Five times this Oregon icon has received a Platinum for a Pinot Gris as they continue to live up to “The Kings of Pinot.” This is emblematic of the Demeter certification they earned in 2016 — a crowning achievement of the King family’s ongoing sustainability initiatives. Its fruit-forward profile leads with honeydew melon and kiwi, joined by lemongrass, a slice of Key Lime pie … [Read more...] about King Estate Winery 2021 Estate Domaine Biodynamic Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $35
Oregon
College Cellars of Walla Walla 2020 Cockburn Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley $30
Walla Walla Community College’s winemaking school used one of Cecil Zerba’s estate vineyards to earn its seventh career Platinum Award, and it’s not surprising, considering Zerba Cellars has earned three Platinums for its GSM program. This Grenache is an enticing wine with notes of juicy red bramble fruit, violets, maplewood smoke and English Breakfast tea, capped by pinches of … [Read more...] about College Cellars of Walla Walla 2020 Cockburn Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley $30
Areté 2021 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $50
This reserve tier for Iris Vineyards focuses on special lots of Pinot Noir from proprietor Pamela Frye’s Chalice Estate Vineyard, which is surrounded by forest southwest of Eugene. Longtime winemaker Aaron Lieberman selects from lots of clones of Wädenswil, Dijon 115 and Pommard. Classic scents of cherry cola and leather funnel into a palate of Bing cherry and smoked white … [Read more...] about Areté 2021 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $50
Tucannon Cellars 2022 Estate Rosé of Mourvèdre, Yakima Valley $31
In 2022, Kevin and Carol-Lynn denHoed purchased this showpiece along the western shoulders of Red Mountain overlooking the ambling Yakima River. They wisely hired Victor Palencia to get them started down a path that has included their first Platinum Award. Fanciful aromas of Rainier cherry, Granny Smith apple and jicama usher this rosé into a flirty and juicy palate of … [Read more...] about Tucannon Cellars 2022 Estate Rosé of Mourvèdre, Yakima Valley $31
Chris James Cellars 2020 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley $42
Christopher Barnes makes wine in the middle of acclaimed Pinot Noir country near Carlton, Ore., yet five of the nine Platinum Awards won in the past three years by the self-described contrarian have been for work with Bordeaux varieties. He sources from the east side of the Cascades for this fragrant and well-structured Cabernet Franc, offering notes of sizzling bacon, a pine … [Read more...] about Chris James Cellars 2020 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley $42