The allure of offering the Renegade series is akin to the allure of The Goonies: there’s just something about a treasure hunt that stirs the soul.
Each Renegade bottle is its own mystery, with its own dusty-attic map. One Eyed Willy (Trey Busch) sits alone on his ship, and he ain’t talking.
So it’s left to us to interpret the clues, decipher the mystery. Here’s what we know: 1) the blend: it’s 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, so technically, this could be labeled Cab; 2) the basic oak regimen, which is almost entirely used barrels, with just a touch of new wood; 3) the AVAs: Yakima Valley and Wahluke Slope; 4) the vintage: 2009; 5) the listed alcohol: 13.8%.
Those last two clues are especially important. Frequently forgotten, after the chilly 2010 and 2011 vintages, is that 2009 had its own challenge: a relatively early freeze (October 11) that put an end to ripening across much of the state. Fortunately, 09 was an early-ripening year, and it has been estimated that as much as 80% of the crop load was already picked by Oct 11.
But still, in some cooler sites, the warning klaxons started ringing in early October, with their message clear: pick now, whatever the sugar levels, or don’t pick at all. This resulted in some lovely 2009 roses during the summer of 2010, and also some lighter-bodied reds, like this one.
At 13.8% listed alc, this is certainly on the lighter side for Washington Cabernet, and it saw barely a whisper of new oak. So what we’re left with is a pure, high-toned expression of Cabernet fruit. The aromatics fall squarely on the red-fruit side of Cab; redcurrant and raspberry, and a familiar childhood aroma too: strawberry Pez perhaps? In the mouth, the parade of red fruits continues, interwoven with light savory elements of braising greens and brewed coffee. All told, this is skillfully done and delivers fine value at the price point.
Here’s my guess: this was fruit from some sturdy growers (they have to be sizable; production of this is 2200 cases) on the Wahluke Slope (think Milbrandt sites) and Yakima Valley (maybe Olsen Estates, maybe Airfield Estates, maybe something else; the Yak is a big place), that in a normal year would have gone into bottles in the $15-$25 range. Because the juice didn’t fit into the usual stylistic profile of the portfolio, it was bulked off to One Eyed Willy, who made the blending decisions, and put together an awfully nice spring red for us Goonies to enjoy.
First come first served up to 24 bottles, and the wine should arrive in about a week, at which point it will be available for pickup or shipping during the spring shipping window.
