2017 Desire Lines Wine Co. Red Wine, Evangelho Vineyard, Contra Costa County.
Cody Rasmussen’s Desire Lines Wine Co.“Evangelho” red is an intriguing old vine Carignan and a touch Mourvedre from the sandy Contra Costa soils that delivers a punch of dark fruit, spice and earthy intensity with crunchy/juicy plum and blueberry from the Carignan and a meaty power with black cherry, blackberry and baked earth edgy side from the famous Evangelho Mourvèdre/Mataro vines. Rassmusen, who is the assistant winemaker for Morgan Twain-Peterson at Bedrock Wine Co. has really created quite a splash with his own line of wines, making an excellent set of interesting things, especially his Griffin’s Lair and Shake Ridge Syrah(s), his Cole Ranch Riesling and this awesome Evangelho red blend. Layered with the black, blue and red fruits this vintage shows a minty and spicy side with boysenberry coming through with air adding anise, crushed stones, a touch of cedar and tart currant. I can imagine some leather and sanguine notes popping up in the future in this deeply flavorful and purple/garnet hued wine, though as it is drinking vividly and joyously I cannot think that many will put any away to rest in the cellar.
For his 2017 Evangelho Red Wine, Rassmusen says he ended up with a blend of roughly 95% Carignan and with just 5% Mourvèdre, though it feels like more on the dense palate. The wine, which Cody notes was inspired by his love for the great Cru Beaujolais of France like Clos de la Roilette’s Cuvée Tardive Fleurie and the old-vine single parcels of Château Thivin in Cote de Brouilly, which are his personal favorites and mine too! The Evangelho Vineyard, which is now owned and farmed by Twain-Peterson, Carignan/Mourvedre was fermented with about 30% whole cluster under a submerged cap and was rack to cask where it was aged for ten months in larger neutral 400L barrels to give these edition an expressive personality and fresh character. This is quaffable, but structured stuff, it has a unique flexible ability to be great with a slight chill with picnics and BBQ, but equally at home with a formal sit down dinner with classic steak and fixings or a rack of lamb, drink this over the next 3 to 5 years. This is a winery to discover and a young winemaker to follow, I highly recommend getting on their list as soon as possible.
($35 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive