Reviews of top-scoring wines from Yakima Valley, Rattlesnake Hills, Lake Chelan, Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, Walla Walla and other AVAs—each with footnotes for scrumptious food pairings
Cairdeas Winery 2022 Consonance Red Wine Columbia Valley AVA
96 pts.
A bold, rich and expressive blend of two harmonious varieties, Petite Sirah (53%) and Syrah (40%), with a splash of Mourvèdre added. Keenly structured, with sleek flavors of blueberry and blackberry matched with savory mountain herb, spice and mineral details that bind with elevated balance on the well-chiseled finish. Consonance is a musical term that refers to a group of harmonious tones, and this wine orchestrates exceptionally well with its blend from no less than seven Columbia Valley vineyards. $56
Try with grilled short ribs; stuffed red peppers; or aged Gouda cheese.
DeLille Cellars 2022 Chaleur Estate Red Wine Red Mountain AVA
95 pts.
This Cabernet-dominant red blend from Red Mountain vineyards is ultra-polished, gleaming with ripe blackberry and dark cherry fruit, nuanced with violet, mocha, sage, clove and mineral spice. Shows power and finesse, with sleek tannins and impeccable balance that makes this one of DeLille’s flagship releases. $90 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Try with seared rack of lamb; mushroom risotto; or tagliatelle bolognese.
Figgins 2022 Estate Red Wine Walla Walla Valley AVA
98 pts.
A sensational release of Figgins flagship estate red that’s elegantly chiseled, showing depth and purity of fruit. Cassis, macerated blackberry, plum and dried black mission fig set the pace, alongside finessed notes of dark red fruit, violet and crushed stone. The powerhouse finish is marked by a sheen of finely-matted tannins that lay down with refined tension, and a lasting impression of red and black fruit. $95 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Try with chateaubriand served with potatoes and asparagus ladeled with Bordelaise sauce.
Tsillan Cellars 2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Lake Chelan AVA
96 pts.
Concentrated and powerfully structured, this estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake Chelan impresses with a svelte blend of cassis, blackberry, red currant and black olive that show fresh minerally focus, backed by graphite and barrel spice. The firm tannic finish is rich, savory and expressive. A gorgeous rendition of the varietal from the Lake Chelan appellation. $56
Try with rack of lamb; or a filet mignon garnished with blue cheese sauce.
Fidélitas 2021 Estate Red Wine Red Mountain AVA
95 pts.
This Bordeaux varietal blend is made from the winery’s Red Mountain estate vineyard, showcasing plantings from 2015 and later. Ethereally structured, offering floral aromas and a sheen of finely polished tannins that merge with bright red fruit on the front, evolving in the glass with dense, darker fruit of cassis and plum. Notes of black olive, sage and graphite linger on the extended finish. $60 Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Try with carne asada with mole; hearty beef stew; or Stilton cheese.
Coyote Canyon 2020 H/H Estates Reserve Big John Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills AVA
94 pts.
Built in a bold and luscious style, with a fruit-filled display of steeped black cherry and dried currants, accented with roasted espresso beans, tobacco, graphite, cocoa and caramel details. This reserve label is named after a world-class Hereford bull raised on the Andrews family ranch. $60
Try with coffee-crusted double bone-in pork chop, pan-seared and oven-finished with a bold coffee crust, served over roasted garlic whipped potatoes and caramelized carrots, finished with a Cabernet blackberry demi-glace.
Vagabond 2022 “Nomad” Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain AVA
95 pts.
Rich and powerful, this brooding red from vintner Ryan Lowell is packed with copious blackberry, black plum and dark cherry, inlaid with refined layers of sweet pipe tobacco, a dusting of cocoa and minerally details. A grip of glossy tannins permeates the creamy finish, with the concentrated fruit filling in along the way. $60
Try with tender braised short ribs with blue cheese and mushroom risotto.
Chandler Reach 2020 Omaggio alla Toscana Sangiovese Yakima Valley AVA
94 pts.
A sleek, medium-bodied 100% Sangiovese sourced from Block 7 of Chandler Reach Estate Vineyard. Fresh, elegant and focused, delivering fig paste, red cherry and plum wrapped in layers of baking spice, crushed pebbles and hints of sage. Finely integrated tannins and tangy acidity provide good definition to the well-structured frame. $45
Try with bistecca alla Fiorentina; lamb tagine; or Italian charcuterie and cheeses like Pecorino Toscano and aged Asagio cheese.
