Katie Santora, a product of the University of California-Davis winemaking program, has entered her second decade with Chehalem, and this reserve-style Chardonnay is a collection of Dijon clone 76, 95 and 96 off sister site Stoller Vineyard. The 10 months in a barrel program of 36% new French oak reflects a subtle sense of that toasted wood in the dusty nose that brings along … [Read more...] about Chehalem Wines 2020 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, $45
Oregon
Stoller Family Estate 2020 Estate White Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $40
Despite a harvest that came with historically low yields and wildfires in the region, Stoller's Kate Payne Brown worked closely with viticulturist Jason Tosch's team to produce one of the Northwest's best examples of Pinot Noir crafted into a white wine of elegance. It spent 10 months in a program of 20% neutral French oak and then six months in concrete prior to bottling. … [Read more...] about Stoller Family Estate 2020 Estate White Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $40
Chris James Cellars 2021 Estate Sparkling Dolcetto Rosé, Yamhill-Carlton, $30
There's a fascination with Northern Italian varieties in the vineyard planted and tended by winemaker Christopher Barnes, and his acclaimed Dolcetto makes its way into three bottlings at his cellar near Carlton, Ore. He's produced a sparkling rosé with Dolcetto featuring various shades in recent years, and for the 2021 vintage he macerated this lot for 12 hours on the skins. … [Read more...] about Chris James Cellars 2021 Estate Sparkling Dolcetto Rosé, Yamhill-Carlton, $30
Awen Winecraft 2020 Albariño, Applegate Valley • $35
Last year, Great Northwest Wine’s editorial team selected this Medford brand as the Oregon Winery to Watch, and co-owners/co-winemakers Tom Homewood and Sean Hopkins produced a pair of high-scoring Albariños in our comparative tasting. Here, they worked with the Moore family’s Crater View Vineyard, a site near Jacksonville that supplies fruit to a number of Oregon’s top … [Read more...] about Awen Winecraft 2020 Albariño, Applegate Valley • $35
Awen Winecraft 2018 Albariño, Applegate Valley • $35
Two years ago, the tandem of Tom Homewood and Sean Hopkins used a 2018 Grenache Blanc to win Best White Wine at the McMinnville Wine Classic. Their expression of another Iberian Peninsula variety — Albariño — from the same vintage earned high praise in our summer tasting. They reached into Schmidt Family Vineyard near Grants Pass, Ore., for a brilliant example of how this … [Read more...] about Awen Winecraft 2018 Albariño, Applegate Valley • $35