Great Northwest Wine magazine Winter 2022

INAUGURAL ISSUE • WHAT’S INSIDE

GREAT NORTHWEST WINTER 2022

WINE

GREATNORTHWESTWINE.COM

Red Mountain turns Platinum Wines from historic region win 14 top awards at 22nd annual Best of the Best judging Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 1

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Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 3

M A G A Z I N E 4 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Added 5 More Platinums 48 and counting...

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PLATINUM

DOUBLE PLATINUM

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2020 Gruner Veltliner “Green Lizard” 2018 Estate Syrah - SOLD OUT 2018 Estate Pinot Noir - SOLD OUT

2019 Gruner Veltliner - SOLD OUT 2019 Gruner Veltliner “Green Lizard”

Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 5

Welcome to

magazine

IN THIS ISSUE WINTER 2022 | VOL. 1, NO. 1

26

COVER STORY | by Eric Degerman

Red Mountain grapes, Liberty Lake Wine Cellars and the rise of Malbec were constant themes during the 22nd judging of the Platinum Awards

08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 26 27 28-60

A VINE START | by Eric Degerman

Great Northwest Wine steps into the world of print

THE WINE KNOWS | by Andy Perdue

A look back at our history while moving forward

SWIRL, SNIFF & SIP | by Ken Robertson

12,000 followers for “Let’s Talk About Northwest Wines”

ELLEN ON WINE | by Ellen Landis

Oregon wines earn return invitation to Florida

BEHIND THE TASTING BAR | by April Reddout

Don’t be THAT person while wine touring

WINERY PROFILE| by Dan Radil

Seattle’s Welcome Home adds new address in downtown Bellingham

GET COZY WITH IT | by Tamara Belgard

Vidon Vineyard’s “Mull”i-gan adds spice to cold winter evenings

OREGON WINE TALES | by Sophia McDonald

Pinot Noir catches on in Oregon as white wine

BIG SPLASH BY LIBERTY LAKE | by Eric Degerman

Mark Lathrop enters 7 wines, wins 7 Platinums

BEST OF THE BEST | by Eric Degerman

Napa winemaker turns Chris Daniel Winery 2017 Malbec into Platinum’s No. 1 wine THE 22ND PLATINUM AWARDS | by Eric Degerman

Learn about the 193 wines that went beyond gold

ON THE COVER

Quintessence Vineyard along Antinori Road is one of the largest plantings on Red Mountain at 323 acres. It is owned and operated by Shaw Vineyards, and two of its sites — Red Heaven and Scooteney Flats — factored into five bottlings by Liberty Lake Wine Cellars that earned 2021 Platinum Awards. See page 26 Photo by Richard Duval Images

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GREAT NORTHWEST

WI N E

#RedMtnUnfiltered #NoWaterAdded

Since 1998, our team of journalists has set out to help identify award-winning wines from the Pacific Northwest and to share the stories of those behind them. We focus on those in the cellar and among the vines who work with fruit from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho and Montana. Our coverage includes those restaurateurs, merchants and ambassadors working to promote the Northwest as one of the wine world’s leading destinations. Along the way, we continue to pay homage to the historic figures responsible for our industry’s delicious past, present and future.

CEO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Degerman & CO-FOUNDER eric@GreatNorthwestWine.com PUBLISHER Jerry Hug

jerry@GreatNorthwestWine.com

LIBERTY LAKE WINE CELLARS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ken Robertson & COLUMNIST ken@GreatNorthwestWine.com

COLUMNISTS Andy Perdue Ellen Landis April Reddout CONTRIBUTORS Tamara Belgard Sophia McDonald Dan Radil CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Richard Duval Jennifer King GRAPHIC DESIGN Lisa L Vogt IN MEMORIAM Bob Woehler Gregg McConnell ADVERTISING SALES Jerry Hug (jerry@GreatNorthwestWine.com) (509) 947-9422

Red Mountain Excellence

Limited Memberships Available!

23110 E. Knox Ave., Liberty Lake, WA 99019 LibertyLakeWineCellars.com | Info@LibertyLakeWine.com

To subscribe: Subscriptions cost $50 per year for four issues per year. Mail check to the address below or subscribe securely at GreatNorthwestWine.com.

Free weekly newsletter: Sign up for our free Great Northwest Wine of the Week email newsletter at GreatNorthwestWine.com Mailing address Great Northwest Wine LLC 8524 W. Gage Blvd. A-244 Kennewick, WA 99336 © 2022 Great Northwest Wine A publication of Wine News Service PHOTOS ON LEFT Page 22 — Kate Payne-Brown, Stoller Family Estate expand White Pinot Noir production.

Page 27 — The Chris Daniel Winery 2017 Malbec tops the field of 528 Platinum entries.

Page 60 — Maryhill Winery moves into the lead with 95 career Platinum Awards.

We Ship! CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 7

COLUMN l A Vine Start

23 years later, here’s another Vol. 1, Issue No. 1

M

y favorite adage is a simple one with unending applications in life — “Never say never.”

I would never have thought about ERIC starting and ownDEGERMAN ing a printed wine publication with my wife, Traci, as long as Wine Press Northwest was around. In 1998, Andy Perdue launched that magazine for the Tri-City Herald, and I helped him run it until 2012 when he recruited me to create GreatNorthwestWine.com.

