In 2019, Great Northwest Wine selected Timothy Harless as the Idaho Winery of the Year. Two years later, his assistant winemaker, Will Wetmore, earned Winery to Watch acclaim for his Veer Wine Project. Here, they teamed up for Idaho’s top Malbec in our tasting, working with a trio of vineyards — Rockspur, Williamson and Sawtooth. “This is true Malbec,” remarked one judge, who followed up with descriptors that hit on cherry blossom, Bing cherry, Damson plum and blueberry. That fruit profile carries throughout as tension from its juicy and fresh profile creates length without overriding tannins or a preponderance of oak. Each year, there are a number of gold medals awarded to Malbec at the Idaho Wine Competition, and Hat Ranch’s 2019 earned one of those.
Rating: Outstanding! Gold medal — 94 points
Production: 303 cases
Alcohol: 13.9%
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