Best Buy! Much of winemaking Bryan Croft’s acclaim came from his years with historic Firesteed in Rickreall, Ore., and he continues to make wine in that facility on behalf of Washington-based Pacific Rim and the Banfi group that bought the winery in 20107. Here, the partnership for the young Ashlyn brand includes L&S Vintners in Napa, and yet, this Pinot Gris is very much Oregon in style. Branded as being from “The heart of the Willamette Valley,” much of the fruit for this bottling came off vines producing their first commercial harvest. The 100% stainless steel approach offers a Pinot Gris in an Oregon style featuring orchard fruit with tones of starfruit, Golden Delicious apple, dried apricot and jasmine. It’s clean on the entry and offers a slight touch of Bosc pear roundness on the mid palate as its leads out with a long and juicy finish, making for a very easy drink. While the Ashlyn wines are not readily available, both the Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris have shined in competitions in the past year.
Rating: 91 points — Outstanding!
Production: 500 cases
Alcohol: 13%
Leave a Reply