This is 75% Cabernet, 20% Merlot and 5% Syrah, all from the flagship estate vineyard. Compare with the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon and the stats are almost identical, so this must be a reserve-level selection from all new barrels. With all that new oak it's loaded with baking spices, thus giving it immediate appeal despite its long term aging potential. The dark fruits are typical from the Double D vineyard, and line up taut and polished alongside sharp, ripe and balancing tannins. This is a beautifully made wine which should be cellared for at least a few more years and could easily go into the mid-2030s. Very limited. 90 cases; 15%; $120 (Columbia Valley)

https://rockypondwinery.orderport.net/product-details/0710/2020-Tumbled-Granite-Red

One of a pair of outstanding entry-level blends from Rocky Pond, this is 54% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Malbec sourced from the estate vineyard. It's all Rocky Reach AVA but carries the more generic Columbia Valley designation. An unusual blend, this deftly amps up the power of the principal Merlot component while keeping the strength and detail of the other two grapes in focus. It's a fruit showcase loaded with black cherries and cassis, backed with the AVA's underlying minerality. The generous use of new French oak (50%) is kept in check while framing the wine perfectly. Given its youth this absolutely must be decanted for near term drinking or cellared for another couple of years. This wine was still drinking very well on the 4th day after first being opened. 550 cases; 14.8%; $46 (Columbia Valley)

https://rockypondwinery.orderport.net/product-details/0707/2020-11-Dams

This classic, stylish Walla Walla Cab is a six Bordeaux grape blend with Petit Verdot and Malbec the most significant non-Cabernet contributors. It's full-bodied and seamless, potently aromatic with dark notes of espresso, char, tobacco and dark chocolate. A half dozen vineyards contributed to the blend, but nine tenths of the wine comes from old blocks of Seven Hills and the McClellan Estate vineyards. Plenty was made so it should be easily found or purchase online. A very well-structured wine with a decade or more of aging potential it was still drinking quite nicely on the 4th day after first being opened. 1800 cases; 14.5%; $30 (Walla Walla)

https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/wines/walla-walla-valley-cabernet/

The Vireo reserve is 38% Syrah, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. Aged 23 months in 70% new French oak, it's a silky, dark-fruited wine. It nicely showcases a Washington strong suit, which is the marrying of Syrah and Cabernet. Black fruits, black tea, tobacco, a hint of mint, espresso and more subtle highlights weave together seamlessly in this wine. Decant for drinking now; age up to a decade. 14.9%; $45 (Columbia Valley)

https://www.gooseridge.com/product/2018-Vireo

The grapes are from the Double River Vineyard once owned by now defunct Basel Cellars. "We were unable to source Viognier so this is 100% Syrah" writes winemaker John Derthick. Which suggests to me that the almost fetishistic co-fermentation of the two grapes which has taken over the hearts and minds of Walla Walla's Syrah winemakers may be a little over the top. This is pure Syrah – rich and loaded with black fruits, along with notes of coffee, chicory, graphite and baker's chocolate. Without the Viognier there is little citrus and none of the bitter phenolics, just lush and delicious fruit. 356 cases; 14.9%; $28 (Walla Walla Valley)

https://lujonwinecellars.com/product/2020-walla-walla-valley-syrah/

Sourced from the new estate vineyard, this is loaded with fresh, ripe applesauce fruit goodness. It's 20% barrel fermented and the rest in stainless steel. Crisp yet putting the emphasis on apple rather than citrus fruit, it's a full-bodied, front-loaded, very appealing style that should be enjoyed over the next three or four years. 448 cases; 13.4%; $20 (Willamette Valley)

https://lujonwinecellars.com/product/2016-willamette-valley-chardonnay/

Here is your perfect pizza wine. Set the table with your finest checkered tablecloth and pour a fruit-laden glass of this Sangiovese/Teroldego/Barbera/Primitivo blend. The same fruit as featured in the varietal designates goes into this carafe-ready red, which brings a lush mix of strawberries, raspberries, plums and blackberries into focus. The tannins are perfectly balanced and lend some gravitas to the wine. See all Montoliva reviews under ‘Deep Dive’. 250 cases; 13.8%; $22 (Sierra Foothills – Chicago Park)

https://www.montoliva.com/product/sierra-bella-2020/

The blend is two thirds Teroldego and one third Barbera. The power of the fruit is almost overwhelming – a mash-up of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and black cherries. There are strong highlights of vanilla, tobacco and chocolate, and the tannins add texture and grip. As with the entire portfolio of Montoliva wines, the potent fruit flavors are front and center. These are succulent wines to enjoy immediately, yet fresh and balanced enough to see what further cellar time brings. See all Montoliva reviews under Deep Dive.

