This past summer, Brent Stone’s flagship Pinot Noir for the King family from the 2017 earned a gold medal from Wine Press Northwest magazine. A few months later, the young 2018 vintage already is a charmer, too. Stone, a product of Washington State University’s winemaking program, benefits from working with Biodynamically farmed grapes that surround his winery, a fruit source that makes up much of this bottling. Its suave nose of hints at bright raspberry sauce, vanilla and a pinch of herbaceousness. The soft and comforting structure brings flavors of red currant, allspice and a sprinkling of moist earth and dash of brown sugar for a smooth finish. It’s a bottling that earned a double gold medal and the title as Best Pinot Noir 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. This wine has not yet made its way to market, but be ready when you see the 2018.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 10,000 cases
Alcohol: 13.22%
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