Jay Kline

9.3

Poured into a decanter about couple of hours prior to service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2009 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe and desiccated dark fruits: currants, brambles, tobacco, espresso, cocoa, leather and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins (integrated) and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and quite rich. I’ve always found the fruit from Rasa wines to be luscious and this was no exception. Drink now through 2029. — 12 days ago

Kiran K

9.2

Excellent Rhône blend from WA. Smoke earth nose dark fruit. Opened up 45 mins. — 9 months ago

Karl Heinmiller

9.2

Nom nom nom — 3 years ago

Wulf Losee

9.3

I reviewed this vintage back in 2020 and gave it a mediocre 8.8, but it’s developed since then. Dark red fruit on the nose. Soft touch of cassis on the front, but its fruitiness has faded in the five years it’s been sitting on my wine rack revealing some luscious tannins. Slightly tart base notes kick in on the mid palate, while some mineral high notes dominate the finish. Medium long finish. Very nice! — 7 days ago

Ed Chin

9.0

Drinking really nice for this recent vintage. A lot going on with this high acid bottle. A year or 2 wouldn’t be a bad thing though. — 7 months ago

JKT

9.0

Very nice! Just a hint of slight oxidation at first sniff but blew off quickly and the rest is that nice old Chablis drink. Dinner with Mary colleague Michael from FL. Surprisingly well matched to Rasa semi Malaysian dishes. — 3 years ago

Michael Seely

9.2

Delightful wine. Worthy — 5 years ago

with Jeff and Joe

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured, enjoyed over the course of two days. Consistent throughout. The 2018 Founder’s Reserve pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and no obvious signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe, dark fruit: black currants, black plum, blackberry, black cherry, tobacco, some grilled poblano pepper, baking chocolate, vanilla, and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with mediumt+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This wine has developed nicely over the last several years and from my perspective, squarely in its prime. Drink now through 2030. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Popped and poured; consumed over the course of an hour with friends. The Founder’s Reserve “V” is the 5th edition of the series. It pours a deep, ruby color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose the wine is developing with notes of black, red and blue fruits: blackberries, cherries, and blueberries with purple flowers, tobacco, black pepper and baking spices. On the palate, wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. A lovely quaffer and outstanding value. Drink now and through 2030+. My last bottle of the "V" and it was a great pairing with brisket. — 10 months ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

This is the first year that Billo Naravane has made this incredible wine. The Grenache entirely aged in natural oak while the Syrah saw 20% new oak before bottling. The wine is a stunning blend of 71% Grenache with 29% Syrah which was entirely sourced from the ‘SJR Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA. Pretty red rose petals, red cherry candy and orange rind combine with shades of Hoisin sauce and Umami tones on this exotic nose. The palate is silky smooth with wonderful freshness and a great sense of elegance. The seamless effect on the mid-palate is nothing short of captivating, as is the exceedingly long finish that provides the crescendo. Vibrant and youthful, this beautiful wine will cellar well for another decade — but why wait? Drink 2020-2028- 96 — 5 years ago