Great Value Wines: Washington’s Best for Under $40

Our recently published Washington 2025 Tasting Report highlights the state’s stunning vineyards as well as its ability to produce premium wines from a wide array of varieties, but it also excels at delivering exceptional wines at bargain prices.

The king of the quality-to-price ratio – wines we rated 93 points or higher that cost under $40 – is K Vintners. Their syrahs are consistently some of the highest rated wines from Washington, such as the K Vintners Syrah Motor City Kitty 2021 – a mineral, earthy and savory expression from the Yakima Valley that has astounding freshness and energy, as well as a super-long, electric finish.

From further east in the Walla Walla Valley, the K Vintners Syrah The Beautiful 2018 is a Cote Rotie-style cofermentation of syrah with a dash of viognier. It’s more perfumed and floral and is drinking beautifully now with a few years of bottle aging.

For a richer, full-bodied Walla Walla syrah, try the L’Ecole No 41 Syrah Seven Hills Vineyard 2021 – an intense red with dried chili and black olive aromas which is just entering its drinking window and has plenty of aging potential.

Besides syrah, another Rhone varietal that grows beautifully in Walla Walla is grenache. We love the K Vintners Grenache Walla Walla Valley The Boy 2020 for its perfume and its spicy, floral and zesty undertones as well its depth and power, but also for its elegance and delicacy.

Also worth checking out is the B. Leighton Yakima Valley Olsen Brothers Vineyard Gratitude 2020 – a Rhone-style field blend of mourvedre cofermented with grenache and syrah. This silky red has a joyful array of cracked-pepper, smoked-meat and wild-herb aromas as well as creamy, seamless tannins.

The warm, sunny days and cool nights of the Columbia Valley are excellent for ripening Bordeaux varieties, too. The Red Mountain AVA is one of the warmest (and smallest) appellations in the Valley, producing concentrated cabernets like the Canvasback Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain 2020, which is full of black berry and lead pencil character, as well as firm tannins typical of Red Mountain. Meanwhile, the cedary, polished 216 Miles to Go by Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2022 is also full-bodied and structured, but with more supple tannins and plenty of toasted-spice character.

Merlot is also making waves in the state. Of outstanding value is the single-vineyard Substance Merlot Columbia Valley Vineyard Collection Stoneridge Vineyard 2019. It’s full-bodied but bright and driven, showing plenty of red-fruit and herb character. Merlot also takes front seat in the Bordeaux-style blend, Dunham Cellars Columbia Valley Trutina 2021. It’s a powerful wine made from two-thirds merlot with cabernet sauvignon and a touch of malbec, petit verdot and cabernet franc. It boasts savory, smoky and lusciously ripe dark-berry flavors.

We’ve also included a stylish Bordeaux-style white wine, the DeLille Cellars Columbia Valley Chaleur Blanc 2022. This blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc is mostly barrel-fermented with plenty of spicy, new-oak influences, balanced by bright acidity and vivid citrus notes.

Whether you’re drawn to the distinctly peppery syrahs of Walla Walla, the fragrance of grenache or the classic expressions of cabernet sauvignon, these selections represent some of the best value wines available today. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore all that Washington has to offer.

– Claire Nesbitt, Staff Writer & Critic

K Vintners Syrah Yakima Valley Motor City Kitty 2021 – JS99
JJBuckley.com: $39.94
KLWines.com: $39.95

K Vintners Grenache Walla Walla Valley The Boy 2020 – JS98
TotalWine.com: $34.97

K Vintners Syrah Walla Walla Valley The Beautiful 2018 – JS96
TotalWine.com: $38.97

B. Leighton Yakima Valley Olsen Brothers Vineyard Gratitude 2020 – JS94
JJBuckley.com: $39.94

Canvasback Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain 2020 – JS94
Wine.com: $31.99

L’Ecole No 41 Syrah Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Grown 2021 – JS94
TotalWine.com: $39.99
Wine.com: $45.99

216 Miles to Go by Mark Ryan Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2022 – JS93
TotalWine.com: $31.99

DeLille Cellars Columbia Valley Chaleur Blanc 2022 – JS93
KLWines.com: $39.95
TotalWine.com: $39.99

Dunham Cellars Columbia Valley Trutina 2021 – JS93
TotalWine.com: $22.97
Wine.com: $36.99

Substance Merlot Columbia Valley Vineyard Collection Stoneridge Vineyard 2019 – JS93
TotalWine.com: $34.99