Best Buy! A case can be made that Mike Sharon’s work with Sèmillon is without peer in the Pacific Northwest, and this bottling is deliciously priced for anyone needing to explore the wonders of this white Bordeaux in the Columbia Valley. He and managing winemaker Marty Clubb pull from many of the same vineyards they’ve sourced for a decade — Klipsun, Stillwater Creek, Rosebud, … [Read more...] about L’Ecole No. 41 2015 Sèmillon, Columbia Valley, $14
Latest wine reviews
Winter’s Hill Winery 2015 Estate Pinot Gris, Dundee Hills, $19
Russell Gladhart’s second vintage as the winemaker after taking over for his wife, Delphine, and Pinot Gris from this record-warm vintage began to be harvested Sept. 26 from the family’s certified L.I.V.E. estate in the middle of the Dundee Hills. There’s neither oak nor malolactic fermentation involved in this bottling, and the results are aromas and flavors of butterscotch, … [Read more...] about Winter’s Hill Winery 2015 Estate Pinot Gris, Dundee Hills, $19
Boomtown by Dusted Valley 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $19
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