The 2023 TEMPRANILLO is Thurston Wolfe's first vintage of this variety since 2012. Well-known as a major variety from the Rioja area of northern Spain, it is well adapted to our climate in eastern Washington. Fruit comes from the Crawford Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, where it is grown on a quadrilateral (four-armed) trellis to temper its high vigor. Grapes were harvested in late September at 24 Brix and fermented for ten days in small, open-top fermenters before pressing.
The wine was aged in a mixture of French and American oak (one-third new) for 19 months before bottling in April 2025. Distinct cherry and berry fruit aromas, along with dried herbs, oak spice, floral notes, and soft tannins, make this wine highly drinkable now and for the next eight years.
Alcohol is 14.0%. Only 120 cases were produced and are sold exclusively at the winery.
