Wine Each Week ~ Tamarack Cellars 2017 Firehouse Red

It’s a perennial complaint - wine is too expensive. And certainly some wines hit stratospheric prices but there are other values always out there are often overlooked. Such is the case of this Washington state red blend from the Columbia Valley clocking in at just 20 bucks. Tamarack Cellars opened in 1998 and has certainly gained a loyal following. This wine, pretty much the quintessential “kitchen sink blend,” is comprised of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Counoise, Sangiovese, and Petite Verdot. It offers deep rich fruit of black cherry, blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry, which meld with light acidity, light tannins and moderate use of oak. There are back notes of pepper spice, herbal notes and chopped parsley. Beyond the technical, it’s a pleasure to drink and proves that value does exist in the wine industry. 12,000 cases. ORIGIN: Columbia Valley, Washington ALCOHOL: 13.8% PRICE: $20/750 ml PAIR WITH: Pulled pork pizza; rotisserie chicken; vegetarian spaghetti and red sauce. SCORE: 91 POINTS Tamarackcellars.com