Oregon State grad Ned Morris, whose résumé includes Abeja, áMaurice, Basel Cellars, Canoe Ridge and Double Canyon, recently launched his online-only Reasons Wine brand in his longtime home of Walla Walla. He compiled his debut bottling by pulling from four growing regions, but primarily from the Walla Walla Valley. It exudes dark purple tones of black currant and plum with … [Read more...] about Reasons Wine 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35
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H/H Estates 2012 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Buck Reserve Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $38
Rancher-turned-vintner Mike Andrews brands his reserve Syrah with the name of prized bull Buck whose hard work sired the herd that roamed this land in the Horse Heaven Hills. This Syrah from a classic vintage in Washington offers a theme of dried blueberry and black currant with of leather and meat. Fine-grained tannins make this an easy drink capped by a pinch of juniper … [Read more...] about H/H Estates 2012 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Buck Reserve Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $38
Isenhower Cellars 2014 Dutchman Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley, $34
Grandview, Wash., grower Bill denHoed established Dutchman Vineyard in 1991, not long after Red Willow Vineyard became the first in the state to plant Syrah. This marked the 16th vintage of Syrah production for Brett Isenhower, which explains why he’s among the Walla Walla Valley’s leaders with the red Rhône grape. This is a viewed as a cooler site, and harvest got stretched to … [Read more...] about Isenhower Cellars 2014 Dutchman Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley, $34
Boomtown by Dusted Valley 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $19
This Walla Walla Valley winery continues to provide quality and affordability within its Boomtown brand, a 20,000-case collaboration with the Wahluke Wine Co. Neutral barrel fermentation made up 59% of the program, which included full ML and aging on the lees for four months. The rest is pure steel, and that combination develops aromas of starfruit, pineapple and Key Lime with … [Read more...] about Boomtown by Dusted Valley 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $19
Cedar River Cellars 2015 Mormor Riesling, Yakima Valley, $18
Oregon State alum Micah Nasarow landed in Seattle suburb of Renton and draws his drinking water from the Cedar River Watershed, but his Riesling continues to come from the Miller family’s expansive Airfield Estates near Prosser. He produces this in an off-dry style as a tribute to his family’s grandmother from Norway, and the nose fans out enticing jasmine blossom notes with … [Read more...] about Cedar River Cellars 2015 Mormor Riesling, Yakima Valley, $18