Our Rating
Chalk Hills, Idaho
Petit Verdot
The 2023 250th Anniversary Liberty Red was released as a commemorative bottling connected to the 250th anniversary of American independence. Telaya featured the wine during its July 4, 2026 celebration at its Garden City tasting room, while the winery’s online store lists the 2023 Liberty Red at $50. The anniversary theme provides the context, but the wine itself follows a ripe, oak-influenced New World red-blend style.
Earl and Carrie Sullivan founded Telaya Wine Co. in 2008, beginning with approximately 50 cases. The winery initially sourced its fruit from Washington before working with Idaho vineyards for the first time in 2012. Telaya opened its current Garden City production facility and tasting room near the Boise River in February 2016. The winery now produces wines from both Idaho and Washington fruit.
Earl and Carrie Sullivan serve as Telaya’s owners and winemakers, with Jonathan Walker working as assistant winemaker and Cade Mayo as enologist. Earl has a biochemistry background and previously worked as the chief operating officer of a pharmaceutical company. Carrie practiced as a small-animal and exotic veterinarian before the couple established the winery. Their scientific backgrounds provide relevant context for their shared roles in Telaya’s vineyard and cellar decisions.
The wine is identified as an Idaho red blend, but the specific vineyard source and appellation have not been provided. The individual grape varieties and blend percentages also remain undisclosed. Without a technical sheet or vineyard designation, the wine cannot be connected confidently to a specific Idaho site or subregion. Its regional identity must therefore be assessed primarily through the stated Idaho origin and the finished wine’s sensory profile.
Detailed information about fermentation, barrel selection, aging duration, and production volume was not available for this release. The aromas and flavors of vanilla, cedar, mocha, baking spice, and toasted oak indicate a clear oak contribution, although the vessel type and percentage of new oak cannot be confirmed. The wine’s rounded tannins suggest that it was produced with accessibility in mind, but no specific extraction or maturation methods have been disclosed. Telaya’s current product listing confirms the vintage and price without providing additional technical information.
The winery’s current product listing identifies this as a 2023 wine. No vintage-specific growing-season information, harvest dates, vineyard yields, or production totals have been published for the Liberty Red. Broader details about the 2023 Idaho growing season should not be applied to this bottling without confirmed vineyard sourcing.
The wine is clear with a deep ruby color. Its concentrated core is consistent with a ripe, medium-full-bodied red blend.
The nose is youthful and medium-plus in intensity. Blackberry, ripe plum, and black cherry form the primary fruit profile. Vanilla, cedar, and baking spice add a distinct oak-related layer without completely covering the fruit.
The palate is dry and medium-full in body, with blackberry, black plum, and black cherry supported by mocha, vanilla, spice, and toasted oak. Acidity is moderate, providing enough freshness to keep the ripe fruit from becoming heavy. Medium-plus tannins are present but rounded, giving the wine structure without a strongly drying texture. Although the listed alcohol is 13.3 percent, the wine shows a noticeable warming quality through the middle of the palate.
The finish is medium in length. Dark fruit, vanilla, baking spice, and toasted oak remain after the initial fruit begins to fade. The tannins taper gradually, leaving a warm and approachable final impression.
The 2023 250th Anniversary Liberty Red is a ripe, oak-influenced Idaho blend made in a direct and accessible style. Blackberry, plum, and black cherry provide the core fruit, while vanilla, mocha, cedar, and baking spice shape much of its secondary character. Moderate acidity and rounded tannins keep the wine approachable despite its medium-full body and warming finish. It is ready to drink now, with no clear structural reason to require extended cellaring.
USA
Chalk Hills, Idaho
Petit Verdot
13.6
Earl and Carrie Sullivan
30 to 60 Minutes
Now
Telaya Wine Co.