This band of friends/co-workers at acclaimed Owen Roe — led by Texas-grown winemaker Jacki Evans — continue to thoughtfully build a fan base, particularly through taprooms, wine shops and small grocers in Washington and along the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge. Their source for Riesling is famed DuBrul Vineyard, the Shiels family’s planting for Côte Bonneville that’s about 24 miles southeast of Owen Roe. The result is a Riesling that’s traditional, identifiable and enticing, starting with aromas of honeyed almond skin, stone fruit and a faint whiff of petrol. Across the palate arrive flavors of ripe white peach, lemon chiffon pie and honeydew melon. The bright balance of the barely perceptible sugar level (0.85%) allows the flavors repeat in stunning fashion, paving the way for its award as Best Riesling and a double gold last fall at the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition. The judging is staged at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Ore., on behalf of some of the Northwest’s leading wine buyers, merchants, sommeliers and writers.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 60 cases
Alcohol: 12%
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