Current Releases from Rasa Vineyards [Wow! Alert]



By Kori ~ January 15th, 2014.

Founded in 2007 by brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane, Rasa Vineyards is a bona fide Washington wine superstar. Their beautiful winery is located south of downtown Walla Walla near the Washington/Oregon state line. Billo serves as winemaker and Pinto as managing partner, but the brothers collaborate on every aspect of the business. They both have engineering and mathematical backgrounds and worked in the computer industry.

Recently, we had the opportunity to try six of Rasa’s current releases, their fourth vintage of wines, in a blind samples tasting. Well, folks, the Naravane brothers have done it again. The overall quality of their lineup of wines continues to impress. All six wines are excellent! And, we gave the 2010 QED a 5-star Quality rating; it truly is another “Wow!” wine. As far as Wine Peeps’ ratings go, Rasa is in a league of its own. We’ve found a “Wow!” wine (Quality rating of 5 stars) in every release they’ve had so far, which is unprecedented for us: 2007 Principia, 2008 Creative Impulse, 2009 Plus One, and now 2010 QED. Also, the 2008 Vox Populi was the consensus winner in a Tasting Group tasting of Mourvedre from around the world.

Rasa Vineyards offers their wines through their mailing list first. They are also distributed in many states. If you have not had a chance to try one of their wines, I encourage you to keep your eyes out for them on the shelf at your local wine shop or go ahead and put your name on their mailing list. Only open by appointment, Rasa Vineyards is definitely a must-visit if you are in the Walla Walla area.

For a more detailed write-up about Rasa Vineyards, the Naravane brothers, and their winemaking philosophy, please refer back to my Spotlight On: Rasa Vineyards post.

2010 Rasa Vineyards QED (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 79% Syrah, 9% Mourvedre, 8% Grenache, and 4% Viognier. Dark, dense purple. Gorgeous nose with spice rack, black pepper, and black fruit aromas. Blackberry, black cherry, spice rack, and black pepper come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, silky tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with great complexity, and a finish that goes on for days. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $50

2010 Rasa Vineyards in Order to form a more perfect Union (Columbia Valley, Washington): 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, and 16% Cabernet Franc. Dark red in color. Very aromatic with black fruit, wild game, and licorice on both the nose and palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $95

2010 Rasa Vineyards Plus One Cabernet Sauvignon (Kiona Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): Deep, dark red. Amazing nose with black fruit, wild game, and eucalyptus aromas. Big, bold black fruit and game as well as leather come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $75

2010 Rasa Vineyards Creative Impulse (DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): 67.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32.5% Merlot. Deep, dark purplish red. Very aromatic with red and black fruit and smoked meat on the nose. Black currant, black cherry, and smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $95

2010 Rasa Vineyards Principia Reserve Syrah (Les Collines Vineyard and Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley): 100% Syrah. Dark, dense purple in color. Aromatic with blackberry and earth on both the nose and palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $85

2011 Rasa Vineyards Vox Populi Mourvedre (Monette’s Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley): 100% Mourvedre. Deep, dark purple. Nice nose with black fruit and wild game on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45


Filed under: American Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Five-Star Quality Wines, Mourvedre, Red Wine, Shiraz/Syrah, Washington State Wine, Wines Over $25

Reader's Comments

  1. Kevin | February 8th, 2014 at 8:50 pm

    I don’t understand your QPR ratings at all. I’ve been reading your site for a while, and can’t follow your thought process. It appears to me that your tasting notes are trying to be as objective as possible, but some subjective statement as to why you are rating the wine the way you do would be helpful!

  2. Kori | February 14th, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    Kevin,
    Thanks for reading. You can find an explanation of our ratings system here: http://winepeeps.com/wine-ratings/. Hope it answers your questions. Cheers!

  3. Kevin | February 16th, 2014 at 5:47 pm

    That does make more sense to me, thanks! So a 2-3 QPR means equal value to other wines in it’s class. I got it now. Best, K

  4. Kori | February 16th, 2014 at 8:30 pm

    Kevin,
    Glad to hear it. Thanks again for reading. Cheers!