Early on, Horse Heaven Hills “dirt farmer” Jarrod Boyle and his charming wife, Ali (aka Alexandria), embraced this white Rhône blend from their 327-acre site to help them build the growing empire that is now ANC. Each year, Shepherds Mark is a crowd-pleaser, and this edition comes with an equation of Roussanne (60%), Marsanne (30%) and Viognier. Its tropical, fruit-forward aromatics hint at lychee, mango and pineapple, and the drink is beautiful with the addition of rosewater and clove. There’s a backing of remarkable pink grapefruit acidity, giving it an exquisite balance not often found in white Rhône varieties. It earned a gold medal and best of class at the Seattle Wine and Food Experience Wine Competition.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 613 cases
Alcohol: 13.4%
Is this 2013 shepherds mark wine best served cold?
Greetings, Suzanne.
This delicious wine came up during dinner conversation tonight with a Yakima Valley winemaker who also admires it. I would serve the ANC Shepherds Mark around 52-55 degrees. As it approaches room temperature, the tropical aromatics will continue to build.