With the 2005 vintage, Byron Kosuge is fully in charge of the winemaking at Tejada. In June we sampled the 05s with Ibo Tejada and his family at their estate in Lake County. The estate is noted for its focus on the grapes of Spain, cultivated organically.
Tejada, Lake County, Tempranillo 58% Garnacha 42% 2005 This wine is designed to drink more immediately while waiting for the reserve to mature. The nose smells of cherries and leather, carrying through on the palate with matching acidity and a supple mouthfeel – very nice. P&B in Santa Rosa 14.5% $35.95 at the winery.
Tejada, Lake County, Reserve 2005 This youthful wine has some reductivity that blows off with a little air. From there it smells lightly of eucalyptus with a mild touch of brett, in a nice way that adds complexity. In the mouth, it is a huge wine, big and tannic, very, very tannic, with plenty of acidity to keep up – very concentrated. The grapes are 87% Tempranillo and 13% Garnacha and the wine is aged in French oak, 60% of which is new. P&B in Santa Rosa 14.5% $45.95 at the winery.
