Our 2023 "The Spaniard" is Thurston Wolfe's Mediterranean-style blend, composed of Grenache (50%) and Tempranillo (50%). We last produced this blend for the 2013 vintage. The name refers to the origin of the blend's two primary varieties, which hail from the Rioja region of northern Spain. Fruit for this wine is sourced from Mercer Canyon (Grenache) in the Horse Heaven Hills and Crawford Vineyard (Tempranillo) in the Yakima Valley. Due to the distances between the vineyards and differences in ripening dates, the grapes were harvested separately between mid- and late September, with an average Brix level of 24. After separate fermentation in small open-top fermenters, the wines were blended and aged in a mixture of French and American oak barrels (25% new) for 18 months before bottling in March 2025.
The distinct Grenache-driven cherry and berry fruit aromas are complemented by Tempranillo's notes of dried herbs, oak spice, and florals. Soft tannins make this wine highly drinkable now and suggest it will age well for the next eight years.
