8. Palencia Winery 2014 Albariño, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley, $18
Victor Palencia continues to grow his eponymous brand in Walla Walla, and while he nearly quadrupled production of this Spanish white variety over his award-winning 2013 version, he hasn’t lost a step in terms of quality. It opens with beautiful aromas of honeydew melon, Gala apple, pear and bright spices. Inside, there’s great fruit balance of melon, apple and peach flavors, which include a touch of Spanish almond from the 30 days in Hungarian oak. Stunning acidity creates delicious length and breadth of the finish, which carries almost no sweetness at just 0.8% residual sugar. Suggested pairings include salads and seafood. It earned a gold medal at the 2015 Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition, which also serves as a fundraiser for scholarships to Palencia’s alma mater — the Walla Walla Community College viticulture and enology program.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 370 cases
Alcohol: 13%
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