This past summer, the Tri-City Herald and its owner — The McClatchy Co. — stopped publishing Wine Press Northwest with its Fall 2021 issue, ending a remarkable 23-year run.

Even though I served as its primary freelance writer, I didn’t learn of the magazine’s demise until days after I turned in my final article.

If this were six years earlier, I’d not only be closer to 50 than 60, but I also would have Andy, his expertise and his levity to help steer this new ship. Alas, that’s not the case, and Andy addresses that in his first column for Great Northwest Wine magazine.

Fortunately for me, Jerry Hug became available to serve as the Publisher of Great Northwest Wine magazine when McClatchy decided to go in a different direction. Jerry’s involvement is one of many reasons why our longtime readers will see some continuity and familiar bylines — including Ken Robertson, my editor and the only columnist, aside from Andy, who has been with us since 1998.

The late Gregg McConnell made a few changes to the magazine template we developed for Wine Press Northwest when he ran it until his departure from McClatchy in 2017.

At that point, Jerry took over and I began to work closely with him. It became obvious that if I were ever to consider launching a print publication, then I would want to work with Jerry. He spent his career managing the finances at a number of newspapers, including more than a decade at the Tri-City Herald, 8 | greatnorthwestwine.com

and served as its Publisher during the final few issues of Wine Press Northwest — which I believe were some of its best in the past decade. Jerry’s business acumen and interest in the Pacific Northwest wine industry makes him an ideal fit, and his role will allow me to focus on editorial content. His wine collection is much larger than mine will ever be, and I don’t hold it against him that he still holds a mild interest in bottles from California.

Because photojournalist Richard Duval and all the writers have agreed to join us, there will be a familiar look and feel to our coverage. The staff box — which includes Andy and Ken — features experts who have been drinking Northwest wine and writing about it for decades. They will continue to share their insights, help us identify trends and provide vibrant coverage in print and online.

With their contributions, GreatNorthwestWine.com also will become more robust. The number of stories worth sharing about our industry on a daily basis is overwhelming, and there have never been more delicious Pacific Northwest wines to write about.

In each issue, we will continue to use the peer-judgings and recent releases to help us learn about new producers with wines worthy of attention as well as chart the programs of historic talents. Some of the best will be spotlighted early next year as we select wineries of the year and wineries to watch.

We selected one of Richard’s images of Red Mountain for this first cover because so many wines from that region went beyond gold during this fall’s Platinum Awards. Each year’s coverage will conclude with the Platinum, but in between our stories will include travel pieces highlighting wine country destinations throughout the Pacific Northwest — which we believe includes British Columbia.

All content from Great Northwest Wine magazine will ultimately be published on GreatNorthwestWine.com, though much of it won’t appear online until a week or so after our print subscribers receive their hard copy.

And yes, it would help us immensely if anyone reading this became an annual subscriber through our website.

Thanks to Derek Nelson’s Focal Point Mar-

“

The number of stories worth sharing about our industry on a daily basis is overwhelming, and there have never been more delicious Pacific Northwest wines to write about.” keting in Kennewick, Wash., we are retooling GreatNorthwestWine.com to better serve our readers and our advertisers on a daily basis.

Derek pulled our pomace out of the dot.com fire more than once in the past decade.

Next year, I plan to resume the Match Maker series that I’d written almost without fail since Volume 1, No. 1 in 1998, when the late John Sarich, culinary director for Chateau Ste. Michelle, helped me with its debut. One of my biggest regrets in the past year is the final restaurant profile I wrote for Wine Press Northwest — Josh and Lisa Lawrence’s Gärd Public House in Royal City, Wash. — did not get published online.

Many say that print is dead, but our team of writers, judging panels and friends hopes to defy that with four to six issues in 2022.

After all, the history of the Pacific Northwest wine industry has been about proving people wrong and doing so deliciously.

We’re still figuring out our subscription model and how to get the printed magazine into the hands and homes of Pacific Northwest wine lovers. Traci and I have no outside investors or silent partners in Great Northwest Wine LLC, and Great Northwest Wine magazine likely won’t have a 23-year run with me at the helm. However, with the support of the wine community and its devoted consumers, perhaps this stick in the ground will grow some roots.

And I will always be open to suggestions, questions and comments.

Eric Degerman is the president, CEO and co-founder of Great Northwest Wine LLC. He can be reached at eric@GreatNorthwestWine.com.

Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 9

COLUMN l The Wine Knows

A new chapter for Great Northwest Wine

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ith this, the inaugural issue of Great Northwest Wine Magazine under the leadership of Eric Degerman, we turn a page into a new chapter of ANDY Northwest wine and PERDUE culture.

Eric and I met in 1989 when we worked for the Tri-City Herald, one of the better mid-sized daily newspapers in the Pacific Northwest. We had become friends in that newsroom, working nights together while Eric covered the Tri-City Americans hockey club as a sports reporter and I was the news editor in charge of the copyediting and page design for the next morning’s edition.

We became interested in wine at about the same time in the mid-1990s. My curiosity was piqued out of self-education (from editing wine columnist Bob Woehler) and survival (visiting wineries was quality entertainment for my in-laws).

As part of my growing thirst to know more, I subscribed to a national wine magazine.

Eric and I would discuss the content in detail as we waited for the newspaper press to rumble to life in the early morning hours.

