25. Coiled Wines 2014 Rizza, Snake River Valley, $28
Boise boutique winemaker Leslie Preston helped create some of the country’s best Petite Sirah while working in the Napa Valley, and now she’s proven to be a remarkably quick to solve the many riddles behind making sparkling wine. She started with dry Riesling, which she shines with in her native Gem State, that helps her build classic aromas and matching flavors of Granny Smith apple, lime, kiwi, jicama and river rock. Her knack with bubbles is apparent, exemplified by her job with the mousse, allowing her to build a marvelous mouth feel as grapefruit acidity and pith easily balance the residual sugar of 1%. The refreshing starfruit in the background and slaty finish makes oysters a pleasant notion. This spring, it finished No. 2 in Wine Press Northwest’s judging of Pacific Northwest sparkling wines, and fortunately, she’s developed a plan to ramp up production to 500 cases for the 2015 harvest.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 300 cases
Alcohol: 13%
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