David O’Reilly gives us more of a good thing with his latest presentation of Sinister Hand. The Yakima Valley winemaker references this popular bottling after an Irish legend in which a member of the O’Neill clan severs his own hand and tosses it ashore toward the end of a rowing race in order to cleverly be the first to touch — and claim — a prized parcel of land ahead of the … [Read more...] about Owen Roe 2015 Sinister Hand Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $28
Washington
Daven Lore Winery 2012 Lonesome Spring Ranch Reserve Petit Verdot, Yakima Valley, $40
Gordon Taylor resides and makes his wine in the foothills of the Horse Heaven Hills, but he ventured down toward the Yakima River for these two barrels of Petit Verdot from Colin Morrell’s Lonesome Spring Ranch. Harvest hit Oct. 25, and while there’s an opulence of oak, there’s a remarkable amount of fruit presented, too. Toasted cherry wood, vanilla and baking spices meld with … [Read more...] about Daven Lore Winery 2012 Lonesome Spring Ranch Reserve Petit Verdot, Yakima Valley, $40
Buty Winery 2014 Conner Lee Vineyard Merlot 63 Cabernet Franc 37, Columbia Valley, $45
Owner/founder Nina Buty extended her string of blending Merlot with Cabernet Franc to 15 consecutive vintages, dating back to the debut vintage of her Walla Walla winery. While the Merlot came off Conner Lee Vineyard on Sept. 17, the Cabernet Franc got pulled from Clone 332 Block on Sept. 25 and the 1991 Block on Sept. 30. All the grapes came to winemaker Chris Dowsett at 25 … [Read more...] about Buty Winery 2014 Conner Lee Vineyard Merlot 63 Cabernet Franc 37, Columbia Valley, $45
Ryan Patrick Vineyards 2015 Naked Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $12
Best Buy! Considering the quality of the vineyards involved - Evergreen, Newhouse, Sagemoor and Wautoma Winds - it makes sense to keep all of the focus on the fruit with this Chardonnay. As a result, its five months of surlie aging were done entirely without oak. That's the "naked" part. And Jeremy Santo’s work makes this downright yummy. Its theme of pineapple and lemon … [Read more...] about Ryan Patrick Vineyards 2015 Naked Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $12
Pacific Rim Winemakers 2015 Spring Creek Vineyard Grüner Veltliner, Yakima Valley, $15
Best Buy! Spring Creek Vineyard isn’t far from the Pacific Rim vinification facility in West Richland, Wash., and Steven Sealock goes bone-dry with his latest example of Grüner Veltliner. In fact, it points far to the left of the IRF taste profile’s sweetness scale. The continued approach of half a year spent on the lees in old German wood barrels creates aromas of lime, Granny … [Read more...] about Pacific Rim Winemakers 2015 Spring Creek Vineyard Grüner Veltliner, Yakima Valley, $15