In one issue, the magazine focused on American Chardonnay, not once mentioning the Pacific Northwest. As I was commenting on this oversight, Eric somewhat sarcastically mentioned that somebody needed to start a magazine focusing on Northwest wine.

The more I thought about Eric’s statement, the more I thought, “Who better to do that than a couple of young journalists who grew up in Washington?”

The only magazine experience I had, however, was from a couple quarters at Western Washington University. I don’t think Eric had any magazine experience from the University of Washington. But why should a lack of expertise stop a good idea? The next day, I walked into the publisher’s office and said I wanted to start a wine magazine and wanted 10 | greatnorthwestwine.com

him to pay for it.

Surprisingly, Ian Lamont (a teetotaler) agreed and paired us with advertising director Rosemary Giacci (a wine lover) to get things rolling. We found a printer in Portland and started the journey.

We had planned to focus on Washington, but quickly discovered Oregon had a thriving industry. We included British Columbia and Idaho almost as an afterthought — a fortunate move because each is dynamic, with wine regions worthy of in-depth coverage.

My mom, Mona Perdue, a retired Bremerton schoolteacher, sold advertising and personally distributed magazines throughout Puget Sound. She had met Dad in a journalism class at Washington State University in Pullman and, early in their marriage, owned a weekly newspaper near Seattle. The challenge of launching a wine magazine was in her blood!

Eric and I realized we needed to make 100% sure we understood wine tasting basics so we could be top-notch wine journalists. We took vacation and drove from the Columbia Valley to the University of California-Davis to take a wine evaluation course. It was a life-changing experience — the place where we learned how to differentiate aromas and flavors in wine, such as currants vs. black cherry vs. blackberry.

And we started tasting more wine. This included mastering the art of sip, swirl and spit.

Lots of wine. Lots of spitting. Eric and I even had the same dentist who loved the challenge of keeping our teeth white. We learned not to brush off the purple right after tasting wine for fear of scraping off acid-softened enamel.

The team became omnipresent at wine events. From the glorious Taste Washington venue to a notoriously rain-soaked festival at The Herbfarm, we were there hawking free copies of our magazine with our wives, Melissa O’Neil Perdue and Traci Degerman.

I started getting invitations to judge at wine competitions up and down the West Coast.

This broadened my palate. Eric’s specialty was wine and food pairing, with a spotlight on Northwest restaurants and chefs — and a standing feature that helped define our North-

west food and wine culture.

In 2012, Eric and I chose to leave the newspaper to launch our own venture, Great Northwest Wine, which includes the Idaho and Cascadia International wine competitions. For nearly four years, the website business grew as we published breaking news, feature stories and wine reviews.

Then in November 2016, I had a major stroke, which left me partially paralyzed on my left side — even now, five years later, I can’t use my left arm. I discovered I’m a tactile writer, and I really miss having all 10 fingers on the keyboard to help the words flow.

As a stroke survivor, it also is difficult for me to travel and to focus for long periods of time.

I’m working hard to continue recovering.

A couple months ago, there was an unpleasant but not entirely unexpected surprise.

The Tri-City Herald would no longer publish Wine Press Northwest magazine for economic reasons. Instead of being a blow to our small business, it’s an opportunity.

As Great Northwest Wine enters this new chapter, it’s time to make an official change: I’m stepping down as a partner. I’ll stay in the loop as The Wine Knows columnist and occasional judge at its local events.

Eric has been capably running all the operations for several years. He has a strong vision for the future and with a trustworthy team of former Tri-City Herald leaders Jerry Hug and Ken Robertson. Ken, by the way, has edited our Wine Press copy since the magazine was founded and written its Sniff, SIp and Swirl column as well.

I’m pleased and proud Eric and Traci will continue the business — and revitalize the concept of Wine Press Northwest as the new Great Northwest Wine magazine.

Please join me in raising a glass to the Degermans and especially wishing Eric the best as he lives the dream of spitting out wine for a living.

Andy Perdue is a third-generation journalist and founding partner in Great Northwest Wine LLC.

Double Platinum LIGHTHOUSE Elephant Mountain Vineyard Riesling Platinum MARITIME Red Willow Vineyard Sparkling Riesling TRUE BLUE Sugarloaf Vineyard Malbec MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE Red Willow Vineyard Rosé of Sangiovese COURAGE Inland Desert Vineyard Sagrantino RAPTURE OF THE DEEP Sparkling Cranberry Double Gold KRAKEN Klipsun & Elephant Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon GOING COASTAL Red Willow Vineyard Sparkling Gewürztraminer SHOREBIRD Olsen Vineyard Chardonnay DAWN PATROL Raspberry Riesling BOOM RUNNER Sparkling Almond Pinot Gris Gold NIRVANA Sugarloaf Vineyard Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre SHIVER ME TIMBERS Passionfruit Orange Guava Riesling DUCKLEBERRY GRUNT Blueberry Gewürztraminer BOG BERRY BLUSH Cranberry Gewürztraminer

Westport Winery Garden Resort SEA GLASS GRILL OCEAN’S DAUGHTER DISTILLERY INTERNATIONAL MERMAID MUSEUM WWW.WESTPORTWINERY.COM Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 11

COLUMN l Swirl, Sniff & Sip

Carving out a social media niche for wine lovers

O

ne of the myths of our time is that those of us of a certain age — say past 45 — are technophobes. Closer KEN NAME to the truth is ROBERTSON HERE that we love technology: But we want it to serve us, not turn us into servants.

