The winemaking team at Precept prizes Canyon Vineyard Ranch, a site east of Prosser and formerly known as Snipes Canyon Ranch, not only for serving as a breadbasket but also as a stellar site for Malbec. John Freeman, who spearheads the winemaking for CEO Andrew Browne's namesake brand, does a marvelous job with this Malbec. When it comes to the nose, think of Marionberry pie … [Read more...] about Browne Family Vineyards 2017 Vineyard Collection Canyon Vineyard Ranch Malbec, Yakima Valley, $48
Outstanding
Nota Bene Cellars 2016 Arianses Vineyard Red Blend, Wahluke Slope, $30
Seattle winemaker Tim Narby wins awards using some of Washington state's most famous vineyard. In this case, he achieved critical acclaim with little-known Arianses Vineyard near Desert Aire on the Wahluke Slope. This Right Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend from Bruce Zunser's vineyard not far from the Columbia River leads with Merlot (50%) and followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), … [Read more...] about Nota Bene Cellars 2016 Arianses Vineyard Red Blend, Wahluke Slope, $30
Camas Prairie Winery 2020 Raspberry Mead, Idaho, $14
Best Buy! Year after year, judges hang gold medals on Jeremy Ritter's honey-based wines as he furthers the delicious history of this family-owned winery that began in the Idaho Panhandle in 1983. In the winter of 2015, Ritter production from Moscow to the town of Bovill, a small logging town in the foothills of Idaho’s Bitterroot Mountains. He starts with the lightest local … [Read more...] about Camas Prairie Winery 2020 Raspberry Mead, Idaho, $14
DeLille Cellars 2018 Four Flags Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain $75
Comprised of grapes from four vaunted vineyards — Ciel du Cheval (34%), Grand Ciel (20%), Upchurch (21%) and Klipsun — DeLille’s Four Flags is consistent in its excellence while varying year to year, depending on the whims of earth and sky. Co-founder Chris Upchurch began purchasing fruit from Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun starting in 1992, and the four sites have long been part … [Read more...] about DeLille Cellars 2018 Four Flags Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain $75
Jovinea Cellars 2020 Roussanne, Washington, $24
Lewis-Clark Valley winemaker Lisa Grigg works with several varieties for the whites she and her husband, Michael, producer under their young brand, but she readily admits Roussanne is the one that "speaks to my soul." The inspiration is evident with this finesse-filled bottling from last year's vintage, which signaled their 11th pulling from Konnowac Vineyard just south of … [Read more...] about Jovinea Cellars 2020 Roussanne, Washington, $24