- Bullocks bid goodbye to Eye of the Needle Winery in Woodinville
- VineLines Dispatch #7: That’s a wrap
- Former Oregon car dealer gears up with Jachter Family Wines
- VineLines Dispatch: 6 Vineyards at Work
- L’Ecole Nº 41 to create wine bar at Marcus Whitman Hotel
- VineLines Dispatch: Harvest surrounding Lake Chelan
- Northwest restaurateurs purchase Basel Cellars in Walla Walla
- Hayden Homes CEO buys interest in Pepper Bridge, Amavi wineries
- Walla Walla Community College to receive $15 million gift from MacKenzie Scott
- Brian Carter Cellars adds Latin influence with marketing hire
Dobbes Family Estate 2012 Late Harvest Viognier, Rogue Valley, $32
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%
Subscribe to Thursday’s Wine of the Week newsletter
0 comments