As evidence, I’d offer a 16-month-old Facebook page created by a couple who are, by actuarial tables, well into the second half of their lives, Kieran and Sherri Murry. On Aug. 1, 2020, they launched a page titled, “Let’s Talk About Northwest Wines.”

Simply put, they aimed to connect with like-minded folks who loved traveling in RVs, tasting wines and visiting wineries and who enjoy “trading their ideas and their wine stories.”

In a matter of a few weeks, a few hundred Northwesterners had liked the page and begun following it. Within a few months, it grew to a few thousand. By mid-December of this year, that number reached 12,000 people, all linked by their love of Northwest wines and travel.

“It just blew up,” Kieran marveled as he discussed the phenomenon that developed as the months went by. Its reach now is far beyond just folks who like to drive RVs off to explore Northwest wine regions and taste wines.

“There’s so many industry people in the group,” he added. Many are winemakers, winery owners or restaurateurs. Others are vineyard managers, wine writers and photographers.

But a major share are simply wine buffs wanting to swap advice about wines, wineries to visit on a weekend trip, where a good wine shop can be found or want to find a restaurant with a formidable wine list.

There’s all that and more, plus a dose of 12 | greatnorthwestwine.com

wine-related humor: “Wine: Because you had to deal with people today.”

“Of course size matters. No one wants a small glass of wine.”

And, “Always keep a bottle of wine in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you’ve got a bottle of wine in the fridge.”

Murry says one of the most rewarding parts of the page has been getting to know many winery folks who offer ready access to an array of wineries to him and his fellow RVers who may join him and Sherri on a multi-day RV trip.

His background seems unlikely for a wine lover. He grew up in Helena, Mont., son of a well-known labor leader, then joined the U.S. Air Force 34 years ago, carving out a career at McChord Air Force Base and building ties in the Puget Sound area, where he and Sherri live.

About seven years ago, he decided he wanted to start a networking group “similar to a Chamber of Commerce,” but he’d found chambers, “too stuffy.”

His networking launched inauspiciously in a Puyallup coffee shop. For eight weeks, no one else showed up. Finally, two others came in the ninth week. As the group grew over six or seven years, it reached about 500 members, then slipped to 300 when the pandemic began.

Along the way, he and Sherri bought a travel agency and began to use their network of contacts to sell trips to friends and acquaintances. A 50th-birthday cruise on which they signed up for a dinner pairing food with wine was the catalyst for a new interest.

“I knew nothing about wines,” he admits.

“It was a total accident.” But it inspired him to link his networking expertise with his late-blooming enthusiasm for wine. A visit to Red Mountain and tasting the wines of Fidelitas — owned by longtime Washington winemaker Charlie Hoppes — cemented their enthusiasm. After learning there were 1,000 wineries in Washington, they were convinced a new networking group could work.

The result was Let’s Talk About Northwest Wine, which focuses around RVs and wine tasting. A recurring question from wine industry people has been, “How are you going to monetize it?” That hasn’t proved simple. Negotiating the dense state forest of rules, laws and the bureaucracy charged with overseeing those who profit from wine has been daunting.

Only nonprofits can benefit financially by selling memberships for wine-related events, he learned, and it turns out that’s a very small group indeed. Apparently only about a half dozen are properly licensed from what he’s been able to discover. So, he’s working to establish a nonprofit, which can pay employees a salary and connect wineries and traveling wine lovers.

By spring, he hopes to launch with all the proper permits and licenses. Meanwhile, there’s their Facebook page to tend — which offers lots of free advice from friendly folks having a great time.

WINE WORD: Christmas cake What better time of year than December is there to talk about the wine term Christmas cake? As a wine descriptor, it is generally agreed to mean almost the same thing as fruitcake — a wine that has everything — though it’s a bit higher form of praise, according to the Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia.

It refers to a wine that smells, tastes and generally has the complex flavors and aromas of this holiday season treat. If you love a good fruitcake, the heady scent of dried fruit, nuts, spices and perhaps a trace of vanilla is easily understood and a lavish compliment.

Christmas cake is even higher praise.

In our most lavish season for treats, what could be a more appropriate description for a wine that has it all?

Ken Robertson, the associate editor of Great Northwest Wine magazine and retired editor of the Tri-City Herald, has been sipping Northwest wines and writing about them since 1976.

Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 13

COLUMN l Ellen on Wine

Invitational on Florida’s Gold Coast turns into gold rush for Oregon wineries

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ine and saké from Oregon scored impressively at the 14th annual American Fine Wine Competition on the campus of Florida ELLEN International UniLANDIS versity in Miami earlier this year.

This competition at the Chaplain School of Hospitality and Tourism Management seeks out America’s premier wines. One feature of the AFWC is that it’s one of few competitions Napa Valley vintners choose to enter. During the competition, each panel receives multiple flights of wines ranging from $85 to $250 a bottle. Napa Valley entries this year included the Peju Winery 2017 H.B. Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($245), Boisset Collection 2017 JCB No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon ($225), Howell Mountain Vineyards 2017 Cabernet Franc ($120) and Grgich Hills Estate 2018 Paris Tasting Commemorative Chardonnay ($98).

