Precept Wine operates the 181-acre Canoe Ridge Vineyard, one of the earliest plantings in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills. Since established in 1989, it’s developed into an important fruit source for the Seattle company, and former Napa winemaker Bill Murray now spearheads the wine production in Walla Walla. His reserve bottling from the first of three warm vintages produces aromas of sweet herbs and pencil shavings with black currant, blueberry, shaved dark chocolate and Horse Heaven Hills minerality. It follows with a bold entry of currants and boysenberry that brings the bittersweet chocolate tannins up front. On the way out, a slice of sweet red bell pepper mixes with food-friendly acidity akin to blueberry and pie cherry, creating a lengthy and elegant finish that’s capped by a cup of coffee.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 5,000 cases
Alcohol: 14.7%
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