Assuming you love deep, rich black cherry, mocha, vanilla, and baskets of red and black fruit. This took us by surprise at a recent tasting and everyone agreed, we needed second pours and thirds. This blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre is a JOY to drink with unfettered abandon any day of the year. It tastes even better at 45% OFF the $38 price.

$23 for this? Doesn’t get much better.

Basalt is a boutique producer in Washington’s Columbia Valley. They have contracts for fruit from some of the very best vineyards in the area like Bacchus, Weinbaum and Willard - all of which contribute to this blend. As mentioned, it’s packed with red fruits - cherry liqueur, sweet pomegranate reduction, red currants and a lovely, sweet baking spice or cola thing in there. Its finish is reminiscent of a hypothetical cross between a modern Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a Willamette Pinot, melding power and depth with grace and elegance. There simply is nothing like it.

With a weekday whole chicken, lemon-garlic-citrus, or basil-thyme-rosemary roasted, beer-can-grilled, or spatchcocked-under-a-brick, it will help make everlasting memories for sure.

According to a Vinous report, 2016 was a stellar vintage for this genre, quoting a top consultant “Aryn Morell (Gard Vintners, Alleromb, Ardor Cellars and others), who consistently excels with an amazingly wide range of varieties (he made 64 wines from 18 varieties in 2016), called the 2016s from Rhône varieties ‘stunning - with terrific aromatics and good weight and texture, and plenty of energy for long-term development’ … the 2016s are often opulent and elegant at the same time.”

The only downside, really, is they made just over 400 cases of it. We bought every one we could get but was it enough?

90 Points – International Wine Review

“Smokey, spicy, and dark fruited with dried black raspberry, plum, and clove. Softly textured yet robust palate shows savory meaty flavors with dried blue and black fruits. 41% Grenache, 36% Syrah, 23% Mourvèdre.”