At this competition, all wines are vetted and determined to be of high quality prior to receiving an invitation to enter by the AFWC acquisition team. After the judging, hundreds of wine buyers, enthusiasts and sommeliers attend the competition’s signature event — One Thousand Bottles.

Vintners who have submitted wines are encouraged to join the gala. It’s an engaging celebration, and eager participants are thrilled to taste award-winning wines from the competition while they enjoy live music, delicious food prepared by local chefs, a chance to win big in a lively cork pull and the silent auction.

There are added heartwarming bonuses to this competition. The events benefit non-profit organizations to end childhood hunger as well as the Chip Cassidy Endowment Fund, which provides scholarships to students in the hospitality industry.

Pacific Northwest winemakers seem happy to support those causes via the competition, and Oregon vintners benefit from the show14 | greatnorthwestwine.com

case for the wines they enter.

77-acres of vineyards in the Umpqua Valley amassed double gold medals for the complex Reustle - Prayer Rock Vineyards received a 2017 Reserve Tempranillo, intensely flavored gold medal or better for 10 of the entries from 2018 Tannat and stimulating 2018 Grenache. their 200-acre estate in Southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley. That showing included best Founders Earl and Hilda Jones established of class/double gold awards for the mouththeir vineyard in 1995, and winemaker watering 2020 Sauvignon Blanc and complex Andrew Wenzel has been winemaker since northern Rhône-style 2019 Winemaker’s 2003. They were the first to plant Tempranillo Reserve Syrah. in Oregon, and this grape has grown considerably in plantings across the Northwest Work in the vineyard and the cellar by ever since. Earl and Hilda’s son, Greg, was winemaker/owner Stephen Reustle and recently named CEO of Abacela. A world-reassociate winemaker Wade Smith led to three nowned climate researcher and viticulture exadditional double gold awards — the elegant pert, Greg Jones has contributed significantly 2018 Estate Pinot Noir, exotic 2018 Reserve to the success of the Umpqua Valley region.

Pinot Noir and multilayered 2019 Estate Selection Syrah.

Gold medals also were bestowed upon their authentic, ideally balanced 2019 Green Lizard Grüner Veltliner and pure zesty 2019 Estate Grüner Veltliner.

The Reustles were the first in the U.S. to produce a commercial Grüner Veltliner, and vintage after vintage they continue to set the standard in America for the Austria white variety. Reustle’s snappy 2019 Dry Riesling, their savory, dark berry 2019 Malbec and lively 2019 Grenache also received gold medals.

Abacela PHOTO BY RICHARD DUVAL IMAGES Youngberg Hill near McMinnville, Ore., received a gold and the Jones medal in Florida for its 2018 Estate Pinot Noir. family’s

COLUMN l Ellen on Wine As the couple likes to say, “It’s all about the reds, whites and blues.”

They secured two double gold medals, one for a flavor bursting 2015 Sangiovese, and the other for a smooth, French oak-aged 2017 Merlot.

In the saké category, SakéOne in Forest Grove crafted the Naginata Junmai Daiginjo that captured double gold, best of class and best of show saké honors. Their Momokawa Diamond Saké earned a double gold.

PHOTO BY RICHARD DUVAL IMAGES

Iris Vineyards near Eugene and its Chalice Vineyard earned gold medals for its 2019 Pinot Noir and 2019 Pinot Gris.

SakéOne, established in 1992 as a Japanese saké importer, became the first American saké producer.

President Steve Vuylsteke, a native Oregonian, and the toji — Japanese master brewer Takumi Kuwabara — focus on producing premium saké at their Willamette Valley facility.

Iris Vineyards in the southern end of the from vineyards throughout the Columbia Willamette Valley gained a double gold medValley.

This year, Oregon, Washington and Idaho al for the tantalizing 2019 Willamette Valley Patrick designed and built the tasting room, winemakers brought back a load of gold from Pinot Noir. Their team also received a gold while Tess makes the wines. Patrick assists Florida, and the complete list of medal winmedal for their lively 2019 Pinot Gris. Pamewith the wines and spirits and manages the ners from the American Fine Wine Compela Frye and Richard Boyles purchased 870 vineyards and gardens for their farm-to-table tition are at AmericanFineWineCompetition. acres near Eugene and planted their first vines kitchen, which includes a wood-fired pizza org — after all, it’s a fundraising event and a in 1996. Aaron Lieberman has been making oven. the wine and collaborating with vineyard nonprofit organization.

Tess, a blues/rock/country singer/songwritmanager Arpad Walker.

Ellen Landis is a wine journalist, certified er, headlines the Tess Barr Band throughout The Bailey family at Youngberg Hill sommelier, educator and professional wine the Hood River Valley and occasionally Winery in McMinnville, a sub-appellation of judge. Her website is EllenOnWine.com. performs at the winery on weekends. the Willamette Valley, captured a double gold medal for their dazzling 2019 Aspen Pinot Gris. The family’s graceful 2018 Estate Pinot Noir took home a gold medal.

Owner/winemaker Wayne Bailey, his wife and co-owner Nicolette, raised daughters Natasha, Jordan and Aspen on the estate that’s long been one of Northwest wine country’s most photographed properties.

