Second-generation winemaker Jake Krug and his mother, Karen, the founding winemaker, won a Platinum two years ago for their 2018 Carménère, which featured Hattrup-farmed Sugarloaf Vineyard. This vintage went Double Platinum, ranking among the best in the Northwest. Classic notes of cassis, tobacco leaf, green pepper, oregano and prosciutto are presented with a full-bodied … [Read more...] about Spoiled Dog Winery 2021 Carménère, Yakima Valley $30
platinum awards
College Cellars of Walla Walla 2020 Cockburn Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley $30
Walla Walla Community College’s winemaking school used one of Cecil Zerba’s estate vineyards to earn its seventh career Platinum Award, and it’s not surprising, considering Zerba Cellars has earned three Platinums for its GSM program. This Grenache is an enticing wine with notes of juicy red bramble fruit, violets, maplewood smoke and English Breakfast tea, capped by pinches of … [Read more...] about College Cellars of Walla Walla 2020 Cockburn Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley $30
JM Cellars 2020 Boushey Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley $85
One of the Northwest’s premier plantings of Rhône varieties helped set the table for John Bigelow’s expression with Syrah, which includes co-fermentation with Viognier (3%). Classic aromas of saddle leather, braised beef, black pepper, tobacco and oregano transition to a fruit-focused and full-bodied drink of plummy black fruits, backed by bittersweet chocolaty tannins, more … [Read more...] about JM Cellars 2020 Boushey Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley $85
Koenig Vineyards 2022 Williamson Vineyard Dry Riesling, Snake River Valley $18
Best Buy! The Williamson family was a strong supporter of Ste. Michelle’s Riesling Rendezvous, and their time surrounded by many of the world’s top Riesling producers prompted the family to take their program into a drier style. That has led James and Sydney Nederend of Koenig Vineyards to do the same, and it resulted in one of the best Rieslings of this year’s Platinum. Aromas … [Read more...] about Koenig Vineyards 2022 Williamson Vineyard Dry Riesling, Snake River Valley $18
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Optimum Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley $25.99
Estate-grown Pinot Noir is sorted into three bottlings at Gehringer Brothers, but only the best lots make it into the Optimum tier. This is the third Platinum for Pinot Noir won by these German-trained winegrowers. It’s loaded with fruit, sweet oak and spice notes, hitting on raspberry, Montmorency cherry, burnt caramel and white pepper. Velvety tannins make flavors stream … [Read more...] about Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery 2022 Optimum Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley $25.99