always with at least 75% Cab in the blend, so I could legally call it…Cab. With the ’98, however, I didn’t meet the minimum requirement, so I had to come up with a name. Because I had blended in a bit of Merlot and because I thought of Merlot as an inferior grape, it seemed clever, if not commercially expedient, to name the blend “Mésalliance,” in the sense of “marriage with a person of inferior social position.” Since those days my thinking has changed. I lost interest in Cabernet, and I realized that I enjoyed the Merlot/Cabernet Franc blends of Bordeaux’s right bank. And when I was offered some very nice Merlot from Red Willow Vineyard, I took it as a sign. (Technically the fruit is grown at their Les Vignes site just down the road, planted in 1990.) While our fermentation protocol wasn’t radically dif- ferent (though I got a few pointers from a well-known Napa consultant from whom I buy used barrels), we tried something a little un- usual when it came time to age the wine. We used a small amount of new American oak barrels. Normally I find American oak to be too obvious, too caramel-ly, too…much. But with this Merlot, it really seems to work, fleshing out the middle while balancing the struc- ture of the Cabernet Franc without entirely obliterating that grape’s lovely perfume. And the Syrah? Well, I guess I could say it’s there to ensure the blend’s pedigree as a misalliance, but when we did our blending we found that it was just what was needed to knit the Merlot and Franc together into a seamless whole. Delicious now for its softness and fruit, the 2005 Mésalliance should age well for several more years. ~ AR Cream Wine Company 118 N. Peoria Street Chicago IL 60607 Tel 312 421 1900 Fax 312 421 1977 www.creamwine.com A NDREW RICH VINTNER Andrew Rich 2005 Coup d’Etat (Rhone-style Blend) - 12/750ml Net $216 Doing our part (for the fourth time) to “épater le merloisie,” we have welcomed back to the barricades the prodigal Counoise, fighting the good fight along side Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah. As new-world Rhône-style blends go, this one is remarkably balanced with- out lacking a bit of that wild, peppery, Mediterranean scrubland thing found in our favorite Châteauneufs. To be drunk in warm weather with all sorts of grilled meats, or in winter with the heartiest dishes. ~AR Andrew Rich 2005 Syrah - 12/750ml Net $216 (pre-sell) Our ’05 Syrah blends fruit from five different vineyards—two on Red Mt. and three in the Horse Heaven Hills—so perhaps it’s that added complexity (or something) that makes this year’s Syrah so approachable in youth. Blackberries and other dark fruit swirl entic- ingly on the nose, with just a hint of pepper, toast, and black olive. The mid-palate is soft and quite lush, with a framework of tannin that seems to melt in the mouth. The wine is lively—that’s the acidity talking—rather than ponderous, making it a great partner for rich fall and winter dishes. I’ll have the lamb, please. Medium rare. ~AR Andrew Rich Tabula Rasa Red - 12/750ml Net $144 A Rhone-style blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Counoise. Soft textured, with floral aromatics, ripe red-fruit flavors, and a hint of leather and earth. This wine would pair well with grilled meats and vegetables and robust stews. Andrew Rich Tabula Rasa White - 12/750ml Net $144 (pre-sell) An outstanding white blend from Andrew Rich who produces at the Carlton Wine- maker’s Studio. This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc & Roussanne with notes of lemon grass, citrus, kiwi, apples and a hint of grapefruit on a well balanced wine with great minerality and a long, lingering finish. On the road to terroir 04/08 Cream Wine Company 118 N. Peoria Street Chicago IL 60607 Tel 312 421 1900 Fax 312 421 1977 www.creamwine.com .