This wine was in barrel when winemaker/co-owner Samantha Kent and her husband, Xander, were selected as the 2020 Washington Winery to Watch by the Great Northwest Wine staff. And they've recently rebranded as Alveare in tribute to Xander's beekeeping across their Snoqualmie Valley estate. Their work with this Merlot began at historic Stillwater Creek Vineyard on the Royal … [Read more...] about Orenda Winery 2018 Merlot, Columbia Valley $30
platinum awards
Seven Hills Winery 2022 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, White Bluffs $38
This iconic downtown Walla Walla winery saw the increased thirst for Sauvignon Blanc on the horizon, and Bobby Richards bottles about 10,000 cases of it under the Columbia Valley tier for Seven Hills. For club members and the tasting room, there’s also this effort that involves separate lots that involve oak fermentation, bâtonnage and concrete egg. There’s a fresh and delicate … [Read more...] about Seven Hills Winery 2022 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, White Bluffs $38
Sidereus Vineyard & Winery 2022 Estate Riesling, Laurelwood District $25
During the past two decades, Fresno State enology grad Jason Bull has been behind a number of Platinum winners from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. In 2023, his work in the cellar produced for Sidereus owners Ruth and Skip Tarr one of the country’s top Rieslings — and their first Platinum from Great Northwest Wine. They harvested this lot Oct. 20 in the Chehalem Mountains between … [Read more...] about Sidereus Vineyard & Winery 2022 Estate Riesling, Laurelwood District $25
Season Cellars 2022 Transparency White Table Wine, Southern Oregon $24
For the fourth time, Scott Henry IV has received a Platinum Award for his enchanting German-inspired blend of Müller-Thurgau (50%), Muscat (33%) and Riesling. Heady aromas of apricot, strawberry jam and plumeria make their way to the palate and are met by cantaloupe, Rainier cherries, white pepper and Granny Smith apple. The continued success and consumer following that he and … [Read more...] about Season Cellars 2022 Transparency White Table Wine, Southern Oregon $24
DeLille Cellars 2021 Chaleur Blanc, Columbia Valley $42
In 2020, The Seattle Times selected the Chaleur Blanc as its No. 1 wine of the year, and critics across the country have come to view it as a prototype for white Bordeaux blends from the New World. For the bottling from the 2021 vintage, Jason Gorski arrived at a blend of 67-33 of Sauvignon Blanc and Sèmillon from storied sites Boushey, Conner Lee, Klipsun, Phinny Hill and … [Read more...] about DeLille Cellars 2021 Chaleur Blanc, Columbia Valley $42