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Colter’s Creek Winery 2017 Estate Syrah, Lewis-Clark Valley $20

A number of the Pacific Northwest’s top wineries feature a husband growing the grapes for a winemaking wife, and such is the case with Mike Pearson and Melissa Sanborn of Colter’s Creek in the tiny town of Juliaetta, Idaho. Pearson established these clone 07 vines in the Arrow Junction block of his family’s vineyard, a section planted in 2015 near the banks of the Clearwater River. So this is third-leaf fruit picked on Oct. 8, and it’s a stunning example of cool-climate Syrah. Sanborn, a graduate of Washington State University, makes it easy to get into, offering a lighter style with Marionberry, blackcurrant, cocoa powder and a bit of crunch. A pinch of baking spices adds elegance to the medium structure that’s balanced by juiciness. This earned a gold medal at the 2019 Idaho Wine Competition. A month later, it received a Platinum during Wine Press Northwest’s year-end judging of gold medal winners.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 450 cases
Alcohol: 14%
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