Koenig Vineyards 2012 Bitner Vineyard Chardonnay, Snake River Valley, $15
Best Buy! One of Idaho’s top winemakers has been working with Ron Bitner’s site on the Sunnyslope for 15 years, and he’s created a California-style Chardonnay. And he’s done it at consumer-friendly price point despite using new French oak barrels and surlie aging for nine months. The presentation is loaded with toast, vanilla, butterscotch and fig, backed by a bit of sweetness and finished with a burst of citrus. Greg Koenig suggests serving this with seafood on a bed of risotto.
Rating: Recommended
Production: 104 cases
Alcohol: 14.5%
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).