Raft Wines was founded in 2016 by Jennifer Reichardt, and they make wine from grapes sourced from around California. We had this particular bottle recommended by our friends at Westgate Wine in Raleigh, NC. It was a great recommendation. Here is the wine:
Wine: 2020 Raft Wines Merlot
Winery Location: Grapes from the Cole Ranch Vineyard in Mendocino County, CA
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: October 2023
Tasting Notes: the color is a medium, dark ruby red. The nose is rich and resplendent with berries, cherry and red plum. You also get tobacco, tar and umami. On the palate the wine is lush and smooth, yet still vibrant. Tannins are medium+ and build throughout. The core of fruit is really beautiful, and it holds right until the end of the long finish. This is one excellent wine.
Price Point – We paid $30
Would We Buy It? – we already bought more. At $30 this was an absolute steal. If you said it was $75 I would nod and comment about how good it was.
New wineries are always fun to discover and explore. This wine is a rare value, if you can find some. We suggest trying Westgate Wine online at https://westgatewinestore.com/. They do ship just about anywhere.
If you do manage to grab some of this you might notice the pair of webbed duck feet on the label and the cork. Apparently a group of ducks in the water is known as a raft, and that is the inspiration for the winery’s name. So for us a new wine and a new word!
A votre santé!
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