Be Human Wines 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, Horse Heaven Hills $18

The Aquilini team made a cannonball splash in the fall of 2013 when it purchased 559 acres of land on Red Mountain, but there’s an even larger footprint in the Horse Heaven Hills, too. There they own 1,121 acres, with 463 of it under vine near Tule Canyon, and Ivy League-trained winemaker Joshua Maloney has used some of that Cabernet Sauvignon to produce one of the Northwest’s most acclaimed rosés. A whiff of baseball-card bubblegum comes right off the bat, followed by Jolly Rancher watermelon candy and orange zest. The drink is bright and very easy to enjoy with its crisp, lively and appealing approach of sweet-and-sour red fruitiness and a finish reminiscent of Orange Julius. Suggested pairings include watermelon and feta for apps, alder-planked salmon or that holiday bird. Last summer, it was the Best Rosé at Cascadia International Wine Competition. This fall, there was a repeat of the feat at the 2020 Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition, a judging staged at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Ore., on behalf of sommeliers, wine merchants and journalists from across the country.

Rating: Outstanding!

Production: 7,620 cases

Alcohol: 12%

Winery’s website