35. Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2013 Destiny Ridge Vineyard Shepherds Mark, Horse Heaven Hills, $24
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 2015 Seattle Wine and Food Experience Wine Competition.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 613 cases
Alcohol: 13.4%
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