Best Buy! A generation ago, Chenin Blanc was a variety that produced cherished wines along the West Coast. Fortunately, Marty Clubb has remained an ardent champion of this grape native to the Loire Valley, and he continues to secure contracts with four venerable vineyards in the Yakima Valley. Phil Church, Rothrock, Upland and Willard Farms each contribute to this bottling … [Read more...] about L’Ecole No. 41 2015 Old Vines Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $15
House Wine 2013 Chardonnay, American, $10
Best Buy! Charles Smith created this consumer-minded brand prior to selling his Magnificent Wine Co. to Precept Wine in 2007. Now, it's winemaker Hal Landvoigt who keeps the focus on the fruit with this Chardonnay, boosting the aromatics and acidity with Sauvignon Blanc (5%) and Riesling (5%). The nose offers gooseberry, lime peel and light straw with tropical hints of cocoa … [Read more...] about House Wine 2013 Chardonnay, American, $10
Argyle Winery 2012 Artisan Series Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley, $50
Nate Klostermann in Dundee blends fruit from Knudsen Vineyard, at one point the largest planting in the Oregon wine industry, with 130-acre Spirit Hill in the Eola-Amity Hills - the biggest estate site for Argyle - for this splendid pink sparkling wine that gives no hint of its age. It’s a classic blend of Pinot Noir (75%), Pinot Meunier (15%) and Chardonnay, picked in late … [Read more...] about Argyle Winery 2012 Artisan Series Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley, $50
Pike Road Wines 2015 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $15
Best Buy! The Elk Cove Vineyards tandem of Heather Perkin and second-generation winemaker Adam Campbell combine on this new sister project, and this Pinot Gris benefits from a broad base of fruit sources throughout the Willamette Valley, including 30-year-old plantings at their Estate Vineyard that rank among the oldest in Oregon. Clean aromas of melon and lychee include talcum … [Read more...] about Pike Road Wines 2015 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $15
Coyote Canyon Winery 2014 LOL White Wine Fun, Horse Heaven Hills, $13
Best Buy! Prosser vintner Mike Andrews grows 25 grape varieties across his 1,125 acres in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills, and he’s been among the state’s early champions for Albariño. That Spanish white grape forms the base of this blend with Rhône varieties Roussanne and Viognier, all of which were picked Sept. 15. It’s a fruit-forward and engaging wine with floral and … [Read more...] about Coyote Canyon Winery 2014 LOL White Wine Fun, Horse Heaven Hills, $13