2023 Sage Rat Scrublands

Grape Varietal: Sangiovese / Cabernet Franc Blend

Country: United States

Region: Yakima Valley, Washington

The Wine: Sage Rat is the personal label of Dusty Jenkins, head winemaker at Gilbert Cellars, built around irreverence, experimentation, and a commitment to Yakima Valley's undersung potential with Italian and Loire varieties. Scrublands is an equal-parts Sangiovese–Cabernet Franc blend sourced from certified sustainable Portteus and Copeland Vineyards in the Yakima Valley, vinified with low intervention and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Scrublands 2023 is a savory, chillable expression of Washington's scrubland high desert. It opens with aromas of briar-bramble, dried cherry, and crushed dried herbs, lifted by a faint cedar edge. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and taut, with bright red fruit acidity, dusty tannins, and a smoky, iron-tinged finish that lingers cleanly.

Pairing: Lamb kebabs off the grill, lentil soup with crispy shallots and a squeeze of lemon, a plate of aged Pecorino with honey and walnuts, or a slow Saturday dinner with a pot of ribollita barely simmering on the stove.