Founding winemaker Chris Upchurch and heir apparent Jason Gorski used two estate vineyards for the foundation — Grand Ciel and Upchurch — with Ciel du Cheval (26%) and Klipsun (14%) adding historic subtext. Barrel spice from 20 months in 75% new French oak and herbaceousness leap from the glass to make for an instant treat, followed by classic Cabernet notes of dark cherry, … [Read more...] about DeLille Cellars 2015 Four Flags Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain $68
Wine of the Week
Adelsheim Vineyard 2015 Breaking Ground Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains $45
David Adelsheim, recipient of the Oregon Wine Board's Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrated his 45th year of his eponymous brand in 2016 with the debut of his Breaking Ground tier. This marks the second vintage of that project, and it serves as another delicious example of the teamwork among Gina Hennen and David Paige with vineyard manager Kelli Gregory. The winemakers remain … [Read more...] about Adelsheim Vineyard 2015 Breaking Ground Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains $45
Koenig Vineyards 2016 Scoria Vineyard Malbec, Snake River Valley $30
A few years ago, Sydney Weitz Nederend got her start in the Idaho wine industry by working in the Koenig Vineyards tasting room. Now, she's spearheading her own Scoria brand while overseeing Scoria Vineyard, one of the Snake River Valley's most exciting young vineyards. Koenig not only makes wine for Scoria, but he's also a vineyard customer. His work with these dozen barrels … [Read more...] about Koenig Vineyards 2016 Scoria Vineyard Malbec, Snake River Valley $30
Vanessa Vineyard 2015 Cabernet Franc, Similkameen Valley, $50
The affable Howard Soon burnished his reputation as one of Canada's top winemakers during his decades of working for conglomerate Andrew Peller. In the late 1990s, his work at Sandhill included small lots from some of British Columbia's most promising vineyards. In 2006, he added young Vanessa Vineyard in the emerging Similkameen Valley to his sources. By 2012, vineyard owners … [Read more...] about Vanessa Vineyard 2015 Cabernet Franc, Similkameen Valley, $50
L’Ecole No. 41 2015 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $25
The little historic schoolhouse in the Walla Walla Valley town of Lowden continues to set the bar high for producers of Merlot in Washington state, and it all starts with a constellation of some of the Northwest's top sites for Merlot. They include estate plantings Seven Hills and Ferguson in the Walla Walla Valley, as well as Pepper Bridge and Summit View, Sagemoor vineyards … [Read more...] about L’Ecole No. 41 2015 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $25