Best Buy! Idaho continues to earn international acclaim for its work with Riesling, and winemaker Meredith Smith at Sawtooth — and now also Ste. Chapelle - ranks as one of the Pacific Northwest leaders. Her core production with the noble grape of Germany releases inviting aromas of clove and cardamom with fruity notes of pear, apple and grilled apricot. On the palate, it’s … [Read more...] about Sawtooth Winery 2015 Estate Riesling, Snake River Valley, $13
Forsyth Brio 2008 Desert Wind Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $50
David Forysth oversees one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest winemaking facilities in Prosser, and yet he continues to produce and release some of the region’s most overlooked wines as part of his young Forsyth Brio brand. For this one-barrel project, he pulled from Desert Wind Vineyard, which is managed by Doug Fries of Duck Pond Cellars acclaim. The vines were 15-years-old … [Read more...] about Forsyth Brio 2008 Desert Wind Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $50
Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2012 Lauréne Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $70
Véronique Drouhin-Boss named the flagship wine for her family’s Oregon property after daughter Lauréne, and the behind-the-scenes work by Arron Bell produced this stunning example of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from a classic vintage. They completed harvest on Oct. 18, then held fast to the DDO tradition of less than 20 percent new French oak barrels. Its aromatic profile … [Read more...] about Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2012 Lauréne Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $70
Robert Karl Cellars 2012 The Phinny Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $36
Spokane vintner Joseph Gunselman focuses his attention on the Horse Heaven Hills, and he had the foresight to establish Gunselman Bench Vineyard in this now-famous region. With this bottling, however, he pulls from nearby Phinny Hill Vineyard, and the results from a crop load of 3.5 tons per acre are predictably stunning. He invested 23 months in two barrels of new French oak, … [Read more...] about Robert Karl Cellars 2012 The Phinny Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $36
Idilico 2013 Monastrell, Yakima Valley, $20
Javier Alfonso developed this sister brand of Pomum Cellars in order to highlight wines made with grapes native to the Iberian Peninsula and his roots of Spain’s Ribera del Duero. In this case, he uses the region’s reference to Mourvèdre, and his fruit sources feature two of the state’s top vineyard managers — Todd Newhouse at Upland and Patrick Rawn at Marcela. The nose opens … [Read more...] about Idilico 2013 Monastrell, Yakima Valley, $20