Oregon wine: 2016 Kriselle Cellars Di’tani

2016 Kriselle Cellars Di’tani

Rogue Valley,
Southern Oregon,
Oregon

14.5% alcohol

Empty bottle weight: 30.3 ounces / 860 grams

Cork closure

Di’tani means “the rock above” in the native language spoken by the Takelma tribe, who resided in the area long before Kriselle Cellars moved in. The tribespeople called the nearby natural table rock formation Di’tani, which can be seen from the Kriselle tasting room. Scott and Kris Steingraber, owners of Kriselle Cellars, adopted Di’tani as the name for this red blend, made with Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Tempranillo. The name expresses their respect for the location’s history as well as the terroir of the land on which they grow and make their wines. It recently won Double Gold from Best of the NW Wine Competition and a Gold medal from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Color:

Black cherry red

Bouquet:

Tart cranberries and sour cherries combined with bay leaves, violets, sliver almonds and just a whiff of smoked meat.

Palate:

While this blend sounds big and hefty, I found it to be nicely balanced with a healthy dose of acidity. Tart rosehips and cranberries lead the way for tannins that teased the sides of my tongue. Black raspberries, violets, red plums, cherries, and blueberries enveloped my mouth and ended in a cocoa powder finish. A thread of minerality ran through this wine from start to finish, anchoring both the acid and fruit notes in a really beautiful manner. I suggest decanting the Di’tani so you can experience it with some air exposure. It’s meant to be cellared so buy a few bottles to open over the next decade or so!

Food pairing suggestions:

Kriselle Cellars suggests pairing their Di’tani with black salmon, buffalo burgers, grilled tri-tip, and portobello mushrooms. Think big, robust hearty dishes! Other suggestions are Instant Pot beef lasagna, barbecued tofu and cheesy polenta, grilled steak salad with blue cheese dressing.

SRP $28