WTN: adolescent Reynvaan

Reynvaan Family Cellars 2010 Walla Walla Valley Syrah, "In the Rocks." Popped and poured. Fresh-looking though not opaque, this had a terrific nose from the get-go, showing deep blue and black fruit, flowers, and wet earth. The alcohol (14.9) was perceptible but not distracting. Nimble and balanced for its size. There's some "past prime" grumbling on CT, and I can't technically argue with that because I never tasted this in its youth; but to me, nothing in this bottle spoke of decline, and looking back at my note on the only other Reynvaan I've had (a 2012 In the Rocks consumed in 2016), I don't see anything that suggests a huge difference. I have one more of these, as well as a lone 2013, and see no reason to rush.

[Jenise]

Well well well! Very pleased to see this. Though I actually drink more European wines than domestic, I live in Washington state and the wines are unavoidable. Many are not to my tastes, but I do find some producers thrilling and this is one, and I continue to post notes about same to this site even though I'm mostly just spitting into the wind because no one else here has any interest in them.

I finished my 10's this past year but not because they were heading south, merely because they were the most aged of any Reynvaans I own, and we had already drunk the '12s. I am guessing a lot of the CT posters have been weaned on young primary fruit and that's their idea of perfection; maturity is a foreign concept.

Anyway, happy to see your note.

[Jenise]

Oh btw, this vintage was made by Christophe Baron of Cayuse fame.

I’m certain it was you who turned me on to Reynvaan in the first place (so thanks!). I don’t have much… these and a couple of Stonessences. I do also have 1 2012 Cayuse Cailloux, which I almost opened last night… and a couple of Gramercys from 2011. (And some DeLille, on the Cabernet side of things.) There wasn’t a ton of Washington State wine available in Chicago but labels like these did come up on the secondary market, mostly at price points I found prohibitive-to-goofy, but I grabbed a few here and there when they seemed reasonable, and was happy for the guidance from someone whose palate I feel like I’ve gotten to know over the years!

[Jenise]

I've picked up some of my Reynvaans from WineBid. Haven't looked lately but bottles I paid $70-80 for turned up routinely for $40ish so I added to my stash that way. They were/are relatively unknown compared to, say, Cayuse, so not priced up. Delmas and Pasxa are the two other WA wineries that belong in the same sentence. They are wines that truly deliver that Northern rhone vibe and can/do pass in blind tastings. I have liked many Grammercy's but not found them as consistent.