Best Buy! There deserves to be more of this appealing Alsatian variety made in the Pacific Northwest, especially when crafted in this slightly off-dry style. It opens with beautiful rosewater aromas that come joined by clove, alyssum, grapefruit and a whiff of smoke. Inside, it’s classic, round and luscious with lychee, more grapefruit and rosewater flavors. The touch of … [Read more...] about Pacific Rim Winemakers 2014 Twin Vineyards Gewürztraminer, Yakima Valley, $13
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Chateau Ste. Michelle 2014 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9
Best Buy! Five years ago, Bob Bertheau developed this medium-sweet Riesling with renowned Australian winemaker Wendy Stuckey, reaching into some of Washington state’s warmer sites to create a more tropical and fruity expression of this noble white grape. There’s immediate elegance to the aromas of fresh apricot and sliced Bartlett pear, which include rose petal, baking spices … [Read more...] about Chateau Ste. Michelle 2014 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9
Henry Estate Winery 2014 Müller-Thurgau, Umpqua Valley, $15
Best Buy! Calvin Scott Henry III grew up in the Umpqua Valley, graduated from Oregon State with an engineering degree, then left for the California aerospace industry before returning to the family farm in 1972 to establish a vineyard. Müller-Thurgau wasn’t among those initial plantings, but this cross of Riesling with Madeleine Royale thrives under his now world-famous trellis … [Read more...] about Henry Estate Winery 2014 Müller-Thurgau, Umpqua Valley, $15
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2014 Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9
Best Buy! The Washington state wine industry’s most important property continues to be the country’s biggest ambassador for the noble white grape of Germany, and Bob Bertheau increased production of its flagship Riesling by more than 250,000 cases from the 2013 vintage. On the International Riesling Foundation’s Riesling Taste Profile, this scales as medium dry, but it shows … [Read more...] about Chateau Ste. Michelle 2014 Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9
Mercer Estates 2014 Riesling, Yakima Valley, $14
Best Buy! Jessica Munnell just received two top awards at the Rodeo Uncorked! international wine competition in Texas for her work with red Bordeaux grapes, but she also releases some remarkable aromatic whites at bargain prices. When it comes to Riesling, many of Washington’s top sites are in the Yakima Valley, and traditional sources for the Mercer family on this tier focus … [Read more...] about Mercer Estates 2014 Riesling, Yakima Valley, $14