Idaho native Meredith Smith pulls from the veritable spice cabinet that surrounds her winery just west of Lake Lowell in the Snake River Valley, and this Bordeaux variety is rising in prominence among the region’s winemakers. This snapshot from Block 56 for her reserve tier offers inviting florals of lavender and lilac joined by blueberry, blackberry, dusty pie cherry and green peppercorns. There’s an easy approach to the palate with flavors of boysenberry, black currant and Montmorency cherry. It carries a lighter structure of tannin, a wealth of food-friendly acidity and sweet herbs in the finish. (Our panel evaluated this wine three months later and increased the rating to “Excellent.”)
Rating: Excellent
Production: 224 cases
Alcohol: 14.6%
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