The diminutive Coco Umiker goes Petit/ Petite heavy with her latest Wine Project, earning her second Platinum in three years for the blend. This formula of Petit Verdot (43%) and Petite Sirah (30%), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (11%), Carménère, Cabernet Franc (5%) and Malbec is a collection from the three vineyards in Washington she works with and those near her Lewiston, … [Read more...] about Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2020 The Wine Project, Idaho 60%, Washington 40% $32
Idaho
Famici Wine Co. 2020 Vineyard Blend Red Wine, Snake River Valley $45
Boise State geoscientist C.J. Northrup has been a part of the Snake River Valley wine industry for a couple of decades, and his young vineyard along Hoskins Road on the Sunnyslope has proved its maturity with this estate blend that resulted in his first Platinum Award. It’s also another example of the region’s future with Petit Verdot, which at 60% drives the Bordeaux-only … [Read more...] about Famici Wine Co. 2020 Vineyard Blend Red Wine, Snake River Valley $45
Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2021 Verhey Vineyard Malbec, Washington $28
This newly released Malbec impressed the West Coast wine buyers and sommeliers who met in the Columbia Gorge for the Great Northwest Invitational, and it went on to win winemaker Coco Umiker a fourth career Platinum for her work with the juicy Bordeaux grape. It’s a suave example out of the Yakima Valley, packed full of flavors and showy with cassis, Craisin, golden raspberry, … [Read more...] about Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2021 Verhey Vineyard Malbec, Washington $28
Holesinsky Winery NV IdaPeach Peach Sangria, Idaho $14
Best Buy! Hagerman Valley chemists/winemakers James and Caitlin Holesinsky use their blend of Chardonnay and local peaches as a gateway for those new to wine. Now, it has grown into one of the Gem State’s most popular wines. Tantalizing scents of a big, juicy and ripe peach are realized on the toothsome palate that’s round, balanced and long. Production has more than doubled … [Read more...] about Holesinsky Winery NV IdaPeach Peach Sangria, Idaho $14
Cinder Wines 2021 Syrah, Snake River Valley $40
Melanie Krause’s winemaking has helped critics and consumers learn that Rhône varieties — red and white — thrive in the high-and-dry terroir of the Snake River Valley. Her blending of Syrah from arid Sawtooth Vineyard and Sunnyslope site Williamson Vineyard serves as another delicious reminder. Layers of ripe cherry and Craisin include herbal tones, cured meat and baking … [Read more...] about Cinder Wines 2021 Syrah, Snake River Valley $40