Ron Bunnell left Napa in 1999 to make red wine Washington, but he continues to show his wide-ranging talents with his work in the emerging Lake Chelan region for the Dufenhorst family. Their Riesling hails from high above the south shore of Lake Chelan in Clos Chevalle Vineyard, a 50-acre site that reaches to 1,600 feet elevation and woven within the tony Bear Mountain golf community starting in 2004. The berries were taken Sept. 26, and the nose is reminiscent of a German auslese with rich aromas of apricot jam, Honeycrisp apple, poached pear and a trail of petrol. And yet, the palate is bone dry and brisk as lovely acidity surrounds the flavors of pear butter, Gala apple and dried apricot. The six months in neutral oak barrels with weekly stirring on the lees adds to the fascinating mouth feel. These wines are available at each of the new Rocky Pond tasting rooms in Woodinville and downtown Chelan, both opened earlier this year.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 68 cases
Alcohol: 13.5%
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