Gård Vintners 2012 Lawrence Vineyards Riesling, Columbia Valley, $14
Best Buy! The Lawrence family only recently began to offer what should be considered one of the most fascinating Pacific Northwest Rieslings to come on the market in 2014, and it will appeal to Riesling geeks and just about anyone who appreciates refreshing white wines. It’s primarily clone 9 Riesling farmed at about 1,650 feet elevation along the Royal Slope in the Columbia Basin, harvested in October, fermented in both stainless steel tanks and neutral oak barrels, then bottled aged for 14 months. The nose leads with tropical notes backed by tangerine, lime, minerality and apple blossom. It transitions to dramatically dry flavors of crisp Granny Smith apple and Asian pear, then picks up fleshy nectarine on the midpalate before finishing with fig and slate. The residual sugar is imperceptible (0.2%), so it appropriately checks in at “dry” on the International Riesling Foundation scale.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 220 cases
Alcohol: 14.1%
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).