Tendril Wine Cellars Child’s Play Columbia Valley Zinfandel 2015
An offshoot label of Tendril Wine Cellars, Child’s Play Zinfandel is sourced from the Red Heaven Vineyard at the very south end of the Red Mountain AVA, and sports an amiable profile of black fruit, black cherry, plums, incense, cinnamon, sweet tobacco, and wet terra cotta. Medium-bodied, with soft, supple tannins that are nicely delineated […]
Onward Pétillant Naturel Malvasia Bianca Capp-Inn Ranch 2017
One of my favorite wines sampled at the My Wine Society – Feast it Forward Grand Opening, Onward’s 2017 Pétillant Naturel Malvasia Bianca is a slightly hazy shade of sunbleached straw, with a nebulous, delicate mousse as one might expect. Lemon biscuit, d’Anjou pear, yellow apple, honeysuckle, and jasmine gives way to a vein of […]
Forge Cellars Riesling Classique 2014
Forge Cellars Classic Dry Riesling 2014 hasn’t lost its agile edge, though perhaps, there has been a little softening with the passage of time. Lemon yellow in the glass, exhibiting quite tones of lemon drop, yellow peach, waxy yellow apple skin, lemon blossom, chalkboard dust. There’s quite a lot of body, but that signature burst […]
Troon Vineyard Whole Grape Ferment Riesling 2017
Limpid, shimmering copper in the glass, 2017 Troon Vineyard Whole Grape Ferment Riesling is a fabulous orange wine—a delicious romp through ripe apricots, orange zest, almond paste, linden blossom, and dried honey. In the mouth, skin contact lends textural dimension, there are beautiful oxidative tones offset by pink grapefruit infused acidity. All in all, Troon […]
Tendril Wine Cellars Pretender White Pinot Noir 2014
The aptly named Pretender is a White Pinot Noir from Tendril Wine Cellars, and offers a rather glorious, pure-fruited nose of white peach, melon, grilled pineapple, and quince. On the palate, texturally, it’s like biting into a ripe market peach—peach fuzz brushes across the palate before subsiding to a lemon-and-pomace-infused acid spine. Nicely done. 13.0% […]
Rain Dance Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir 2016
A well of plush red fruit set against a frame of silky tannins and moderate acidity, Rain Dance’s Estate Pinot Noir 2016 has much to offer, mainly, pleasure. Black cherry, macerated strawberries, Madagascar vanilla bean, cola, and warm spices round out the nose. This blend of 44% Dijon Clone 667, 14% Pommard, 14% Wädenswil, 14% […]
Rain Dance Vineyards Grand Oak Vineyard Estate Riesling 2017
Crafted from Reisling sourced from Rain Dance’s estate vineyards—Grand Oak Vineyard lies within Willamette Valley’s Chehalem Mountains sub-appellation and the vines are seated in Jory and Laurelwood-type soils. Aromas of yellow apple, lemon drop, and ripe pear anoint the nose, on the palate, it’s softly-textured thanks to sur lie aging in French oak—perfectly dry and […]
Gramercy Cellars Cabernet Franc 2013
A rare treat tasted with Gramercy Cellars co-winemaker Brandon Moss—this was, we were told, the last remaining bottle of this limited club release—it’s a testament to the longevity of Walla Walla Valley fruit when vinified correctly, one feels that this bottle has another decade left in it. Brimming with aromas of mulberries, plums, crushed violets, […]
Va Piano Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rosebud Vineyard 2015
A standout in the lineup from wines we tried from Va Piano on our recent visit to Walla Walla—Rosebud Vineyard, formerly Rosebud Ranches, as it was known when I sourced fruit from it—brought back fond memories for me as a vintner. Va Piano’s 2015 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon expresses sexy aromatics of red currant, red […]
Brooks Amycas 2016
Straw yellow in the glass, Brooks’ 2016 Amycas is an aromatic white blend of 44% Riesling, 21% Muscat, 18% Pinot Blanc, 10% Gewurztraminer, and 7% Pinot Gris. At this stage in its evolution, that classic Muscat florality takes the center stage. White flowers and chamomile segue into delicate fruit aromas of Asian pear, lemon drop, […]