Fans of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young know what inspired Matt and Debbie Driscoll to name their entry into the wine industry. And wine lovers who remember how superb the Syrah program was at the shuttered Olsen Estates will know why the Driscolls named Kyle Johnson to make this Syrah, a product of the family’s young planting along Sunset View Lane — two miles east of historic … [Read more...] about Southern Cross Winery 2018 Estate Syrah, Columbia Valley $34
Wine of the Week
Michael Florentino Cellars 2014 Primitivo, Wahluke Slope $28
Italian reds have captured the imagination of owner Brad Sherman and co-winemaker Jared Whelchel, and StoneTree Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope has been a prized resource for these varieties. Brambleberries, candied apple and sagebrush aromas lead to a firecracker of a palate, exploding with cranberry, pomegranate cinnamon and ginger, capped by a lick of barbecued meat. This … [Read more...] about Michael Florentino Cellars 2014 Primitivo, Wahluke Slope $28
Camaraderie Cellars 2018 Dionysus Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley $45
Olympic Peninsula winemaker Don Corson has won at least one Platinum for his Cabernet Sauvignon program in each of the past three years, and this effort from Sagemoor’s historic Dionysus Vineyard stood atop our judging as the highest-ranking Cab. This work from a site established in 1971 exudes endless layers of dark fruit akin to black currant, black cherry and dried … [Read more...] about Camaraderie Cellars 2018 Dionysus Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley $45
Pike Road Wines 2020 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, $18
Best Buy! The Campbell family and their longtime associate winemaker, Heather Perkin, began Pike Road Wines as they achieved their long-held dream of turning acclaimed Elk Cove Vineyards into a label that bottled only wines from estate vineyards. Chardonnay from Dr. Robert Matteri's eponymous vineyard near Pike Road is among the handful of sites Perkin works with on this … [Read more...] about Pike Road Wines 2020 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, $18
Kiona Vineyards 2021 Estate Sage Advice White Wine, Red Mountain, $35
Heir apparent Tyler Williams assumed the lead winemaking duties at this three-generation estate winery on Red Mountain in 2019, and the Washington State University product has devoted some precious energy to creating thoughtful, rather than cookie-cutter, white blends. His two releases of Artemisia lean toward Bordeaux, while this newly created Sage Advice is Rhône-inspired … [Read more...] about Kiona Vineyards 2021 Estate Sage Advice White Wine, Red Mountain, $35