Current Releases

Here are are the two current releases: 

 2012 Random Wine Company Petit Verdot 

 Price: $30/bottle 

 I’ve always loved varietal petit verdot, so when the chance came to work with the grape, I jumped at it. After it was all said and done, I have 44 cases to share with you. Making this wine was a great learning experience, but I won’t needlessly fill this space in with cliches trying to explain why. The Horse Heaven Hills AVA in Washington provided the fruit, from an area just outside of the town of Prosser. The grapes were grown in vines averaging around 15 years of age and yields were somewhat on the low side, about 1.9 tons to the acre.

 The 2012 Petit Verdot is a super cool, interesting expression of the grape. I fermented the grapes with about 20% whole cluster, to create a fresher, lighter style. When we were shoveling out the fermenter bin to load the press, there was an intact layer of clusters lining the bottom. Those clusters had undergone some carbonic maceration, lightening and freshening the wine further. Alcoholic fermentation finished around 14.5%, which is what was expected given the warm growing season. The wine was aged in two neutral French Oak barrels for 11 months, with malo-lactic fermentation taking place in those barrels.

 On the nose I get ripe black plum, spices, cherry, and wood aromas. The attack is all black fruit and peppercorns, followed by subtle notes of licorice, plum skin, and blackberry. I really like the tension in the wine, due to the vibrant acidity. Firm but smooth tannins work their way through the palate as well, forming a nice, complete structure. The finish is more ripe black fruit balanced by zingy acidity.

 While I think this will be a long lived wine - plenty of acidity helps with that - it’s also meant to be consumed younger and especially with food. My advice is to decant for a bit before you drink it. 

2012 Random Wine Company Tempranillo 

 Price: $28/bottle 

 Some of the greatest wines I’ve ever had have been tempranillo-based. They’ve also all been from Spain, where I think the grape really seems to shine. Why then, did I make one myself? The honest answer is that I was looking for another red grape that I could maybe make a bit more of. The grapes came from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, and the vineyard lies on a south-facing slope a few miles from the Columbia River.

The fruit was gorgeous, hardly any desiccation and no rot. 85% was de-stemmed and it went into open-top fermenters. After alcoholic fermentation it was gently pressed to a settling tank before going to three French Oak barrels. Two were neutral and one was from 2009 and had only seen pinot noir. I wanted to create a tempranillo that had some richness yet was also balanced by plenty of acidity. In this I think we succeeded. 

There is a lot of red and black fruit on the nose, a testament to the ripeness of the 2012 vintage. I also particularly like the subtle savory note that is persistent yet delicate. It’s like a cross between soy, dried herbs, and ripe cherries. Well integrated acidity helps to hold back some of that ripeness, allowing a balanced mouthfeel. Plenty of tannin - it is tempranillo after all - make this a great steak wine. The finish ends with a burst of bright cherry and oak, lightened by the acidity.

 After watching the Tempranillo come to life, I would suggest that it could benefit from a bit of rest in your cellar. If you do decide to open one within the next year or two, I recommend a hearty decant and some rich, meaty food.


Pricing:
I am offering the 2012 Petit Verdot for $30 and the 2012 Tempranillo for $28. You can take up to six bottles of each wine. These wines are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority for future Random Wine Company releases will be given to those who purchase the 2012’s.

Shipping: 
I’ll calculate shipping once the wine is ready to send out and invoice you at that time. You will pay what I am charged, no more. I have a small stash of shipping containers that will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Please do not email me asking how many of each I have! Once I am out of shipping containers, I will purchase more as needed.

Payment:
I accept personal checks and Square, please email me to place your order. Once I have your order, I’ll send you the postal address where you can mail the check. For credit cards, I'll ask you to call me with the relevant information. Finally, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. I will do my best to answer them in a timely manner. This is my first-ever wine release and I have much to learn, but with your help I will get better at this and we will have a lot of fun sharing some delicious wines.