Among the vineyards Robert Smasne pulls from for his acclaimed work with Malbec are Phinny Hill (Horse Heaven Hills), Upland (Snipes Mountain) and Verhey (Yakima Valley), and this lot - the equivalent of two barrels - ranks with his best efforts. Inviting aromas of black plum and black currant also offer up black pepper, tar and minerality. There’s great density to the … [Read more...] about Smasne Cellars 2012 Three Vineyard Reserve Malbec, Columbia Valley, $44
Washington
House Wine 2013 Mountain Merlot, American, $10
Best Buy! Precept’s Original House Wine project, founded by Washington iconoclast Charles Smith, goes a bit beyond the state for its Mountain Merlot. Complex aromas of warm blackberry cobbler and plum include red bell pepper, cinnamon bark, vanilla extract and chalkboard dust. There’s also a pinch of oregano, a sign of the Cabernet Franc (3%). It carries a round and supple … [Read more...] about House Wine 2013 Mountain Merlot, American, $10
Three of Cups 2013 Le Chariot Red Wine, Red Mountain, $28
Woodinville winemaker Mike Methey creates a blend from Red Mountain that makes sense with Syrah (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) and Petite Sirah from Corvus, Emory and Heart of the Hill vineyards. Intense aromas of chai spice, plum and blackberry include toast, vanilla extract and herbs. The fluid brings a juice profile of President plum and black currant with frontal tannins … [Read more...] about Three of Cups 2013 Le Chariot Red Wine, Red Mountain, $28
Wind Rose Cellars 2014 Hunter’s Red, Yakima Valley, $22
Olympic Peninsula vintner David Volmut could label this proprietary blend from Lonesome Spring Rnach as Grenache (90%), but he chooses to build a bit more body by including Cabernet Sauvignon to the mix. He keeps the focus on the fruit from start to finish with fun aromas of cherry juice, strawberry and milk chocolate with a pinch of celery leaf. The structure is bright with … [Read more...] about Wind Rose Cellars 2014 Hunter’s Red, Yakima Valley, $22
L’Ecole No. 41 2015, Alder Ridge Vineyard Grenache Rosé, Horse Heaven Hills, $22
The little schoolhouse in the Walla Walla Valley has three tiers within its “family of wines,” and Mike Sharon’s rosé from the Horse Heaven Hills is among the nine amid his exclusive bottlings. He’s been making pink from Grenache off Alder Ridge going back to 2010, and it’s telling to look back at some of the history. In 2010, production barely topped 100 cases, and the … [Read more...] about L’Ecole No. 41 2015, Alder Ridge Vineyard Grenache Rosé, Horse Heaven Hills, $22