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A Perennial Favorite

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    NV Locations WA5 750 ml

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    Shipping included on orders $150+.
    • Curated by unrivaled experts
    • Choose your delivery date
    • Temperature controlled shipping options
    • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

    Phinney’s Knockout Washington Value

    Phinney’s Knockout Washington Value

    A perennial Wine Access favorite returns: Dave Phinney, the creator of “The Prisoner,” is one of the few American winemakers to earn Wine Spectator Top 100 placements seven times in just 11 years. Phinney’s Locations wines have earned lavish praise from the world’s most consequential critic: Robert Parker dubbed him his “value winemaker of the year” in Issue #213 of The Wine Advocate. “If there are better wines for under $20 a bottle in the world today,” Parker challenged, “please share that information with The Wine Advocate.” Phinney crafted this ultra-concentrated blend, drawn straight from his “Prisoner” script. Just $19.99 per bottle — an under-$20 KNOCKOUT.

    Dave Phinney’s journey to becoming a brilliant, trailblazing young winemaker began over a plate of pasta in a Florentine trattoria. Phinney was studying abroad with a group of students, one of whom came from a California winemaking family. While the young Phinney shoveled in spaghetti bolognese, the Californian spun a tale about the world of winemaking. By the end of the meal, Phinney was more than intrigued.

    When he returned to the States, Phinney volunteered to participate on an experimental vineyard project at the University of Arizona, where he was enrolled. He then landed a job at a local fine wine shop where he took full advantage of the many “sample bottles” that came through the doors. Later, after a summer job working the harvest at Mondavi Winery, Phinney was finally able to pull together a couple thousand bucks to purchase two tons of grapes, and released a wine called “The Prisoner.” The rest is history.

    Washington was a no-brainer for Phinney’s pursuit of a flawless marriage of soil, climate, and grape-growing. With vineyards located on the same latitude of some of the great French wine regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy (46°N), 14 appellations with a dry and sunny climate to choose from, and an ever-growing list of awards and accolades, Phinney jumped right in.

    In this “WA5,” Phinney has done what he does best. He selected the best possible vineyard blocks within the state’s most coveted growing regions to produce a masterful blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. 2015 was an excellent vintage in Washington: The hot summer produced early and evenly ripened fruit, while the cooler fall allowed for extra hang-time on the vine to enhance the development of complex flavors. With such an ideal growing season, the resulting reds were superb. Phinney added the final touch to his opulent powerhouse with 10 months in French and American oak barrels.

    An under-$20 wine just shouldn’t be this good, and Wine Access clients who count themselves among the “Phinney followers” have already hit the “Buy” button — they know that whatever our allocation of Locations wines is, it never seems to be enough.

    Jonathan Cristaldi
    Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access