Best Buy! The Mercer team goes beyond the Yakima Valley for its latest bottling of Pinot Gris, which opens with aromas and flavors of Bartlett pear, pineapple juice, lime and lemongrass. Ample acidity leads to a dry finish of dried apricot and pear skin. Rating: Recommended Production: 3,104 cases Alcohol: 12.7% Winery website Subscribe to Thursday’s Wine of the … [Read more...] about Mercer Estates 2015 Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $13
Washington
Ryan Patrick 2013 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Rattlesnake Hills, $50
Elephant Mountain Vineyard, high above the Yakima Valley in Washington's Rattlesnake Hills, produced the grapes for this reserve project from Jeremy Santo. It offers spice, blackberries and black currants on the nose, then augments them with brambleberries and a hint of black tea, creating a sophisticated wine worthy of a thick New York steak seared and served medium rare. This … [Read more...] about Ryan Patrick 2013 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Rattlesnake Hills, $50
William Church Winery 2013 Tres Bien Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $36
This small producer in Woodinville's warehouse district has a well-earned reputation for distinctive red wines, and the quality of this Cab Franc further burnishes that renown. It opens with aromas of luscious chocolate syrup, a hint of toasted oak and ample dark fruit, particularly blackberry and black currant. On the palate, it reveals flavors of olive, black licorice, plum … [Read more...] about William Church Winery 2013 Tres Bien Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $36
Columbia Winery 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $14
Best Buy! Columbia Winery boasts "50 years of progressive winemaking" on its latest label and this Cabernet Sauvignon extends a reputation that began with its long-ago name of Associated Vintners and continued beyond its Master of Wine - the late David Lake. This Columbia Valley offering sports bright aromas of blackberries and black currants with deftly-used oak. On the … [Read more...] about Columbia Winery 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $14
Wedge Mountain Winery 2014 Cabernet Franc, Wahluke Slope, $28
Charlie McKee quietly crafts delicious wines at his small facility in Peshastin, a tiny community not far from Leavenworth, Wash. Using grapes from the warm Wahluke Slope, he has produced a delicious Cab Franc with aromas of sage, clove and red cherry, followed by flavors of red and black fruit, along with licorice and a hint of spice rub. It's all backed by brilliant acidity … [Read more...] about Wedge Mountain Winery 2014 Cabernet Franc, Wahluke Slope, $28