Happy Leap year my friends!
This week’s show is all about one of my favorite wines from Amador County and the award winning winemaker who crafts these wines.
My guest is Jeff Runquist, the award winning proprietor (along with his wife Margie) of Runquist Wines. I first met Jeff and Margie when I took 12 friends on a magnificent Barbera wine cruise to Alaska several years ago. I love Barbera and we enjoyed many great wines from around the globe but especially those of Amador County. Needless to say, the wines with a big “R” on the label stole the show.
For the adventurous wine drinker looking to explore the diversity of the wine world, Jeff Runquist Wines offers unique varietals from California’s premier appellations inspired by the curiosity and passions of our growers and winemakers.
I’m not the only one who thinks Jeff Runquist Wines are top shelf! The winery was awarded the distinction of California’s “Golden State Winery of the year” for 2019 by the California State Fair wine competition. I judge at several commercial wine competitions. Just got back from the 30th Annual New World International Wine Competition (NWIWC.com).
Guess who won overall best red wine out of over 600 wines entered…
2018 Jeff Runquist Tempranillo!
Jeff says “We produce balanced wines that can be enjoyed in their youth, but will also age and become more complex with time. Our wines share a theme of fresh fruit reflective of the varietal flavors inherent in the grape.” Follow Runquist Wines on Facebook and Twitter
While we don’t have Runquist wines on the shelves here in Kansas, you can order his wines on line and have them delivered to you directly!
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2018 Jeff Runquist Temprnillo, Liberty Oaks Vineyard, Lodi
The 2018 Tempranillo has ruby purple color of significant depth; this is not Petite Sirah, but it is darker than most Tempranillos. The hues are a youthful garnet color. Briary blackberry, dark raspberry and plums are the featured characters in the opening act. Ten months in small oak barrels provides a note of milk chocolate along with subtle whiffs of oak, smoke and ash to the bouquet’s supporting role. The main act has savory flavors of black raspberry and dark cherry along with creamy toasted oak delivered by a wine with a mild texture. There are more tannins to this play than in previous presentations. They are mature and manifest themselves by providing this wine with added viscosity along with a mild chalky dryness to the finale. This is a mid-weight wine that is easy to like and worthy of a curtain call, or two. Try it with Pastel de Jamon y Queso or Flash Fried BBQ Chicken Wings.
TECHNICAL NOTES
75% Tempranillo, 25% Graciano
14.7% Alc., 0.70 g/100ml TA, 3.49 pH
29% American Oak, 53% French Oak, 18% Neutral Oak
517 Cases Produced
Released: Jan 1, 2020
AWARDS
Gold Medal – San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Double Gold Medal, Best Overall Red Wine – New World International Wine Competition