FOUNDER’S RESERVE XIII
WINEMAKER’S NOTES
This wine easily offers one of the best quality to price ratios on the planet. It is a blend of wines from the 2024 and 2023 vintages. One might think that given the disparate nature of the grape varieties used in this wine that it is a bit of an afterthought, made simply with whatever wine is left over. This could not be further from the truth. This wine is made with the same dedication and attention to detail that is given to all Rasa wines. It admittedly blends some varieties together that may seem unconventional, but it works beautifully! The fruit is sourced from some of the best vineyards in the state: Ciel du Cheval, Goose Ridge, Kiona, Firethorn, Summit View, Pine Brake, DuBrul, StoneTree, Eclectic, Weinbau, and Dionysus.
The Founder’s Reserve XIII is a full-bodied, luscious, juicy wine that way overdelivers for the price. It possesses excellent palate complexity and depth. Ripe black plum, cassis, blackberry, dark chocolate, and earth notes saturate the palate. These dominant notes are supported by secondary tones of violets, allspice, dried sage, espresso and smoldering incense. The substantial yet silky tannins exhibit a finesse that is rarely encountered in wines at this low of a price. The well-integrated finish with notes of black plum, cassis, and dark chocolate lingers for well over a minute. Properly cellared, this wine will evolve gracefully for 10-12 years.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
The wine had a pre-fermentation maceration average of 128 hours and a post-fermentation maceration average of 105 hours. The wine was punched down by hand 3 times each day during macerations and fermentation. 100% native fermentation. All individual wine components, including free run and press fractions, were kept separate until final blending. The wine had an elevage of 22 months in French Oak. The oak profile is 35% new French oak (predominantly from Troncais and Alliers). The wine achieved its sparkly brilliance from 3 judicious rackings, no fining agents were employed. The wine was very lightly filtered to capture any remaining lees. The alcohol is 14.9%, pH is 3.83, and the titratable acidity is 6.2 g/L.
CASES PRODUCED --
VARIETALS 41% Merlot, 25% Syrah, 9% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre, 8% Touriga Nacional, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
APPELLATION Columbia Valley
LABEL STORY
The Rasa Community Founders Reserve
We have gone out of our way to create an environment where we can all bond over our love of fine wine.
We are thankful for our customers. They are our fans, our proselytizers, and many have become friends. They come from all walks of life and interacting with them is one of the highlights of owning our winery. In order to create a more sense of the Rasa community, we came up with the Founders Reserve concept. Released twice a year, it is a great bargain delivering exceptional quality at a reasonable price. As important, there is no front label. We encourage our customers to create their own label and to share it with us.