125 cases; 13.9%; $35 (Sierra Foothills)

https://www.montoliva.com/product/sinistra-2017/

This top tier reserve blends five Bordeaux grapes. Vineyards unknown. This gets 50% new oak and 22 months in barrel, yet the toasty flavors are already integrating into brambly fruits. There's a tangy snap to the raspberry and black cherry flavors, backed with citrusy flavors of orange and lime. The tannins are proportionate and provide a good landing place as the wine winds down. This will need more cellar time to show its best. NOTE: the website still lists the previous vintage. 15%; $85 (Walla Walla)

https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/wines/pentad/

The RMS cuvée brings exceptional ripe fruit to bear in a classy sparkling wine done in the classic Champagne method. It's 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay with deep and delicious flavors that combine apple pie, pear tart, minerally acids and nuances too subtle to name. The depth, penetration and all out length will have you refilling your glass before you have finished swallowing the first sip.

200 cases; 12.5%; $65 (Willamette Valley)

https://shop.rocowinery.com/product/2018-RMS-Brut

The best wine in a stunning lineup, this is built from top tier estate fruit from the Funk Estate, Stones Speak and Watermill vineyards. It gets the new barrel treatment (40%) and carries the additional imprint of the Rocks District where the vineyards are located. Intense, detailed, compact and expressive, it's loaded with brambly berries, savory herbs, licorice, espresso, dark chocolate, ash and even touches of lemon rind. What a glorious bottle it is, one that should continue to develop beautifully over the rest of the decade.

410 cases; 14.3%; $50 (Walla Walla)

https://www.saviahcellars.com/wine/reserve/2020-reserve-syrah/

Always a reliable budget bottle, this version of The Jack draws upon some well-known Walla Walla and Columbia Valley vineyards (notably Lewis!) for its fruit. In the blend are small amounts of Grenache and Mourvèdre. Ten percent new oak adds just the right toasty touch. It's a supple, clean, varietally-true wine with plenty of purple fruits and hints of bacon fat.

2151 cases; 14.5%; $18 (Columbia Valley)

https://www.saviahcellars.com/wine/the-jack/2019-jack-syrah/

Lovely to look at, this is close to Pinot Noir in color, and easily the best Washington state Nebbiolo I've ever tasted. Why? Because it captures the complex elegance of the grape, offering scents of roses amidst delicate layers of wild berries matched to firm, earthy tannins. The length is impressive, the extended finish trails out with touches of tobacco, licorice and tar, and the overall structure suggests that this is a wine to cellar for a decade or longer. Very limited to jump on it now.

91 cases; 14.3%; $38 (Walla Walla)

https://www.saviahcellars.com/wine/classic/2019-nebbiolo/

A Syrah/Cab Franc/Cab Sauv blend, this is a low-cost look at a style often reserved for more expensive Washington reds. It's got ripe, dark fruit and tannin flavors, spiced up with the Syrah, and though still young it's in good drinkable condition. It finishes with some astringency, suggesting a burger as an optimal companion.

200 cases; 14.1%; $25 (Yakima Valley)

https://dineenvineyards.com/collections/our-collection/products/2020-vintners-blend-red-wine

Long a standout for Sineann, this new vintage of this designate is as good as any in its history. It's supple, powerful, muscular and dense. In short, it's ageworthy Willamette Valley Pinot Noir at a value price. A mix of tart red berries, it skirts along the edges of preserves or pie fruits but stays firm and fresh. It gains focus in the finish, suggesting that it's the rare wine that can be enjoyed immediately at such a young age, or tucked away for a decade or longer.

100 cases; 14.4%; $42 (Yamhill-Carlton)

http://www.sineann.com/contact

Though labeled simply "Oregon" this is actually all Willamette Valley Pinot from choice vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton and Eola-Amity Hills AVAs. This is truly delicious, loaded with a juicy mix of raspberries, tangerines and chocolate-covered cherries. The acids are fresh and refreshing, and the jumble of tangy fruit flavors carries on through a clean, clear and lingering finish.

343 cases; 13.4%; $30 (Oregon)

http://www.sineann.com/contact

"Born of legend and arriving in America via suitcase" is how the winery introduces this wine. Dijon clone 828 seems to have a different story from every winery that has bottled it, but they all agree it is something special. It's impressive that a wine with such a modest abv can push out such deep perfume and dark color. It's loaded with marionberry, black cherry and pomegranate fruits, and the palate is framed with phenolic highlights of sage and thyme. All that notwithstanding, the overall impression is elegance.

85 cases; 12.7%; $74 (McMinnville)

https://www.wrigleywines.com/product/2019-J-Wrigley-Single-Clone-828-Pinot-Noir