Well into its second decade of working with Stillwater Creek Vineyard, L'Ecole uses this Sèmillon to help showcase the enduring expertise of longtime viticulturist Ed Kelly at what is arguably the quintessential site in the recently established Royal Slope American Viticultural Area. The white Bordeaux variety offers very inviting and classic aromas of Lemonhead Candy along … [Read more...] about L’Ecole N° 41 Winery 2019 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Sèmillon, Columbia Valley, $21
Outstanding
Youngberg Hill Winery 2018 Cuvée Pinot Noir, McMinnville $35
An Iowa farm boy, Wayne Bailey went on to earn an engineering degree at the University of Nebraska then an MBA at the University of Chicago, but it was a consulting job in Burgundy that inspired him to return to farming and led him to growing grapes in Oregon. His Cuvée represents not only Dijon 777 fruit from the Bailey Block on his 50-acre vineyard near McMinnville, but also … [Read more...] about Youngberg Hill Winery 2018 Cuvée Pinot Noir, McMinnville $35
Christopher Bridge Cellars 2018 Satori Springs Estate Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $65
An alum of Chemeketa Community College's winemaking program, Chris Carlberg grew up on Westwind Farm south of Oregon City and began to transition a portion of his 80 acres in Satori Springs Vineyard in 1998. This estate work with Pinot Noir represents the 20th anniversary of Christopher Bridge Cellars, and it's a delicious example of his program devoted to cool-climate … [Read more...] about Christopher Bridge Cellars 2018 Satori Springs Estate Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $65
Kiona Vineyards 2019 Estate Cuvée Artemisia White Wine, Red Mountain, $30
A product of the debut vintage for Tyler Williams as head winemaker for his family's historic project, Cuvée Artemisia celebrates the indigenous sagebrush on Red Mountain called Artemisia tridentata. It’s a combination of white estate grapes that are based on Rhône varieties Roussanne (59%) and Viognier (18%) with a worthy contribution from Chenin Blanc (23%) — a variety that's … [Read more...] about Kiona Vineyards 2019 Estate Cuvée Artemisia White Wine, Red Mountain, $30
Indian Creek Winery 2018 Malbec, Snake River Valley $25
Much of the enchanting artwork that adorns the bottles of Indian Creek originates with second-generation vintner Tammy Stowe-McClure. Among the outliers is The Mountain Benefit Series, a showcase for Boise artist Rachel Teannalach, and the stage is Mike McClure's marvelous Malbec from the 2018 vintage. His six-barrel production is split into 25-case lots of the same wine that … [Read more...] about Indian Creek Winery 2018 Malbec, Snake River Valley $25