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2017 La Rata Wines La Rata Red

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased upon release; Consignor is original owner

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

95Jeb Dunnuck

...meaty, gamey bouquet of ripe strawberry and black cherry fruits interwoven with lots of green herbs, sappy flowers, damp earth, and hints of smoked game. It shows more sweet fruit on the palate...medium to full-bodied, with a silky, elegant texture, fine tannins, and a great finish.

94Wine Spectator

Expressive and vibrantly structured, with bold raspberry, black olive and bacon notes that take on richness and structure on a long, polished finish.

94Stephen Tanzer

...scents of raspberry, strawberry, smoke, rose petal and spices; wonderfully high-pitched...silky and penetrating on entry, then delivers terrific intensity and inner-mouth perfumed lift to its fairly dense strawberry, raspberry and spice flavors... Wonderfully pure, lightly salty wine with outstanding red fruit intensity and spicy rose petal perfume.

93Wine Enthusiast

Aromas of earthy funk, crushed stone, raspberry, Kalamata olive, dried peat, tobacco, orange and herb rise...fruit and savory flavors are fresh, pure and juicy. A raspberry- and olive-filled finish...

92+ The Wine Advocate

Medium to full-bodied, the wine is expressive and showcases a Cabernet backbone across the mid-palate, with hints of juicy cassis and black raspberry flavors framed by a balanced structure. It then slides into a lingering finish with a soft notion of black pepper that seems to stand apart from the rest of the expression.

REGION

United States, Oregon, Walla Walla Valley

Walla Walla Valley AVA likes to call itself the Napa Valley of Washington, and given the concentration of well-reviewed wineries in the appellation, the comparison is understandable. The Walla Walla appellation is comprised of 340,000 acres, of which 1,200 acres are vineyards. Walla Walla is located in the southeastern corner of Washington and it extends slightly into northeastern Oregon. It is named after the Walla Walla River Valley, and the city of Walla Walla is the commercial center of Washington’s wine industry. The city was founded in the 1840s by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a trading post, but as early as the 1850s farmers were planting grapes for winemaking. Prohibition shuttered winemaking in the early 20th century, but a winemaking renaissance started in the 1970s when Leonetti Cellars, still one of the state’s most acclaimed wineries, started producing acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon. Walla Walla’s AVA status was awarded in 1984 and today there are more than 100 wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most frequently planted grape, followed by Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese Chardonnay and Viognier.