2015 Denner Ditch Digger
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Tasting notes
A Grenache-based blend, the 2015 Ditch Digger is lovely, wafting from the glass with an expressive nose of dried flowers, wild berry fruit and orange rind. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and succulent, with a generous core of fruit, decent freshness and fine-grained tannins that make their presence felt on the finish. Given it a year or two in the cellar and then follow it for 6 or 7 more.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Inky ruby. Highly fragrant aromas of fresh red and blue fruits, spicecake and candied rose, joined in the glass by a building smoky element. Silky and seamless in texture, offering impressively concentrated and surprisingly lively black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that are given spine by a core of juicy acidity. Closes sweet, gently tannic and very long, featuring emphatic red fruit and lingering floral pastille notes.
A Grenache dominated blend that includes 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, 5% Counoise, and 5% Tannat, the 2015 The Ditch Digger saw 50% whole clusters and spent 17 months in 20% new French oak. It ruby/purple color is followed by a peppery, black raspberry, plum and spice driven wine that has medium to full-bodied richness, firm tannin and a clean finish. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age to let the tannin chill out. I found these latest 2015 releases from winemaker Anthony Yount to be firm and tannic. I’m hoping with short term cellaring these scores will seem low. Nevertheless, the 2014s are sure bets and terrific wines.