Walla Walla winemaker Casey McCllelan continues to confirm his place among the Pacific Northwest’s most skilled and versatile winemakers with this complex and crisp Oregon Pinot Gris. He sourced it from Pete Buffington’s Abiqua Wind Vineyard near Salem and Melrose Vineyard in the Umpqua Valley, and he builds complexity by devoting 10 percent of this lot to new French oak. Floral aromas of lychee, kiwi fruit, Uncola and cherry blossom transition into a refreshing drink of pear, starfruit and lime. It’s bone-dry and crystalline with slaty minerality and a long finish of orange zest. This marks back-to-back vintages in which the Seven Hills Pinot Gris has shined in our blind judgings, and he’s obviously building a following for it, increasing production by 20 percent from the 2013 bottling. Enjoy this with oysters on the half shell and a squirt of lemon juice.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 3,600 cases
Alcohol: 13.5%
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