Brian Carter Cellars 2021 Le Coursier Columbia Valley AVA
94 pts.
A crowd pleasing Right Bank Bordeaux-style red blend that is youthfully lush and fruit-forward. A seamless front of Marionberry, Bing cherry and Damson plum flex outward with deepening concentration, merging with subtle anise, barrel spice and waves of satiny tannins on the broad finish. $45 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot
Try with juniper-crusted venison loin served with wild mushrooms, parsnips, huckleberry demi-glace; or lamb loin wrapped in sausage and Swiss chard complemented with sunchokes, smoked dates and watercress.
Toil Oregon 2023 Pinot Noir
95 pts.
This brand is produced in Walla Walla with grapes grown in the Willamette Valley. There’s elegance and purity of fruit here, with expressive strawberry, tart raspberry and plum flavors, flanked by tea leaf, rose petal, berry spice and loamy earth. The texture is silky with a creamy feel, yet delivers sensational density as fine tannins and rich acidity emerge on the broad finish. $50
Try with grilled salmon yakitori accompanied with BBQ skewers of Walla Walla sweet onions and baby bella mushrooms.
Gård Vintners 2021 Solaksen Vineyard Pinot Noir Royal Slope AVA
94 pts.
This supple, single-vineyard red was made with grapes grown by the Lawrence family in the Royal Slope AVA. It’s packed with a vivid array of rhubarb, strawberry, dried cherry and dark earth. The well-structured finish reveals complex nuances of tea leaf and savory spice that merge with lasting red fruit expressions. $65
Try with baked salmon and morel mushrooms.
Camaraderie Cellars 2019 Crawford Vineyard Reserve Vida Yakima Valley AVA
94 pts.
A juicy and sultry red augmented by grilled mesquite and rose water notes backed by a deep well of blackberry, cherry and red plum that forge a powerful and concentrated beam. Layers of red licorice, baking spice, worn cedar and saline minerality shine on the finish. Sourced from Crawford Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. $45 Tempranillo, Malbec
Try with meat cooked in the Argentinian “asado” manner of slow cooking over an open fire to match the wine’s bold and savory components.
Pondera Winery 2019 SVS Red Wine Royal Slope AVA
94 pts.
Vintner Shane Howard is well known in Woodinville for his brand of smooth Bordeaux varietal reds, and this aged release is an exceptional one. Chiseled tannins and deft acidity lend bold balance to the luscious profile of red and black fruit. Polished expressions of cassis, blackberry and dark cherry are infused with cocoa, molasses and graphite. $45 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Try with ribeye steak and sauteed mushrooms.
Vin Du Lac 2023 Tunnel Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir Lake Chelan AVA
94 pts.
Crafted from Pinot Noir clone 113 planted nearly 25 years ago, this red exhibits a distinctly umami, spicy style of this classic Burgundian grape. Enticing aromas of graham, fig paste and cherry echo on the silky palate, complemented by currants, dark plum and earthy minerality that hold sway on the sustained finish, blanketed by plush and fine-grained tannins. $60
Try with classic duck confit; or a creamy mushroom risotto.
Dineen Vineyards 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Yakima Valley AVA
94 pts.
Hand-picked from Catherine’s Block and Bridget’s Block, this tightly-structured red was barrel aged for 21 months. A burst of juicy black cherry, black currant and pomegranate burst from the glass, with seamless notes of dark chocolate and barrel spice. Stays focused on the finish, supported by a compact edge of smooth and refined tannins. $47
Try with grilled porterhouse prime rib or veal; savory dishes dressed with spices of mustard, paprika, rosemary and thyme; for dessert try plum torte.
Cedergreen Cellars 2021 Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley AVA
94 pts.
Co-winemakers Kevin and Julie Cedergreen sourced this single-varietal red from Minick Vineyard. It dazzles with a fruit-forward core of red cherry and ripe plum, accented with mint leaf and herbaceous undertones. Crushed rock minerality adds intrigue and elegance to the silky smooth finish. $31
Try with chicken curry; lamb kofta; or cheese and spinach quiche.
Descendant Cellars 2023 Belle Columbia Valley AVA
94 pts.
Very sleek and inviting, this classic GSM red blend from vintner Michael Guittard entices with a floral rose bouquet and scents of dusky spice, followed by fine-tuned flavors of black currant, ripe raspberry, cherry paste and licorice with hints of allspice. The oak doesn’t get in the way of the beautiful fruit, ending with finesse, depth and concentration that belies the price point. $39
Try with Uli’s merguez sausage, where the fruit and minerality play nicely with the lamb meat and warm spices.