Beyond their recently released second label, Bailey Family Wines, the family also boasts the deliciously iconic Youngberg Hill B&B. In the bustling Columbia Gorge city of Hood River, Tess and Patrik Barr built Hood Crest Winery. Their 5 acres of vines are devoted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Barbera, Tempranillo and Cabernet PHOTO BY RICHARD DUVAL IMAGES Sauvignon. Wines are made from Hood Crest Winery and Distillers in Hood River, Ore., includes 5 acres of vines just north of the Hood River. estate fruit and also fruit sourced Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 15

COLUMN l Behind the Tasting Bar

A wine club you don’t want to join

L

et’s hope you haven’t joined this club, but there’s a chance you’ve been wine tasting and spotted a member of “The Dime a Dozen Club.”

APRIL This club is REDDOUT composed of people who say and do cringe-worthy things they believe are clever or powerful without realizing they are among the many who have said and/or done the same thing during that week, that day or that hour.

It’s time to explore The Dime a Dozen Club. Let’s start with, “Do you know who I am?” Ah, the question that communicates your elevated sense of importance and says to your tasting room attendant that your ego is going to be the main visitor during the appointment.

If you must ask that question, then the fault is yours. You had a chance to announce yourself by making an appointment or you could have presented a business card at the beginning of your appointment or simply introduced yourself pleasantly and explained who you are (and why you are so important).

If you are sure you are an incredibly important person, your best bet at having a positive experience is to give everyone a polite headsup as early as possible, rather than calling out the winery employee for not knowing who you are.

Another eye roll-inducing statement that makes you the newest member of The Dime a Dozen Club is, “I’m very good friends with the winemaker.” I promise you, the next thought of that member of the winery team you’re talking with will be, “Then call or text them to tell them you are here,” while they brace themselves against your expectations of special treatment based upon your “close association.”

This is such an awkward topic for the attendant — passive-aggressively communicating that you are deserving of extra attention that is not their responsibility to deliver, and yet they know they’re being set up to take the blame if they fail to meet your expectations.

Let’s be clear: If you once golfed on the 16 | greatnorthwestwine.com

team of the winemaker at a fundraiser or sat next to them once during a winemaker dinner, then you aren’t friends. Rather, you have a fond memory of spending time with a high-profile person who you wish you were friends with, and it comes off needy and sad that you are making inflated claims.

Are you hoping the attendant will magically produce the winemaker for you to visit with? Consider how busy the tasting room is or how busy the winemaker is and how unreasonable it is for you to feel entitled to a slice of their day.

Also, please know that you might be the 10th person that week to make such a claim, and while you are hoping this elevates your status, you have joined The Dime a Dozen Club.

Still with me? Is it hot in here? We have one more classic question to cover. Please tell me you’ve never asked, “Isn’t (the manager) here today?”

Sigh. What you have just communicated by asking about the absent manager is that you are disappointed in your current server. And just like that, your chance for a special pour or two has evaporated.

Remember, managers need their days off like, well, like you do, and would truly like to know they were missed. An email can communicate your regret at visiting on their weekend, and it might lead to a more detailed conversation than you would have had in person in the busy tasting room.

You can bet the attendant most likely will not pass along your disappointment because with this behavior, you have also joined The Dime a Dozen Club. Many people ask this question, and they may not truly realize how insulting it is for the server.

Please consider making an effort to get to know the server as a person instead of treating them as a substitute for the manager you were hoping to see. If you are fond of the tasting room manager, and if they hired the person pouring wine for you, you will probably like that person also. Give them a try!

Chances are they are worthy of your time.

People work in tasting rooms for many reasons. One of them is a love of wine. You already have something in common, and you would have been off to a great start had you not pointed out your preference to speak with

“

This club is composed of people who say and do cringe-worthy things they believe are clever or powerful without realizing they are among the many who have said and/or done the same thing during that week, that day or that hour.” their absent boss instead of them. So give the person who is pouring your samples a chance to connect. Often, you will be amazed at what a terrific experience it turns out to be.

Now, if you have joined The Dime a Dozen Club, don’t despair. This is the easiest wine club you’ll ever quit.

Step 1: Stop saying those things. Viola!

Fixed.

Step 2: If you find yourself in the company of people who say those things, interrupt them politely. Use humor or the most direct words you can find. The attendant will notice and might show their gratitude with special pours, extra snacks or a surprise experience.

Step 3: If you witness other tasters in the room who unwittingly join this unfortunate club, say something supportive to the attendant on your way out and leave a generous tip.

Okay, today’s topic was tough to address, but I hope our tasting room environment will be better for it. Next time, we will explore the hot — and disappearing — topic of industry discounts. Make sure you have a glass of wine ready. This could get dicey.

April Reddout is a professional wine judge and hospitality expert who was the wine program director at the Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center in Prosser, Wash., and the guest services manager for Col Solare on Red Mountain. She can be reached at ReddoutWineConsulting.com.

Palencia Wine Company Double Platinum - 2019 Vino la Monarcha Malbec Platinum: 2018 El viñador Syrah 2017 Vino la Monarcha Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 Palencia Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Palencia Albariño

Bodega Palencia 8011 Keene Ave West Richland, WA 509-967-8230

culture shock bistro food truck Next to Monarcha Winery in Kennewick www.palenciawine.com

Owner and winemaker, Victor Palencia has been awarded 28 Platinums for Palencia Wine Company.

