A decade ago, Mark Lathrop and his wife, Sarah, were new customers of Liberty Lake Wine Cellars in the Spokane Valley. Two years later, they joined the wine club, and by 2016, they bought the winery from Doug and Shelly Smith. It’s been a remarkable turnaround by Lathrops, evidenced by their trio of gold medals last fall at the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition. This work with Gewürztraminer from Red Mountain is particularly remarkable, starting with the fact that Red Mountain is known for big reds, not Alsatian white varieties. Mark, the winemaker, took this Gewürz down the orange path, fermenting it on the skins for three weeks and finishing it bone-dry. This opens with a nose full of honeysuckle, lilies and pear. The palate is intensely citrus driven — tangerine peel and orange blossom — with orchard fruit and a bright, lasting acidity. The Lathrops, both proud alumni of Eastern Washington University’s MBA program, donate 5% of every bottle sold to Legacy members of the EWU Alumni Association.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 65 cases
Alcohol: 13.9%
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