Best Buy! During the past decade, winemaker Gilles Nicault has methodically nudged up the production while also gradually making it more snappy. For example, the 2013 vintage of Julia’s Dazzle carried nearly 9 grams of residual sugar. This latest release has no perceptible sweetness at a scant 3 grams (0.3%). As a result, it might be the best resemblance to those rosés from … [Read more...] about Julia’s Dazzle 2021 Rosé, Columbia Valley, $18
Wine reviews
SMAK Wines 2020 Summer Rosé, Columbia Valley $18
Best Buy! Fiona Mak’s rosé house — inspired in part by her trips to the French Riviera — relies on Pinot Gris for her “Summer” program, so she submitted her two most recent vintages. Both merited gold. Here, its theme of starfruit and cantaloupe creates an appealing sense of fleshiness on the midpalate that’s whisked away with a racy burst of blood orange, lemon zest and … [Read more...] about SMAK Wines 2020 Summer Rosé, Columbia Valley $18
Sidereus Vineyard & Winery 2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $25
The plantings of the late Jim Witte live on in this bottling from A Blooming Hill Vineyard fruit by longtime Willamette Valley winemaker Jason Bull. Ruth and Skip Tarr recently took over the 20-year-old site just south of Cornelius, Ore., and have relaunched the brand as Sidereus - Latin for stellar. Their site in the Chehalem Mountains made up most of this bottling. It’s a fun … [Read more...] about Sidereus Vineyard & Winery 2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $25
Youngberg Hill Winery 2018 Natasha Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $60
The oldest daughter of the Baileys, Natasha, is the namesake for this 7-acre block established at 600 feet elevation near McMinnville, Ore. During the 2018 vintage, the blend of Pommard (60%) and Wädenswil (40%) clone Pinot Noir came in the cellar on Oct. 4 with a level of finesse at 23.1 Brix before spending 14 months in a barrel program of 34% new French oak. The result is a … [Read more...] about Youngberg Hill Winery 2018 Natasha Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $60
A peek at the WSU Wine Science Center
RICHLAND, Wash. - Washington State University's Wine Science Center is largely completed, and the director of viticulture and enology is looking forward to moving in. The Wine Science Center is a $24 million facility being built in the heart of Washington wine country, less than a mile from the Columbia River. Thomas Henick-Kling, who oversees the university's winemaking and … [Read more...] about A peek at the WSU Wine Science Center