Last night we had a couple of friends over, one of whom used to work in the hospitality industry. He brought a bottle of wine from a local producer in Walla Walla (east of the Cascades) and swore up, down, and sideway that I'd like it. So we opened it up to go with a hearty beef marrow stew, and lo!, it was very tasty indeed:
Dunham Cellars' Trutina is a fairly equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a dash of Syrah. We drank the 2008, and, as I say, it was good--but I bet if we'd aged it, we would have found it better than good in five to ten years. Trutina means 'balance' and Dunham have, in fact, created a very nicely balanced wine. I can't believe I'm saying this but, yes, I've found an American wine worth aging like Bordeaux. I need to get some more, stash it away, and see what happens. My hope: that it will remain rich, but the structure will show through even more commandingly. I think this could be a very good wine indeed.
This experience has only increased my determination to never say never. And to invite those friends around more often...