When a respected farming family chooses to enter the Idaho wine industry, it is significant news. Their background is in row crops, but the Weitz family (pronounced Wheats) recently established a 9-acre vineyard between the Snake River and Lake Lowell with Malbec and Petit Verdot. And there’s more to come. Their marketing-savvy daughter, Sydney, and dairyman husband James Nederend get their hands dirty working the young vines in the soil laced with lava rock — hence the name Scoria — and they hired winemaker Earl Sullivan of Telaya Wine Co., to create this inaugural bottling. It’s a Syrah-based blend from Sawtooth and Skyline vineyards with Malbec (17%) and Petit Verdot (8%) that’s stays true to Syrah, starting with floral aromas that include dusty black currant, blackberry, bacon and black olive. They all come through on the juicy and balanced palate where smoky oak, Marionberry and a bit of funkiness add character to the finish. Start looking for the brand and this three-barrel release in spring 2016.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 72 cases
Alcohol: 13.8%
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