These Wisconsin brothers-in-law refer this second label as Dusted Valley Vintners’ little brother, and they collaborate with Milbrandt-owned Wahluke Wine Co., for more winning juice that’s just a crack of a cap away. Fruit-forward aromas of sweet cherry and blueberry pick up light pinches of brown sugar, mint and eucalyptus. On the palate, it’s loaded with flavors of plump … [Read more...] about Boomtown by Dusted Valley 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $19
Elk Cove Vineyards 2014 Goodrich Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton, $40
It’s about time. One of the Pacific Northwest’s top producers of Pinot Gris and Riesling has joined the Chardonnay renaissance in Oregon. Adam Campbell and his family’s 2014 investment in Goodrich Vineyard near Yamhill pays dividends here with Elk Cove Vineyards’ first Chardonnay since 1998. The care taken during the winemaking includes a barrel program over 12 months with some … [Read more...] about Elk Cove Vineyards 2014 Goodrich Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton, $40
Ryan Patrick Vineyards 2015 Redhead Red Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $15
Best Buy! A trio of Wahluke Slope vineyards, including Milbrandt-owned Clifton Bluff and top-notch Northridge, provided Jeremy Santo with the material to create this fleshy and juicy crowd-pleasing red. Cabernet Sauvignon (68%) drives the blend with additives of Syrah (11%), Merlot (11%) and Petit Verdot to create aromas of fruit punch and Chukar Cherries with Timothy hay and … [Read more...] about Ryan Patrick Vineyards 2015 Redhead Red Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $15
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2015 Oldfield Series 2Bench White, Okanagan Valley, $20
Sonoma County product Sandra Oldfield, a proud graduate of University of California-Davis, continues to prove that British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley ranks among the best wine growing regions on the West Coast. This latest blend of her family’s vineyards on the Black Sage Bench and the Golden Mile Bench is a remarkable melange of Chardonnay (29%), Sauvignon Blanc (27%), … [Read more...] about Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2015 Oldfield Series 2Bench White, Okanagan Valley, $20
Ghost Hill Cellars 2013 Bayliss-Bower Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton, $42
The Bayliss family established their vineyard near Carlton, Ore., in 1999, but the land near Abbey Road has been a part of its bloodlines for more than a century. Their largest production of Pinot Noir is this four-clone blend, and they stick with their traditional percentages of Pommard (45%), 777 (20%), 114 (20%) and Wädenswil for what amounts to about 25 percent of their … [Read more...] about Ghost Hill Cellars 2013 Bayliss-Bower Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton, $42