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Boomtown by Dusted Valley 2014 Chardonnay, Washington, $19

By Great Northwest Wine on May 27, 2015

One of the Washington state wine industry’s best success stories is the work done by the boys at Dusted Valley Vintners in Walla Walla, both for the hedonistic yet balanced juice under their main label but also the quality, branding and growth of their second label. This fruit-forward yet complex Chardonnay marks the arrival of Griffin Frey as their portfolio winemaker, and they continue to collaborate with the Milbrandt brothers on these wines. At 59% neutral oak treatment, it shows a bit less barrel than the 2013 version, allowing for aromas of dusty Golden Delicious apple, Asian pear, fresh pineapple and apple blossoms, backed by a drizzle of melted butter. The drink shows no false advertising as there’s a match on the palate amid a structure that opens brightly, comes with a succulent midpalate and capped by a delicious and lengthy lemon chiffon finish. In one vintage, they’ve nearly doubled production of their Chardonnay, which is available at restaurants, wine shops and grocery stores throughout the region and the nation.

Rating: Outstanding!

Production: 3,673 cases

Alcohol: 12.9%

Winery website

About Great Northwest Wine

Articles authored by Great Northwest Wine are co-authored by Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue. In most cases, these are wine reviews that are judged blind by the Great Northwest Wine tasting panel.