A small basaltic butte rising above the Yakima Valley floor near Sunnyside, with sandy loam soils and natural heat retention. One of the earliest viticultural sites in the Yakima Valley — records of viticulture here date to the 1910s. Historically sourced for blending; increasing recognition as a distinct terroir for syrah and riesling.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 92 | Snipes Mountain's 2024 was clean and mineral-precise. The ancient river gravels translated the season's warmth into wines of distinctive terroir character and excellent structure. |
| 2023 | 88 | Moderate season produced wines of precision; some of the best Riesling from the sub-AVA in years due to retained natural acidity. |
| 2022 | 95 | Ideal conditions across the knoll. The mineral Roza Bar soil profile expressed itself fully in a vintage of exceptional balance. |
| 2021 | 91 | Heat dome amplified the sub-AVA's natural warmth. Riesling harvested with retained acid showed exceptional aromatics; Cabernet was dense and structured. |
| 2019 | 91 | The ancient Roza Bar geology delivered mineral complexity alongside the warmth of this established sub-AVA. Cabernet and Riesling were both outstanding. |
| 2017 | 90 | Very good vintage with the Snipes knoll's warming effect adding extra concentration to an already warm year. |
| 2016 | 95 | Snipes Mountain 2016 is one of the most celebrated vintages from this oldest WA sub-AVA. The Roza Bar geology expressed its full mineral character in ideal growing conditions. |
| 2015 | 91 | Snipes Mountain's knoll position focused the heat into intense wine production. Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling both showed the extremes of the warm year — power and concentration but less finesse than 2016. |
| 2014 | 92 | Snipes Mountain's 2014 delivered excellent concentration from its ancient volcanic and glacial soils. The appellation's unique terroir — the only Yakima AVA with a river-deposited gravelly floor — produced wines with distinctive mineral character alongside the season's generous fruit. |
| 2013 | 91 | Snipes Mountain's 2013 showed the ancient river-deposited floor at its most expressive. The season's heat built concentration while the unique gravelly, silty soils contributed distinctive mineral character alongside the vintage's generous fruit. |