Trio Vintners 2011 Heart of the Hill Vineyard Carménère, Red Mountain $28

Here is Karen LaBonte’s lone bottling of a Bordeaux variety, and few spots are better in Washington state than Red Mountain for ripening them. She takes this lot from a vineyard owned by Kiona winemaker Scott Williams, and there’s no hints of the herbaceousness that often come with this historic variety. The aromatic profile hints at rich and juicy black fruit with a nicely managed program of French and Hungarian oak. On the pour, expect bold flavors of plum, black currant and blackberry with black pepper and black tea in the finish. This earned a silver medal at the 2014 Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition.

Rating: Excellent

Production: 265 cases

Alcohol: 14.8%

Winery website