Monarcha Winery 421 E Columbia Dr. Bld. A140 Kennewick, WA 99336 509-820-3993 Located within the Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village

Winterof 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 17 2019 Pacific Northwest Winery the Year

FEATURE l Satellite Tasting Room

Welcome Road adds Bellingham address

By Dan Radil

T

he philosophy of Welcome Road Winery owners Leigh McMillan and Kristen Dorrity is remarkably simple: “We love wine, food and the great outdoors.”

And while the couple enjoys skiing, hiking and travelling, they strive to maintain a closeto-home, neighborhood-oriented feel to their brand as they expand beyond their flagship tasting room in West Seattle into downtown Bellingham .

“Call it our brand,” McMillan says.

“We’re laid back, we’re unpretentious, we’re outdoor-centric. We wanted to grow, but we wanted to do it in a way that still enabled us to be a part of the community.”

From wine drinking to winemaking McMillan is a Washington native, while Dorrity is originally from New Jersey, attended law school in California and moved to Seattle in 1993. They met in 2005 and married in 2013.

Both were somewhat late bloomers to the world of wine: Dorrity recalls that her early experiences with wines were at dinner parties in California in the 1990s. McMillan didn’t start drinking wine until her 30s and remembers a special bottle of Côtes du Rhône as the “wow” wine that nudged her into winemaking.

“After that, I got really interested in where wine comes from and how it is made, and Kristen and I have both travelled around France and gone to wine regions there.”

Once the two determined that starting their own winery might be a great “retirement business,” McMillan enrolled in Washington State University’s viticulture and enology program. She completed the two-year course and earned her enology certificate in 2009.

“My ‘best friend’ from class and I went in together and bought a ton of grapes and made our first batch,” McMillan said.

That friend is Alan Holtzheimer, who went on to open Silver Bell Winery in 2012, now in the Lake Chelan community of Manson.

“We handed it out to friends and family, who seemed to like it, so we got a little bit bigger, and it got slightly out of control,” 18 | greatnorthwestwine.com

McMillan says with a laugh. Welcome Road Winery was born and became commercially licensed in 2011.

Pouring in West Seattle since 2016 For the first few years, Welcome Road operated its tasting room and production facility out of Woodinville.

“It was a great place to start,” McMillan said. “We got exposed to a lot of different wineries, met a lot of great people and learned a lot about how to operate a tasting room. But it wasn’t a part of our neighborhood and our community. We were always looking for a space in our neighborhood and ended up finding one a mile from our house.”

They opened that West Seattle tasting room in 2016 and have maintained a relationship with a Woodinville winery where they continue to use its production equipment, store their barrels and bottle their wines.

Grapes are purchased from Yakima Valley’s Dineen Vineyards and Marcella Vineyard — a Two Mountain Winery estate vineyard — both near the town of Zillah.

“Occasionally, we’ll augment that with grapes from different vineyards,” McMillan says, “but those two are our primary sources.

They’ve been with us since day one.

“I love to go over to Zillah and walk the vineyards and taste the grapes,” she says.

“That is one of my favorite things to do, and I’m so grateful to be working with such awesome growers.”

that we make wine in a French tradition,” McMillan says. “The varietals we work with, for the most part, are Bordeaux. We do make Syrah, since it’s one of our favorites that we add into the mix. We like a lighter, earthy style that’s easier to pair with food.”

Cabernet Franc is a core variety for Welcome Road, and McMillan also will blend it with Malbec and Merlot.

“And, quite frankly, we like a lower-alcohol wine,” she laughs. “We’ll have a couple glasses on a Wednesday when we don’t want to have a big red/Cabernet Sauvignon. So we very purposely strive to make wine that is comparably, in Washington state, lower in alcohol.”

They’ve found that the Rawn brothers, who also own Two Mountain Winery, are an ideal fit.

Welcome Home address in “Dineen andSeattle’s Two Mountain hitadds thenew perfect downtown Bellingham flavor profile that we’re looking for,” McMillan says. “It’s complex, it’s interesting, it has structure, balanced tannins, and it’s not overwhelming.”

Those influences from France have helped inspire the names of some Welcome Road wines.

The 2017 L’Oiseau (French for “little bird”) won a gold medal in the Right Bank Bordeaux Blend category at the 2021 Seattle Wine Awards. The 2019 vintage of L’Oiseau has been released as 100% Cabernet Franc.

Welcome Road’s 2018 Atelier, a blend driven by Cabernet Franc, earned a gold

Old World approach fits Welcome Road owners Their work with the Rawn brothers, who manage both Dineen and Marcella, allows McMillan to craft wines that she, Dorrity and their customers appreciate.

“We like to sometimes say

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN RADIL

Owners Kristen Dorrity, left, and Leigh McMillan

Welcome Road produces a number of wines with an emphasis on French varieties

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN RADIL

Welcome Road focuses much of its production on grapes from Yakima Valley vineyards managed by Patrick Rawn.

medal last year at the Washington State Wine Competition. Its name comes from a French reference to an artist’s studio.

McMillan’s current favorite is the 2019 Chaton (kitten), a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend that can be described as bright with flavors of spicy fruit and great backbone.

