WB: Primarius - Grenache

It’s not often that you see a Grenache with a Walla Walla winery label and when you do it needs discovering. Grenache is the leading grape grown in the southern Rhone region of France and eventually found its way into Washington State.

Waterbrook Winery introduced a new label called Primarius - lingua Latina for "the most distinguished." The WB Primarius label will only be available through Waterbrook’s downtown tasting room and will be a limited production of 350 cases or less.

The 2005 Grenache fruit for this most distinguished label came from one of the newest Washington State appellations, Wahluke Slope located in the Yakima area. The Stone Tree Vineyard is home to 450 acres Grenache clones planted in sandy loam. Historically, this land has been a desert.

Released last month, only 48 cases were made of this lovely cranberry colored liquid. Aged in 100% one-year-old oak barrels, the deep earthy undertones did not overpower the heady qualities of raspberries and vanilla. A very aromatic wine that almost over powered the taste, but when the wine settled on my tongue it was full in raspberry flavor and finished with bites of black pepper. I really enjoyed this wine and didn’t want to share (thank you Rachel for your generosity of sharing this wine), but remembered my manners.