Trutina
29-Mar-2008
While I finished pulling together Easter dinner we sipped a sparkling wine but once we were ready for dinner, and our lamb in particular, we moved to a red. I’d chosen a local Washington wine that I’d never tasted before but hoped would go well with the meal. The wine was produced by Dunham Cellars and really it’s hard to go wrong with any of their wines.
I’d picked up the 2003 Dunham Cellars Trutina on a bit of a whim – the label caught my eye one day while shopping. It’s a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. When we first opened the wine the nose was very fruit forward – much more than I had expected. But as the wine opened the fruit settled down. In fact, I had some of this wine leftover and on the second day the nose was almost leather.
The taste was of dark red and purple fruits. Although they were generally bright flavors I caught the essence of dried cherries and fresh berries – maybe boysenberry. The Cabernets give this wine nice structure and some acidity but the Merlot fills it in and rounds it out. It’s a very pleasant sipping wine that quietly lingers.
It was really great with the lamb. I especially liked the way the lavender on the lamb worked with the Trutina. Lavender has a bit of a sweet smell yet the taste is not sweet and that seemed to parallel the flavor of the wine.
I really loved this wine and will be sure to pick up a few more bottles. It retails at about $25.
Culinary Fool 
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