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Dobbes Family Estate 2012 Late Harvest Viognier, Rogue Valley, $32

By Great Northwest Wine on February 12, 2016

Second-generation grower Michael Moore of Quail Run Vineyards continues to deepen his family’s relationship with Joe Dobbes, one of Oregon’s finest and most innovative winemakers. Few Willamette Valley winemakers would invest the effort to produce a dessert wine from Viognier in Southern Oregon, yet Rhône varieties thrive in the Rogue Valley. And this product from Sundown Vineyard comes naturally for Dobbes, who developed the Griffin Creek label for Willamette Valley Vineyards during his time there two decades ago. Here, he presents a wine with heady aromas of apricot jam, peach preserves, baking spices and orange peel. Inside, it’s a lighter style of late harvest, opening with a slice of peach pie, orange marmalade and ripe papaya. A nice note of Key lime juice balances the residual sugar (10%), and a pinch of clove makes for a pleasant finish. Pair this with a plate of mild cheeses or Spring Rhubarb Tart with Hazelnut Shortbread and Creme Fraiche Ice Cream by Semiahmoo executive Bruno Feldeisen.

Rating: Excellent

Production: 228 cases

Alcohol: 12.5%

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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.