2012 Intrigue


2012 Intrigue

NWC Int12 FINAL

Seattle Wine Awards

SILVER
Great Northwest Wine, 2016 Cascadia Wine Competition

 

PLATINUM
Wine Press NW Award, December 2016

Versatile winemaker Robert Smasne obtained grapes from Tasawik, Spofford Station, Double Canyon and Coyote Canyon vineyards, then combined them into a blend of Malbec (25%), Merlot (20%), Petit Verdot (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Syrah (15%) and Carménère and aged it for 21 months in 50% new French oak. The result is a wine with a bit of leather in its nose, then a hint of blueberry, fulsome, grapy flavors and with its tannins well in check. (474 cases, 13.9% alc.)

 

Seattle Wine Awards

OUTSTANDING
Great Northwest Wine, April 2016

 

While its price remains stable, the blending program for Robert Delf’s Intrigue is rather fluid each year. This time, the Kirkland, Wash., vintner and winemaker Robert Smasne focused on Bordeaux varieties – Malbec (25%), Merlot (20%), Petit Verdot (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Carménère (5%) with Syrah as a backblender (15%). Their results are bodacious, starting with a nose that might make you go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs cereal, joined by black plum, lavender, rosemary and a pinch of black pepper. There’s elegance to the mouth feel and flavors of cassis and plums as juicy acidity and beautiful grip to the tannins funnel into a finish of anise with more pepper and chocolate.

 

GOLD
Savor NW Wine Award, March 2016