We have a new, shining hidden gem for you today, from Andrew Will Winery in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. This small-production, eclectic winery handcrafts its wines with care and with artistry. Today’s Andrew Will 2013 Two Blondes Vineyard Yakima Valley Red Wine is ready to drink - and built to age for decades.

This wine has a nice crimson hue leading to a ruby red lip. The wine opens up with a lovely nose of anise, spice, coffee, red fruit, gingerbread, and violets. After taking a sip, your mouth will be treated to a cornucopia of flavors including strawberry, blueberry, jasmine, mocha, and cardamom. Very yummy! This wine is approachable and easy to get behind with chewy tannin and a nice medium-body construction that finds its way to a long finish. Nothing beats a classic penne pasta with a hearty bolognese sauce and a glass of wine such as this.

This vintage was particularly meaningful because it represents the first full vintage that co-winemaker and son, Will Camarda was involved from harvest to bottling. He also released his first vintage of Esploso, a wine which he has full control over blending and aging.

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Here’s what the wine press has to say:

93 Points - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate - “Slightly darker in color than the 2012, the 2013 Two Blondes Vineyard has terrific Cabernet notes of black currants, black cherries, coffee bean, tobacco leaf and spring flowers. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and structured, with building, fine tannin on the finish, this beauty is approachable today, but will cruise in the cellar for 15+ years.”

91 Points - Sean P. Sullivan, Wine Enthusiast “This wine is a blend of Merlot (44%), Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) and Cabernet Franc. Fragrant aromas of raspberries, orange peel, red currant and garden herbs lead to restrained but sumptuous fruit flavors backed by a lick of tart acidity. It brings a sense of presence and depth.”