A high basalt plateau rising above the western Yakima Valley, the coolest and most volcanic of the Columbia Valley sub-appellations. Thin soils over fractured basalt restrict yields dramatically and produce wines of marked minerality and tension. A small community of producers working primarily with white varieties and syrah; the zone rewards patience in the bottle.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 92 | Naches Heights' 2024 leveraged the season's quality at high altitude, preserving exceptional freshness and mineral precision in warm-vintage fruit. An excellent expression of what elevation does for Washington wine. |
| 2023 | 87 | Cool vintage with excellent acid retention. Chardonnay and Riesling were exceptional; reds show freshness and elegance. |
| 2022 | 93 | Excellent season. High-elevation sites achieved full maturity with aromatic precision that distinguishes this sub-AVA from Yakima Valley proper. |
| 2021 | 90 | Heat dome created ideal conditions on these normally cool slopes. First vintage where late-ripening varieties fully matured. |
| 2020 | 84 | Cool season on this elevated AVA produced wines of notable finesse and acid-driven freshness unusual for Washington. |
| 2014 | 92 | Naches Heights' 2014 was a season of ideal conditions for this high-altitude Columbia Valley sub-appellation. The elevation preserved acidity in otherwise generously ripe fruit, producing wines of outstanding balance and freshness. |
| 2013 | 90 | Naches Heights' 2013 was defined by the high-altitude appellation's ability to translate a warm vintage into wines of unusual freshness and mineral precision. The elevation cooling was at its most effective in these conditions. |
| 2012 | 89 | Naches Heights' 2012 leveraged the high-altitude position in a warm vintage, preserving freshness in deeply concentrated fruit. The appellation's elevation advantage was at full display in this challenging season. |