Rotie Cellars, Northern Blend, Walla Walla Valley

this bottle had turned; tossed it

2017 vintage

11th bottle of a case I got a long time ago. This wine is showing so well now. The Viognier really softens the Syrah, I think 6%. I am having the last bottle next year and I suspect it will be just as good. I rated this a 95, up one point from late 2024.

2012 vintage

Beautiful wine, drinking wonderfully. Full bodied with sweet dark berries and crushed rose petals and some meaty, forest floor type funk mixed in. Great floral nose as well. Such an interesting and well-crafted wine.

2017 vintage

Excellent balance and depth. Plenty of life in my last bottle, likely could have waited 2-5 years. Brilliant.

2012 vintage

Dark fruit, crushed stone on the nose. Ton of black and kalamata olive on the palate, later moving to prune and light cherry, along with cedar, smoke and tobacco. Mid to heavy weight, light minerality with rocks district funk, very smooth, virtually no tannins to speak of with long tobacco finish.

2017 vintage

Decanted for 30 minutes. Currently in its full glory. The aggressive tannins have melded into an impressive, rounded wine with plum, savory black fruit, and a thread of minerality. The finish is long, polished and impressive. Of the seven wines served this evening, this was the most memorable. A nice balance of power and finesse.

2012 vintage

Had beside ‘12 LVP équinox, this one showing what the addition of a bit of Viognier will do.

2012 vintage

In the window, what’s not to like here, my only thought was maybe more meat in the middle, otherwise good not great. I’d drink now thru 2024/6..why wait?

2012 vintage

Hmmmm. Day 2, undrinkable with hints of fermented cough syrup

2017 vintage

Blackberry, milk chocolate, crushed concrete, white pepper. Medium-plus body. Not my favorite, but still a decent wine.

2017 vintage

ESTG does American Syrah (and Petite Sirah) (Seattle, WA, USA) : Muddy and a bit reductive. Blueberry and blackberry. Dense and fairly unyielding at this stage. Really wants a LOT of air.

2017 vintage

Dark and red fruits with considerable tannins and acid. Hasn't softened much over the past two years. Try again in 2 more.

2012 vintage

Crisp taste from having drunk earlier bottles of same year has declined. Not a Rocks funk but rather leather and chocolate that tasted more Bordeaux like.

2017 vintage

Beau nez. sur le fruit et violette. Décanté 1he. Vin délicat, prêt a boire. Boire pas trop chaud

2012 vintage

PNP. Grape, blackberry, raspberry, plum, meat, funk, earth, pepper and spice. High alcohol, med acid, med soft tannin. Well balanced, still young.

2017 vintage

In the zone - this was really drinking well. If I had any more bottles and I wouldn’t miss this drinking window and take advantage.

2012 vintage

Rich, meaty aromas, and yes, the bacon fat. Very rich Walla Walla Syrah.

2017 vintage

Raw fun funky edge layered by earth and very deep rich intense fruit qualities. Meaty edge has smoked saddle wood covered like syrup of blackberry , cassis, dark dried plums with nutmeg and corriander seed. Rich meaty in the mouth, with modest acidity and medium mouthfeel and weight , modest tannin. Mince meat pie spices with 14.3 alc from Walla walla washington. There is some metalic edges like graphite or tin, lead pencil and stone that dominates the wine in …

2017 vintage

Blackberry, boysenberry, powdered concrete, funk, olive brine, potpourri, milk chocolate. Medium-plus body. A little funky for me.

2017 vintage

Mostly iron and red fruit notes. There’s still plenty of acidity and tannins so it can hold for quite a bit longer. The abundance of minerality makes me think this uses some Rocks District fruit. Solid Walla Walla Syrah but nothing special

2012 vintage

Floral nose, meaty dark fruits, pure silk tannins, long finish.

2012 vintage

Nez de confiture aux fraises (réglisse), de barrique, d'épices ainsi que des notes florales. Souple et fondu, fruité et succulent...gras. Tannins fins. Longue finale...soupçon de cacao. Prêt à boire.

2012 vintage

Holding up nicely and very little evolved since 2017. Meaty, with juicy black fruit. This was my last of four bottles. A shame, because this seems like it’s got a long runway.

2012 vintage

Nicely put together. Some real rich fruit with accents of meatiness. The Viognier gives it a floras lift - a la Cote Rotie. Just all aroundj lovely wine. Drink now, drink in 2-3 years.

2012 vintage

Tasted over two days. Very interesting funk, reminiscent of 'Rocks' fruit, yet with its own verve. Lots of stuffing but a little clumsy. It drank like a modernly styled Saint-Joseph, a touch too extracted and heavy, slightly angular alcohol, and too much oak. By WA standards, however, all quite balanced, and while other producers (Gramercy, Reynvaan, etc.,) do it better, not at all bad. 92-93.

2017 vintage

Right in my wheelhouse. A bunch of funk straightaway on the nose. Earth, barrel room, rustic and integrated. On the palate the fruit was rich with good enough backbone to complement the funky nose. I think this wine has some aging to do but a bottle decant does a pretty decent job of kick-starting the drinking window.

