Two of Willamette Valley Vineyards' most integral sites - Elton and Tualatin Estate - were picked Sept. 18-19 on both sides of 24 Brix, and fermentation began with 48 hours of skin contact. The next stage was three months in neutral French oak. Those phases led to the gorgeous light cherry color and a delightful nose of strawberry freezer jam, pink raspberry, watermelon, cherry … [Read more...] about Willamette Valley Vineyards 2015 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $24
Jones of Washington 2012 Estate Vineyards Barrel Select Red Wine, Wahluke Slope, $25
The Jones family owns and operates nearly a dozen vineyard sites in Washingt’s Columbia Basin, and eight of those are on the Wahluke Slope. Among those is Big River Vineyard, the source for this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Carméneère (22%) and Syrah. A barrel program involving 18 months in new French oak leads to aromas of black currant, blueberry and plum skins with … [Read more...] about Jones of Washington 2012 Estate Vineyards Barrel Select Red Wine, Wahluke Slope, $25
Daven Lore Winery 2012 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $29
While it is labeled as Syrah, those grapes from Alder Ridge Vineyard and Newhouse Family Vineyards account for 77 percent of the wine. There also are contributions of Mourvèdre (10%), Petit Verdot (5%), Grenache (5%) and Petite Sirah, which create marvelous complexity. They combine for a pleasing profile of dark purple fruit, outside and inside. Dusty and dried blueberry aromas … [Read more...] about Daven Lore Winery 2012 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $29
Wahluke Slope is backbone of Washington wine industry
Washington winemakers have long regarded the arid and remote Wahluke Slope as a stable and important part of their arsenal. The Wahluke Slope is an 81,000-acre region surrounded on three sides by the Columbia River. Annually, it can be counted on as one of the warmest agricultural areas in Washington. Today, about 9,000 acres of wine grapes are grown on the Wahluke … [Read more...] about Wahluke Slope is backbone of Washington wine industry
Dance Cellars 2014 Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Hills, $37
The official Chardonnay of Long Shadows Vintners, Gilles Nicault employs one of his prized French egg-shaped concrete tanks for half of this lot from Kaiser Vineyard at The Benches. For the rest, the nine-month fermentation takes place in French oak, but just 20 percent of those are new barrels. There’s a beautiful aromatic blend of French bread crust, Gala apple, lemon and … [Read more...] about Dance Cellars 2014 Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Hills, $37