Lot 111 | 2018 Fair Play District Tempranillo 750ml

Lot 111 | 2018 Fair Play District Tempranillo 750ml

$25/bottle under the original label

The vineyards of the El Dorado's Fair Play district occupy the transitional foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at elevations between 2,000- and 3,000-feet. As a result, the region has one of the larger diurnal swings in California. Renowned for powerful Zinfandel's that have, mercifully, been reigned in from the excesses of the 2000's, today the region produces wines of both power and grace and a great deal more precision.

Today's release is one of several "Reserve" designated lots I purchased, all with $30+ price tags. This is an extremely well respected producer with deep roots in the region. The wines are very well made with broad stylistic appeal in that they are precisely what you would expect from the region.

Dark and inky in the glass. Seven weeks in the bottle now and emerging from shock so the aromas are a bit disjointed but its all there on the palate. Black fruit kirsch aromas support raspberry white chocolate bark, wood resin and cacao with a kiss of red rock minerality. Plush and substantial on the palate with gobs of fruit and tannin fanning out in a long, potent finish. Absolutely fabulous. This is a stunning deal at $12/bottle.

Check-in tasting 7.11.21 - right out of the bottle, offers classic, brooding nose of blackberry, plum, and dark earth haloed with vanilla and seasoned oak. Opens up quickly with cassis and rhubarb pie fruit moving to the fore. Its beautifully knit together on the palate with seamless amalgam of fruit, oak, and tannin. Just starting to hit its stride, this big boy is a terrific example of regional winemaking experience. Again, exquisite balance throughout.

100% Tempranillo
30% new American oak
15.1% alc.
125 cases available
Bottled November 20th, 2020


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