Coyote Canyon Winery and owner/grower Mike Andrews blazed the trail in Washington state for Albariño, and Justin Michaud created a sparkling tribute to Spanish cava. Developed in a brut style, there’s bright lemony aromas with white peach, caramel corn, brioche and a dusting of Horse Heaven Hills minerality. The precise mousse brings Meyer lemon and orange flavors, peach skin … [Read more...] about Coyote Canyon Winery 2015 Coyote Canyon Vineyard El Chispear Sparkling Albariño, Horse Heaven Hills, $32
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Milbrandt Vineyards 2012 Clifton Vineyards Grenache, Wahluke Slope, $28
As part of its “Vineyard Series,” the Milbrandt team gets to drill down on a specific site, and this is hot and sandy vineyard near iconic Sentinel Gap is their most coveted spot for Rhône varieties. Clifton typically gets picked earlier than most of their other plantings on the Wahluke Slope, and the dark nose here offers black cherry, plum and Mission fig with sweet herbs, … [Read more...] about Milbrandt Vineyards 2012 Clifton Vineyards Grenache, Wahluke Slope, $28
Owen Roe 2015 Sinister Hand Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $28
David O’Reilly gives us more of a good thing with his latest presentation of Sinister Hand. The Yakima Valley winemaker references this popular bottling after an Irish legend in which a member of the O’Neill clan severs his own hand and tosses it ashore toward the end of a rowing race in order to cleverly be the first to touch — and claim — a prized parcel of land ahead of the … [Read more...] about Owen Roe 2015 Sinister Hand Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $28
Daven Lore Winery 2012 Lonesome Spring Ranch Reserve Petit Verdot, Yakima Valley, $40
Gordon Taylor resides and makes his wine in the foothills of the Horse Heaven Hills, but he ventured down toward the Yakima River for these two barrels of Petit Verdot from Colin Morrell’s Lonesome Spring Ranch. Harvest hit Oct. 25, and while there’s an opulence of oak, there’s a remarkable amount of fruit presented, too. Toasted cherry wood, vanilla and baking spices meld with … [Read more...] about Daven Lore Winery 2012 Lonesome Spring Ranch Reserve Petit Verdot, Yakima Valley, $40
Buty Winery 2014 Conner Lee Vineyard Merlot 63 Cabernet Franc 37, Columbia Valley, $45
Owner/founder Nina Buty extended her string of blending Merlot with Cabernet Franc to 15 consecutive vintages, dating back to the debut vintage of her Walla Walla winery. While the Merlot came off Conner Lee Vineyard on Sept. 17, the Cabernet Franc got pulled from Clone 332 Block on Sept. 25 and the 1991 Block on Sept. 30. All the grapes came to winemaker Chris Dowsett at 25 … [Read more...] about Buty Winery 2014 Conner Lee Vineyard Merlot 63 Cabernet Franc 37, Columbia Valley, $45