2007 J. Bookwalter Conflict, Conner-Lee Vineyard, Columbia Valley

As U.S. red wines from the 2007 vintage come into the market, it's clear that this was a superb year for West Coast wine regions, including Washington's Columbia Valley. Located in the southeast part of the state on a northerly latitude, the area has a shorter growing season with a risk of late-season rainfall. But in 2007, a mild Indian summer allowed grapes to stay on the vine, ripening slowly and evenly. With its deep, earthy black fruit flavors, this Columbia Valley red shows the fantastic quality of the vintage. It comes from the J. Bookwalter Winery, founded by Jerry and Jean Bookwalter in 1983, when the state's wine industry was in its infancy. Their son John, who runs the winery today, crafted the wine in collaboration with renowned consultant winemaker Zelma Long. A blend of the red varieties traditionally used in Bordeaux, the cuvée was made with grapes from the Bookwalter family's Conner-Lee Vineyard, a cool site in a warm, sunny region south of Othello, Washington. There, autumn temperatures drop quickly, giving the grapes additional hang time on the vine to ripen slowly and develop thick skins (key to a red wine's tannic structure) and complex flavors. Only 600 cases were produced.