Kramer Vineyards 2011 Estate Müller-Thurgau, Yamhill-Carlton, $12
Best Buy! The Kramer family takes its MT serious, having expanded its original 1986 plantings to 3 acres and keeping the sweetness at moderate levels. It starts in the vineyard, where the grapes were taken at 18 Brix, and the slightly greenish drink begins with aromas of alyssum, dusty pear, apple, fresh corn and with none of the usual foxy tones. There’s a slice of Bosc pear on the entry, followed by apricot and apple. Its hallmark is terrific mouthwatering lime acidity, which dispatches the residual sugar (1.5%), followed by a nice rounded finish of spearmint. Enjoy with a Waldorf salad.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 310 cases
Alcohol: 11%
Thank you for the info on $15 and under wines. I’ve been a red wine fan for most of my adult life and now that I’m retired I must be frugal with wine costs. I appreciate the information, especially because I want to support Washington wines.
Mike, thanks for the note. These are simply some of the wines we’ve tasted in recent weeks. Look for brands such as Columbia Crest, 14 Hands, Washington Hills, Waterbrook and Hogue and you’ll find a fair number of wines in that nice price range (reds and whites).