Yamhill County in Oregon’s North Willamette Valley is home to three American Viticultural Areas that factor into this delicious blend that’s so appropriately labeled. The Evenstad family works with six vineyards, three of them estate plantings near the winery in the Dundee Hills, Jerusalem Hill in the Eola-Amity Hills (just north of Polk County) and the warmer Abbey Oaks in Yamhill-Carlton AVA. There was much to celebrate during the 2017 vintage, which marked chef Emeril Lagasse helping to open The Clubhouse and the arrival of Michael Fay from Duckhorn’s Goldeneye Winery in Sonoma as the director of viticulture and winemaking. He and his team worked to create aromas of sweet cocoa, red earth and horehound candy. Inside, there’s smoothness and moderate-plus acidity to carry gentle notes of ripe strawberry, oak and earth that fight for top billing. A finish brings up Baker’s chocolate with a hint of cassis, rose petal and eucalyptus. It earned won a gold medal at the 2020 Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition, a judging staged at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Ore., on behalf of sommeliers, wine merchants and journalists from across the country.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 12,984 cases
Alcohol: 14.2%
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