The Flagship Red Vertical Tasting Guide
A Wine Club Exclusive Feature
One of our greatest joys at Tranche is giving our wine club access to our library wines. These are wines that our winemaker Spencer Williams has been cellaring and tasting periodically to determine when they have reached their peak drinking window. A month ago, the winemaking team revisited the 2013 vintage of our flagship reds and were blown away by all three—the Syrah, the Cabernet Franc and the Cabernet Sauvignon.
We are pleased to offer them to our wine club for a limited time in a special vertical tasting format with our current release of our flagship reds. From now through June 30, wine club members have access to this special 6-pack.
Regularly $353 | 12-Bottle Members: $282 | 6- and 4-Bottle Members: $300
Includes one bottle each of the 2013 Syrah, 2020 Syrah, 2013 Cabernet Franc, 2020 Cabernet Franc, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
What is a vertical tasting?
A vertical tasting features different vintages of the same type of wine. In this vertical tasting, you get to compare the 2013 vintage alongside our current releases of the 2020 Tranche Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Both vintages used grapes grown from the same blocks at Blue Mountain Estate Vineyard. This is a unique chance to taste the differences that a growing season and time spent cellaring will produce.
To better understand the significance of tasting these two vintages, watch this video of our winemaker Spencer Williams tasting our 2013 and 2020 flagship reds.
Setting up a vertical tasting
Setting up a vertical tasting is simple and is a fun activity to do with friends and other wine enthusiasts. Choose the wine you want to focus on, whether that’s the Syrah, Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon, and open both vintages at the same time. You can start with the older or younger vintage (Spencer starts with the younger) and taste both vintages side by side.
We recommend keeping a pen and paper handy so you can note the aromas, flavors and any other characteristics that jump out at you. It can be fun to go around the table and discuss each taster’s findings.
Aged Versus Young Wines
Some people prefer younger-drinking wines. Others prefer aged wines. We believe it is a matter of personal preference.
As red wine ages, its texture, structure and flavor evolve. Younger red wines tend to be more fruit-forward. Over time during cellaring, its flavor profile develops new tertiary flavors, such as pleasing notes of leather or tobacco.
In terms of structure, younger red wines have a bigger tannin profile. Aging them tends to produce softer, more rounded tannins. These are some of the changing characteristics you will be able to notice in trying our vertical tasting.