Wine of the Week 5/19/20

Rasa Vineyards Occam’s Razor Red Blend 2017

Regularly $18.99/On Sale for $15.96

Brothers Billo and Pinto Naravane were successful computer scientists in Silicon Valley when, in 2007, they decided to change careers entirely and start a winery. They were determined to make wines in Washington state that reflected their preference for a French winemaking style and the specific soils and sites of the Northwest. Rasa is a Sanskrit word which means “essence” when used in the context of fruit and soil. It is the closest word in an Indian language to the French sense of “terroir.”

The Naravane brothers, under the leadership of winemaker Billo, work with largely Rhône and Bordeaux varietals, and name their wines after their varied interests in mathematics, science, and music.

William of Ockham was a 14th century Franciscan Friar and philosopher. There is a heuristic attributed to him that states: “Entities should not be multiplied without necessity.” (Usually interpreted as “given all other things being equal, the simplest answer tends to be the correct answer.) This heuristic (also known as the Lex Parsimoniae) is known today as Occam’s Razor. 

There are a number of entities in this red blend, but none seem unnecessary. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, and Petit Verdot are all blended together to highlight the strengths of the individual components. This wine has fantastic fruit, spice and dimension, and a velvety grip. 25% of the grapes were fermented in whole clusters to give the wine some extra plumpness, and the wine saw 20% new oak, and 80% neutral as it aged. Ready to drink now (we made sure of that!) but will improve over the next few years. Hard to imagine anything better for early late Spring grilling.