2005 Rockwell Brown Red Mountain
Region: Red Mountain, Columbia Valley, Washington State, United States of America
First of the four year vertical we are trying out for #WAWineMonth. We had the 05, 07, 08 and 09.
A little worried when we opened this bottle, the cork was so soft it snapped in half as soon as we got in. But thankfully, the wine survived. Deep garnet with brick edges and a touch of sediment. Unpleasant attack with an overload of tomatoes that took a little bit of air to wear off. Followed by some aged characteristics on the nose with damp leaves and dark spices. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) and strong yet balanced acidity. Medium plus finish with dried red cherries on the attack. Some darker characteristics on the backend with dark cocoa and gravel. Has some similarities to an aged Bordeaux. Dry and long finish. The flavors on the nose and palate definitely showed its age against the other three, but still not a thin wine.
Tried to dig up a little bit of information on Rockwell Brown Wines online and reread through the emails from Jon Rimmerman of Garagiste. From what it sounds like, this estate's last vintage was the 2011 bottling of their Bordeaux blend before closing. Rockwell Brown Wines was owned and made by George H. Brown Jr. and Elizabeth Rockwell Brown with their first vintage in 2005. Both huge Bordeaux fans they made their wines with the help of the Hedges Family Estate. This particular bottling is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Each vintage was around 350 cases.
2017 till 2019.
Price Point:
$$ - Purchased through Garagiste for $31.66.