Bordeaux Blends

This is the most powerful wine we make. Wine usually gets its power directly from the soil and from the clonal type. But this wine gets its power indirectly from the wind. This wine comes from XL Vineyard (above Seven Hills Vineyard and part of the SeVein project). The vineyard is very windy which causes the berries to be smaller and grow a thicker skin. This results in a more powerful wine.

In chess, you typically derive power directly by placing your pieces in the center. Fianchetto is a chess opening that exerts indirect power on the center by having the bishops attack on the long diagonals.

This concept of indirect power (in chess and in this wine) is why we call the wine Fianchetto.

The first vintage of the Fianchetto, 2012, received 96 points from Owen Bargreen (International Wine Report) and 93 points from Jeb Dunnuck (Wine Advocate), and we’ve since sold out of it. The 2013 will be released in November 2017. It’s every bit as good.

For Winemaker notes, technical details, and reviews, please click on the following vintages:

2012

2013

We had no intention of making En Passant. Every year, after final blending, we have a little wine left over which we typically sell in bulk to other wineries. But, our Merlot in 2012 was so compelling that we decided to bottle it – in magnums only. We called the wine En Passant – a chess move that literally means “in passing” – since we had never intended to make the wine, but did so “in passing.”

The wine may change every year – and it may not be offered every year. It depends on what is compelling that year. It just so happens that the 2012, 2013, and 2014 are all Merlot. But, there will be no 2015 En Passant.

For Winemaker notes, technical details, and reviews, please click on the following vintages:

2012

2013

2014

In January 2008, I went to my local wine store and bought a bottle of Owen Roe DuBrul Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. While I liked the wine, I thought that we could do better – to me, the potential of the fruit wasn’t fully realized. I don’t know why I felt this. I never had DuBrul Vineyard fruit before, and this wine was lovely. It was a visceral reaction – not based on any history of tasting DuBrul fruit or Owen Roe wines.

Up to this point, Billo and I had only made two wines, the 2007 QED and 2007 Prinicipia, and they were both going through malolactic fermentation – we had no idea how they would turn out. Perhaps it was hubris, but I was struck by what I perceived as untapped potential in this wine. So, I called Billo and told him that we needed to get DuBrul fruit. I told him we could make a great wine with it. He was in his second year of his Masters program in viticulture and enology at UC Davis, and as luck would have it, one of his classmates was Kerrie Shiels, daughter of the owners of DuBrul Vineyard, Dr. Hugh and Kathy Shiels. Through her, we got an invite to visit them for Easter Sunday.

I have fond memories of that Easter dinner. The Shiels were wonderful hosts. After tasting some of the DuBrul wines, I said to Dr. Shiels that we would love to get some DuBrul fruit for our production. He flashed a proud smile and said that his vineyard is highly allocated and there is no fruit to sell to us. A couple of days later, Dr. Shiels called Billo: You must have a guardian angel. Someone just canceled their allocation. Would you like some fruit?

Without even knowing which grape varieties were available, I asked Billo to get whatever we could. The varieties were Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. With it, we make Creative Impulse. The first Creative Impulse, the 2008, received a perfect rating from Rand Sealey (Review of Washington Wines) and remains one of my top three favorite wines we’ve made.

We have always been strong analytical thinkers and because of that we were pigeon-holed as “left-brain” types. As we got older, we realized that we have a creative side. We didn’t want to be pigeon-holed as “left-brain” any longer. As we developed a passion for wine, we also developed a passion for the creative process. At the intersection of these passions, a creative impulse was bred. Rasa Vineyards was born out of this creative impulse.

For Winemaker notes, technical details, and reviews, please click on the following vintages:

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013