Behind most Owen Roe wines is a fascinating story shared by Yakima Valley grower/winemaker David O'Reilly. In this case, there are two historical references, starting with Drumlane Abbey on the label. The O'Reilly clan controlled land near the abbey in the 17th century until the Irish Rebellion of 1641. And sadly, Owen Roe O'Neill died at the abbey in 1649 while battling … [Read more...] about Owen Roe 2014 Rosa Mystica Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley, $28
Cinder Wines 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Malbec, Snake River Valley, $29
Each vintage, Boise winemaker Melanie Krause and her husband, Joe Schnerr, offer one blended wine within their core tier at Cinder Wines. That they didn't create a proprietary name for their Bordeaux blend doesn’t make you guess about the components. The warm 2013 vintage allowed Krause to boost the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (67%) from previous years. Merlot (19%) is … [Read more...] about Cinder Wines 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Malbec, Snake River Valley, $29
Pepper Bridge Winery 2013 Trine Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $65
Three branches of ownership are behind this family-owned winery and vineyard project in the Walla Walla Valley that’s been together for two decades. This marks the sixth vintage for their Meritage-style bottling from their three vineyards - Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and Octave. And a year after pushing Cabernet Franc to the lead in the 2012 Trine, Jean-François Pellet returns … [Read more...] about Pepper Bridge Winery 2013 Trine Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $65
Isenhower Cellars 2014 Road Less Traveled Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley, $34
In terms of their carbon footprint, the Isenhowers take a road less traveled than most wineries in the Pacific Northwest with their long list of sustainable approaches in and around their Walla Walla, Wash., winery. For this Cabernet Franc, they relied on clone 214 fruit from Dineen Vineyard with a bit of Olsen Ranch (14%) included. Toasty aromas include black raspberry, … [Read more...] about Isenhower Cellars 2014 Road Less Traveled Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley, $34
King Estate Winery 2015 Chardonnay, Oregon, $18
Spencer Spetnagel and Brent Stone team up for another delicious and approach white wine from Oregon’s iconic winery. They began with whole cluster pressing and barrel fermentation ahead of a five-month program of surlie aging in French oak. The nose doesn’t reflect much wood influence, offering instead its fruity scents of lemon and lime that lead into pineapple and Granny … [Read more...] about King Estate Winery 2015 Chardonnay, Oregon, $18