Best Buy! Juergen Grieb crafts his flagship sparkling wine methode Champenoise from 100% Chardonnay grapes, and he’s been skilled with it ever since he launched his family brand near Union Gap in 2010. After two years on the lees, it leads off with a mouth-filling mousse, citrusy notes and a hint of toast, then delivers lemon-lime flavors, crisp acidity and abundant bubbles … [Read more...] about Treveri Cellars NV Blanc de Blancs Brut, Yakima Valley, $15
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Coiled Wines 2017 Black Mamba Red Wine, Snake River Valley $32
It's an all-star list of Idaho winemakers who've worked with Sawtooth Vineyard fruit, Leslie Preston strokes another home run with this blend that could be labeled as Petit Verdot at 95%. However, that Block 64 fruit picked up some influence from Syrah (5%) off nearby Block 46. The end result is another example of why a growing number of Idaho producers are bullish on Petit … [Read more...] about Coiled Wines 2017 Black Mamba Red Wine, Snake River Valley $32
3100 Cellars 2016 Runoff Rosé Sparkling Wine, Snake River Valley, $36
This sparkling rosé made with Syrah from Bitner Vineyards was still on the lees when Wine Press Northwest named 3100 Cellars as its Idaho Winery to Watch in 2018. The 21-month project is about as hands-on and local as possible, starting with hand-harvested fruit from Ron & Mary Bitner's vineyard in the Sunnyslope Wine District, then riddled and disgorged by hand by … [Read more...] about 3100 Cellars 2016 Runoff Rosé Sparkling Wine, Snake River Valley, $36
Cinder Wines 2018 Chardonnay, Snake River Valley, $23
Melanie Krause's career at Chateau Ste. Michelle trained her to produce both small lots as well as wines of scale, and her work here with Chardonnay is the largest in Idaho by a family-owned producer. It also ranks among the best in the Northwest. She pulls it in from Sawtooth Vineyard and ages 70% of the lot in wood, an eight-month program that includes a fascinating angle … [Read more...] about Cinder Wines 2018 Chardonnay, Snake River Valley, $23
Township 7 Vineyards & Winery 2018 Blue Terrace Vineyard Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, $27
Sommelier-turned-winemaker Mary McDermott extends her string of success with Sauvignon Blanc at Township 7 on British Columbia's Naramata Bench, and this club offering signals a French oak barrel-aging program of seven months with weekly lees stirring from Blue Terrace Vineyard near Oliver. That time in barrel, just 15% of the wood, adds texture to the midpalate of stone fruit … [Read more...] about Township 7 Vineyards & Winery 2018 Blue Terrace Vineyard Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, $27