Dick Boushey's vineyard in the Yakima Valley might be the epicenter of the Rhône Ranger movement in Washington when it comes to white varieties such as Grenache Blanc and Picpoul, and Washington State University alumna Lisa Callan continues to rank among the Pacific Northwest elite for her work featuring each grape. Even though she increased production by more 30% from the 2018 … [Read more...] about Callan Cellars 2019 Boushey Vineyards Picpoul, Yakima Valley $25
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Nine Hats Winery 2018 Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $14
Best Buy! It makes sense that the success each year of the Long Shadows Vintners program with rosé of Pinot Gris — Julia's Dazzle — could translate to the Nine Hats Pinot Gris. Of the 10 bottlings by Nine Hats, four of them are produced with white varieties — and two of them are Pinot Gris. This is a classic Washington example of Pinot Gris in its tropical and rich approach of … [Read more...] about Nine Hats Winery 2018 Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $14
Westport Winery Garden Resort 2018 Kraken Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, $49
A blend from two premier vineyards - Klipsun (68%) on Red Mountain and Elephant Mountain (32%) above the Yakima Valley - deserves fandom among wine-loving Seattle hockey fans. Besides, it’s fun to say “Release the Kraken!” when pulling the cork on this. Westport impressed critics and consumers with a single barrel expression with these two vineyards from the 2016 vintage … [Read more...] about Westport Winery Garden Resort 2018 Kraken Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, $49
Abacela Winery 2019 Estate Grenache Rosé, Umpqua Valley, $19
As much acclaim as the Jones family has merited for its work with Albariño, Tempranillo and Port programs, they've also earned five career Platinums from Wine Press Northwest magazine via its rosé. That success began with the 2008 vintage - Andrew Wenzl's first as head winemaker. His latest example has qualified for the 2020 Platinum via gold medals at three West Coast … [Read more...] about Abacela Winery 2019 Estate Grenache Rosé, Umpqua Valley, $19
Lindsay Creek Vineyards 2014 Mourvèdre, Washington, $25
The McIntosh brothers are fourth-generation farmers in the Lewis-Clark Valley who branched out a decade ago to create Lindsay Creek Vineyards in the historic Lewiston Orchards of Idaho's Nez Perce County. They've learned about viticulture through Washington State University, and they lean on Washington for much of their wine program. This nicely aged example of this peppery red … [Read more...] about Lindsay Creek Vineyards 2014 Mourvèdre, Washington, $25