The other day I took a 2021 Idlewild Grignolino Russian River Valley to a friend's for dinner. My luck, they were serving a smoked salmon appetizer for which it was a splendid match as well as the wine that follows this one, also a good pairing. A rust-colored light red wine. Savory notes of sage and bay leaf on mild red and yellow plummy fruit, better now with bottle age than on release. Should continue to improve, at least over the next year or two.
Also on the table, and almost as savory, was this dry 2021 Upchurch LTL Rosé Columbia Valley made, in this vintage (last one I had was grenache), from 100% Mourvedre. Medium burnished copper color with rich stone fruit and roasted almond flavors. 'LTL' stands for Larger Than Life, a name often used to describe the towering winemaker-proprietor Chris Upchurch. He was the original winemaker for famed Walla Walla winery DeLille who left only recently to devote himself fulltime to his property and winery on Red Mountain. Very good.