The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Rogue Valley

Varietal   Tempranillo

Retail Price   $49

ABV   13.9%

Score   4.5 Stars/94 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, deep ruby color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of black currant, leather, and black tea with supporting notes of cocoa, dried herbs, tapenade, and cigar box.

The palate confirms the nose delivering a black fruit-driven core with flavors of black cherry, fig, cola nut, and rosemary. The finish is long and lingering with chewy tannins.

Full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a meaty texture.

Cool Factor

Tempranillo is one of our favorite varietals. It's a native to Spain where it is frequently the base of the great reds made in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. In the past century Tempranillo has gained a foothold in the New World — very cool.

Value Grade

At $49 a bottle it's certainly beyond many wine drinkers weeknight budget but considering the pedigree and scarcity we highly recommend it.

Analysis

The Darow Series is 2Hawk's reserve-tier of wines. Oregon’s Rouge Valley is a fantastic AVA for Tempranillo. This Spanish varietal loves the abundant sun, advantageous temperature variations, and complex soils found here. The bookend months of the 2019 vintage saw February rains with a near record cool in October. It was one of the coolest ripening periods in 2Hawk's history. The first Tempranillo harvest took place on October 16 with the last coming in weeks later on November 1. The wine is a blend of 82% Tempranillo, 10% Grenache, and 8% Syrah. It was fermented with native, wild yeast as are all 2Hawk wines. It was aged for a period of 29 months in French oak (50% new). The resulting wine is such a beautiful fusion of rich, ripe black fruit with loads of earth and spice — absolutely gorgeous.

How to Enjoy

Serve at cellar temperature and be sure to decant this wine a good hour or more before serving. Pair with bold, braised meat dishes preferably with smoked paprika.