As one of the wine world's most educated, respected and popular personalities, Doug Frost could have launched his winery just about anywhere. And yet, the esteemed Master of Wine and Master Sommelier chose the Walla Walla Valley as the home of his brand and the setting for Taggart Vineyard, which Frost planted in 2019 with business partner Brad Bergman. Both men maintain roots … [Read more...] about Echolands Winery 2019 Rivière Galets Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley, $38
Outstanding
Januik Winery 2017 Weinbau Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Wahluke Slope, $35
Weinbau Vineyard, a part of the Sagemoor constellation of sites, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2021, and Mike Januik's relationship with the site east of Mattawa, Wash., spans much of its history. His work with one of the state's most valued plantings of Cabernet Franc is marked by the finesse many seek from this grape that's the father of Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromas of … [Read more...] about Januik Winery 2017 Weinbau Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Wahluke Slope, $35
Pomeroy Cellars 2017 Lucia No. 47 Red Wine, Yakima Valley $43
Dan Brink's great-great grandfather homesteaded the Pomeroy Farm in 1910, but their estate winery along Lucia Falls Road north of Vancouver, Wash., invests in fruit from prized DuBrul Vineyard on the other side of the Cascades for this annual blend. Brink, a former professional golfer, continues to lead with two barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) from the Shiels family, but … [Read more...] about Pomeroy Cellars 2017 Lucia No. 47 Red Wine, Yakima Valley $43
Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2019 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, McMinnville, $18
The Burger family and its 150 acres just outside of McMinnville, Ore., continue to build on a reputation as home to one of the Northwest's top rosé programs behind the winemaking of Ariel Eberle. This has followed in the footsteps of her 2017 vintage that reached the sweepstakes of the 2018 Cascadia International Wine Competition, starting with a fun color of hot pink that … [Read more...] about Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2019 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, McMinnville, $18
Seven Hills Winery 2019 Dry Rosé, Columbia Valley, $18
Casey McClellan, who was first in the Walla Walla Valley with a winemaking degree from University of California-Davis, also was among the first in the Northwest to farm grapes specifically for the production of rosé. That purposeful approach and attention to detail have long made his a favorite among the rosé illuminati. He's also remained devoted to Cabernet Franc, which … [Read more...] about Seven Hills Winery 2019 Dry Rosé, Columbia Valley, $18