Apolloni Vineyards 2015 Dolce Vino Viognier, Oregon, $22

Italian-born Alfredo Apolloni grew up in a family with more than a century of history in the wine industry, which explains the sweet reference to this Viognier produced in an effort to replicate an ice wine. Even though he oversees 90 acres of estate vineyards, this Willamette Valley producer worked with two sites at opposites corners of Oregon, Seven Hills Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley near Milton-Freewater and Daisy Creek Vineyard in the Rogue Valley near Jacksonville. Huge aromas of apricot and mango draw you inside, where there is beautiful viscosity to the flavors of peach, honey and Gala apple. There’s ample acidity for this sweet sipper — 16% residual sugar — to achieve balance, plus a fantastic savory undertone on the finish to keep it far from cloying. It finished autumn as one of the most decorated sweet wines produced in the Northwest, starting with a gold medal at the Indy International Wine Competition at Purdue University, followed by a gold at the Great Northwest Invite and capped with Platinum from Wine Press Northwest magazine. Suggested pairings include cobblers and creamy blue or nutty cheeses.

Rating: Outstanding!

Production: 170 cases

Alcohol: 12.8%

Winery’s website