Van Löben Sels Cellars 2019 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Bona Dea Royal Slope AVA
93 pts.
Sleek and energetic, blanketed with violet-hued blackberry, currants, fig and mocha that show excellent depth and balance. The refined structure of this Bordeaux varietal red blend lets the fine-grained tannins drape over the concentrated finish, melding with minerally-charged spice and upbeat acidity. $65 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Try with grilled fillet mignon or rib-eye steak; or duck breast cooked in a blackberry reduction sauce.
Ambassador Wines of Washington 2022 Estate Plenipotentiary Syrah
94 pts.
Satiny and floral, offering aromas of white flowers and smoldering scents of black and purple fruit. Jammy boysenberry, dark cherry and spiced red currant flavors fill the mid-palate, layered with violet, iron minerality, crushed rock and forest floor. Ends with lengthy echoes of floral and earthy-tinged fruit on the broad and complex finish. $80
Try with herb-crusted grilled lamb chops.
Itä Wines 2022 Les Collines Vineyard Merlot Walla Walla AVA
93 pts.
Blended with 15% Petit Verdot, this is a nimble whirlwind of cranberry, Morello cherry and zesty currants backed by titillating accents of tea leaf and evergreen boughs. A nice punch of acidity gives a curvaceous structure to this leaner style, which arcs along the finish with an elegant grip of sleek tannins. $48
Try with pork tenderloin; or umami-driven vegetarian dishes like mushroom risotto.
Silver Lake Winery 2023 Roza Riesling Rattlesnake Hills AVA
93 pts.
Leading with aromas of honeycomb, ripe peach and clove scents, there’s a plushness that elevates the creamy mouthfeel, filled with rich flavors of sweet pineapple and pear, neatly balanced with buoyant acidity and spice accents. A terrific value that delivers quality far above the price point. $18
Try with spicy Mexican or Asian dishes like tacos al pastor topped with pineapple, onions and cilantro; or Thai green or red curry.
Elevation Cellars 2017 Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley AVA
93 pts.
Made with grapes harvested from Hedges Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA, this well-structured red presents a brooding core of dark plum, black currant and blackberry fruit teeming with vigorous tannins and vibrant acidity. Violet, cocoa, clove, coriander and tobacco details persist at length on the savory finish. $34
Try with slow-roasted butterflied leg of lamb; coffee-rubbed tri-tip; or pizza topped with roasted vegetables.
Spoiled Dog Winery 2022 Estate Pinot Noir Puget Sound AVA
93 pts.
Selected from the best lots of seven clones grown in the maritime climate of Whidbey Island, this red is very precise, offering a generous core of red fruit matched with exuberant acidity. Cherry paste and cranberry are spiced with a balance of clove, mineral and vanilla essence, shaded by an earthy patina of loam and forest floor. Velvety tannins glisten on the satisfying, juicy finish. $42
Try with butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter; duck breast with cherry reduction sauce; or pork tenderloin with fig compote.
Sheridan Vineyard 2021 L’Orage Yakima Valley AVA
93 pts.
Uber polished, the estate-grown fruit shows keen balance and an uplift of acidity that keeps a fresh tone to the concentrated red and black fruit, steeped with perfumed spice notes of wild lavender, violet and juniper berry. Fine-grained tannins pull in a light dash of cumin spice and cedar details on the savory finish. $60 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Try with roasted meats accompanied by herb-flavored vegetables; or hearty tomato-based sauces like bolognese.
VanArnam Vineyards 2022 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Yakima Valley AVA
93 pts.
Aged in oak for over 30 months, this Yakima Valley estate-grown red is plump and full bodied, delivering a rich, ripe core of black currant, pomegranate and macerated cherry. Complex, with notes of mocha, baking spice, saline minerality and focused freshness that persists on the bold finish. $60
Try with herb-crusted lamb with herbal rosemary jus and garlic potato purée elements; for dessert, try bittersweet chocolate tart with sea salt and red berry coulis.
Parker Family 2020 Tempranillo Walla Walla Valley AVA
92 pts.
Packed with gorgeous black fruits of dark currant, black cherry and blackberry, this single varietal is layered with cacao nib, vanilla, molasses and cedar, with distant notes of plum and pencil shavings chiming in. Ends with a textural mouthfeel from aging in French oak barrels for two years. $48
Try with traditional tapas; Spanish paella; braised short ribs or roasted vegetables.