Mt. Hood Winery 2013 Riesling, Columbia Gorge, $17
For years, the Bickfords have produced some of the best Riesling not just in the Columbia Gorge, but also in the Pacific Northwest. Their Riesling comes from their 20 acres, which are about 4 miles south of Hood River, Ore., on the highway to Mount Hood. It begins with bright aromas of apple, lavender and citrus followed by round flavors of peach and other orchard fruit. The residual sugar is listed as 3.2%, but the job with the acidity allows for a balanced finish and a hint of jicama. This merited both a gold medal and best white wine during the inaugural 2014 Columbia Gorge Wine Competition at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 115 cases
Alcohol: 11.2%
Just one from Oregon? Over 40 of us recently conducted a technical tasting of pre-bottled 2014 Oregon Rieslings with exciting results. SmackDown?
Greetings Sheila,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Actually, there are three 2013 Rieslings from Oregon in that slideshow — South Stage Cellars, Willamette Valley Vineyards and Mt. Hood Winery. We’re looking forward to seeing the Rieslings coming out of Oregon from the 2014 vintage.