2017 vintage

N: m+ int, peppered meat, cedar, garrigue, sage, blueberry, vanilla P: f body, l tannin, m- acid, blue and black fruit, smoke, v earthy, wet leaves Finish m+ B .5 C y I y L y V good to Outstanding

2012 vintage

Blind, this would have been a ringer for a Cayuse. Just amazing out of the shoot; 95 on night 1. Finished off the remainder a day or two later, where it had lost some of its Rocks' verve; 92 that evening. Drink now for best results.

2017 vintage

Delicious! The little bit of Viogner rounds out the corners on this marvelous Syrah. The fruit is deep and rich with a long smooth finish.

2017 vintage

Good acidity, a little peppery bite, nicely done.

2012 vintage

Not much nose upon opening the bottle. Decanted for about an hour before drinking, and it really opened up. Super savory with bacon and olive out front and a bit of dark, cooked fruit in the back.

2017 vintage

Fun. Deep dark fruit with a little cola and no sign of aging. I was hoping for more savory notes in here, so to me this tasted more southern Rhône bs northern Rhône, but who’s quibbling over that?

2012 vintage

Nez parfumé...florale, confitures aux fraises...jellybean, ainsi que des notes d'agrumes, chimique et de poussière. Un vin souple et gras aux tannins fins et au fruit mature. Finale moyenne à longue sur des notes de poivre...soupçon d'amertume...petit côté végétal ? Excellent avec des paupiettes de veau. Boire d'ici 2023.

2012 vintage

A bit harsh at open, but rounded out well over 45 minutes or so. Huge change since my last taste 5 years ago. A lot of the primary fruit has been replaced, but still has an underlying richness on the palate. Decent length finish. Day 2 the nose had lost interest, although it never showed any "Rocks funk" it did have a perfume element on Day 1.

2012 vintage

Still redolent with primary fruit. Blackberry, black cherry, cassis, blueberry, black plum... just barely starting to flash some prune and fig character. Flourishes of Sharpie marker, lily, rose hip, sweet earth, graphite, black licorice, pomegranate molasses, true cinnamon, nutmeg/ pumpkin pie, carob, asphalt shingle, goulash, charcoal. Medium acidity with round ripe tannins that retain some ability to fill the mouth. Less hefty than expected. Should retain this grace for at least another year. Likely more.

2012 vintage

Blueberry, corn on the cob, olive, and beef jerky. Savory goodness to pair with leg of lamb on Easter. A stunning example of Walla Walla Valley wine. 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier. High remarks across the board.

2017 vintage

Rôtie Cellars Northern Blend Vertical Tasting (Seattle, Washington) : Tasted with friends. This was our favorite of the three, as it was the most balanced and smooth. Black plum, white flowers, spice, violets, roses, cola. Medium acid, medium tannins, medium body, 14.2% ABV, medium finish.

2012 vintage

Still too young but great fruit and structure. Try again in 3-5 years

2017 vintage

Animalistic! Deep purple hue with some initial funk on the nose. Needs time....should come together nicely 3-5 years maybe longer. Reminds me of Northern Rhone Syrahs.

2017 vintage

Bel acidité, floral à souhait, bleuets, cerises, léger cigare, enfin bref un mélange bien agréable, sur finale un brin persistante.

2012 vintage

Popped and poured. Great nose of grilled beef, cracked pepper, Rocks Funk, and blackberries, following to the palate. Some slight barrel notes on the finish, with vanilla and espresso bean. Drink now - 2027.

2012 vintage

OK, related to below comment on evolution: this is totally different, without the floral element and with the expected berries. The transition is as mystifying as the earlier uniqueness. At this point, everything is singing in perfect harmony. Lovin’ it! 1/15/2017 Note: Whoa! This have a totally surprising (and dominant) floral (rose petals?) quality to it, with a distinct lack of berries. Not sure what to speculate about its evolution. 88 pts.

2012 vintage

This is in a perfect spot. Tannins refined. Everything balanced. Black fruit, green olive earth. Great wine.

2012 vintage

Bu avec un Southern Blend 2012. Meilleur que l’autre. Vin équilibré agréable.

2012 vintage

Olive, salted pork. Bitter midpalate. Needs some time in the bottle but it did pair well with braised short rib

2017 vintage

The standout, with no close comparison, in a flight of seven Rôtie Cellars offerings. A wine of the 'Rocks' earth, in which fruit is secondary, and mostly tertiary. Also, very much appreciated the style, which featured earth and umami, over the animalic (as in the hay, urine, freshly laid poo laden air typical of the large mammal section of a zoo), which can be excessive in Rocks wines. Medium plus acid, powdery tannins, noteworthy range. Improvement is likely. Let it …

2017 vintage

Rotie Cellars (Seattle) : Wow wonderful wine and amazing value at $40 in the wine club. Stone, funk, red currant, roasted meats and tar this is a massive wine. I could see a decade or more of aging potential. Long finish. A top 5 wine from the Walla Walla trip.

2017 vintage

Wow! Tons of time. Loved it and glad I have more. In a great state now

2008 vintage

Really a lovely wine. Seems to be in its sweet spot.

2008 vintage

Gorgeous wine. Huge nose of lavender, violet, bacon, earth, a hint of funk. Palate is smooth, luxious black blue fruit and tannins are there still. This is why I love Syrah.

2008 vintage

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Rotie Cellars, Northern Blend, Walla Walla Valley

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