Rocky Pond Estate Winery 2019 Stratastone Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $45

The winemaking legacy of Shane Collins helped Tsillan Cellars earn its Washington Winery of the Year award in 2020, and here is the third Platinum he’s produced for the Dufenhorst family and Rocky Pond. It’s the sixth overall by Rocky Pond, and the second involving Grenache, which is the lead player in this Rhône-inspired GSM blend with Syrah (30%) and Mourvèdre (14%). There’s purity to its bright red fruit approach that’s loaded with raspberry, red currant and Rainier cherry. Spice box, crushed herbs and cocoa fill in deliciously behind the plum skin tannins. In the next decade, this growing region is expected to be known as the Rocky Reach appellation, and Rhône varieties will be a major piece of its history. Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold).

Rating: Double Platinum, 97 points

Production: 380 cases

Alcohol: 14.9%

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