2012 Andrew Rich Mesalliance Red Wine Columbia Valley 750 ml

A Harmonious Marriage

This may surprise the many fans of Andrew Rich’s top-flight Pinot Noirs, but he didn’t move up to Oregon on a Pinot pilgrimage. His skills sharpened by a formative six-year stint with iconoclastic Bonny Doon winemaker Randall Grahm, Rich headed to the Pacific Northwest in 1994 to make Rhône-style wines.

Whether judged by his mission or the passions he picked up in the Northwest, Rich has enjoyed smashing success. His Syrahs and Châteauneuf-inspired blends, as well as his Pinots and dessert wines, earned his winery Top 100 honors from Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2009. Now, seduced by stellar Bordeaux varietals from some of the top sites in Columbia Valley, Andrew Rich has crafted a sleek and voluptuous blend that is a dream for those looking for a ready-to-drink red.

The 2012 Mésalliance is all about the sum of its parts: Impeccably sourced Malbec from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from the Yakima Valley’s Red Willow Vineyard, and Syrah from the Klipsun Vineyard on Red Mountain, which has become one of Washington’s epicenters for world-class winemaking. These are sites that Betz, Owen Roe, and Leonetti have turned to as sources of Washington State’s most celebrated, and priciest, fruit.

“Mésalliance” means a marriage of unequals, which refers to a high proportion of Malbec and Merlot that imbue this wine with dark and supple fruit. Fresh herbs from Cabernet Franc and meatiness from the Syrah balance out the blend.

Every decision Andrew Rich made in the winemaking process has led to a smooth and opulent wine. Knowing the tendency of several of the vineyard sites to produce wines of structure, Rich emphasized fruit by opting for cooler fermentations. He minimized tannin extraction by pumping over the skins rather than punching them down. His techniques, along with 18 months in French oak barrels and three years in bottle, have rendered a rich, seamless blend that is ready to drink right out of the shipper.

The 2012 Andrew Rich “Mésalliance” shows medium garnet in the glass. Aromas of crushed blackberries and cassis mingle with cola and baker’s chocolate on the nose. A voluptuous entry is cut by a sleek mineral edge with hints of licorice and black olives. The satiny texture gives way to a well-balanced, lingering finish, with just the right amount of nutty oak. Drinking perfectly now, this will last through 2019.