Dorrity leans towards the 2018 Roadtrip Red, a blend of four Bordeaux varieties, as her favorite. Their tasting room menus include white wine options Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Expansion into Bellingham With the goal of growing their annual production beyond 1,000 cases, Dorrity and McMillan began looking for a second location.

“We own a cabin in Glacier, about 45 miles east of Bellingham, and we’re up there a lot,” McMillan says. “Welcome Road is the name of the ‘street’ our cabin is on.”

“We’d stop in Bellingham, have lunch, drink some beer, so when we started to think about places we could expand, it was just a natural for us,” she continued. “And how we approach our laid-back tasting room experience just seems to be a fit with Bellingham.”

The couple found a prime spot in the city’s downtown arts district, just steps from the Pickford Cinema and Whatcom Museum.

They opened their Champion Street tasting room in October 2021.

“We’re very psyched to be there,” McMillan says.

Dorrity, who describes herself as a “detailed person,” built the tasting

room bar and has been “busy with fun stuff like scheduling, record keeping and working in the tasting room.”

Whether it’s in Bellingham or West Seattle, McMillan notes their love of the outdoors translates into sustainability practices that customers should notice.

“We don’t put foil on our bottles,” she says.

“It no longer serves a practical purpose; it just adds waste. We use lighter weight bottles, which reduces CO2 significantly. And the vineyards we work with are certified sustainable. That’s all an important part of how we operate.”

By blending concepts of environmentally friendly practices, food-friendly wines, and neighborhood-friendly tasting rooms, Dorrity and McMillan have made Welcome Road

Winery a welcome addition to the communities they call home.

Welcome Road Winery

3804 California Ave., SW Seattle, WA 98116 (206) 486-0788 300 W. Champion St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Hours vary by season and location WelcomeRoadWinery.com

Dan Radil is a freelance writer based in Bellingham. His site is DanTheWineGuy.com and serves as president of the Bellingham Northwest Wine Competition.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN RADIL

Welcome Road’s Bellingham tasting room is in the city’s downtown Arts District.

Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 19

FEATURE l Get Cozy With it

Winter wines to warm your soul

By Tamara Belgard

T

he long days of winter call for wines that warm you from the inside out.

We crave wines that pair with the rich and hearty foods that have been simmering all day on the stove, wines that pair with toasty fires, or wines that just lift your spirits on seemingly endless days full of rain and darkness — not to mention sometimes snow.

Whether it’s a holiday celebration with family and friends or a solo night in, from bubbles to dark reds, below are a few recommendations of wines that will carry you through the winter season.

Vidon Vineyard nonvintage “Mull”igan, Chehalem Mountains, $25 One doesn’t expect to find mulled estate Pinot Noir, yet Vidon Vineyard has provided a holiday-friendly winter warmer to share with friends and family we missed in 2020.

From fires to pandemic, the winery’s philosophy is that we can all use a “Mull”igan to replace 2020.

The base wine, from 20-year-old vines in Vidon’s legacy Pinot Block, was blended and then 48 pounds of dried orange peel, cloves, cinnamon and allspice were added and steeped 20 | greatnorthwestwine.com

for three days. In 2020, Vicki and Don Hagge sold Vidon to Dru and Erin Allen, who say they’ve been fans of Gluhwein since Dru’s brother brought some with him while on leave from his station in Germany almost 15 years ago. According to Dru, “We have always had it on hand for get-togethers with friends and family, and everyone has always really enjoyed it. We felt that 2021 would be an opportunity to celebrate together again after a year in which gatherings were difficult, if not impossible. What better way than with a warm mug of mulled wine?”

tip: check out his new sparkling Malbec, too).

Don’t be fooled by the name, the wine is more pink than it is white. But since it’s a red grape, made in the manner of a white wine, Valot calls it White Malbec. With grapes from Kelly Vineyard, the light- to medium-bodied wine features bright acidity, smooth tannins and a long finish. It delivers flavors and aromas of wild berries, apple, pear, melon, lemon blossom and a touch of citrus. And while one may typically expect pink wines to be served in the summer, this may change the way you think about rosé.

Troon Vineyard 2019 Estate Syrah, Applegate Valley, $35

GC Wines 2019 Redford-Wetle Gamay Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, $25

Troon loves Syrah, Syrah loves Troon, and we love Troon’s Syrah. This variety seems a perfect fit for the growing season and the weather in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. As a result, Troon has planted Syrah in a diverse range of soil types using multiple clones. Much as a Willamette Valley producer might offer single block or clone offerings of Pinot Noir, Troon will be producing equally nuanced selections of Syrah. Each year, Craig Camp and winemaker Nate Wall release a range of distinctive bottlings that each are unique expressions of what this variety can achieve on the White family’s site. With three clones of Syrah in three soil types, this complex wine reveals the character of the entire vineyard. Deep ruby in color with garnet highlights, the Troon Vineyard 2019 Estate Syrah mixes spicy black pepper aromatics with savory dark fruit. Those flavors linger on the palate with rich textures balanced by a bracing acidity, as you might expect from the Applegate Valley. The finish is long and fresh, with the black pepper balancing the bright fruit.

Valcan Cellars 2020 White Malbec “Bare,” Rogue Valley, $24 If you’re looking for something really unusual, seek out Valcan Cellars White Malbec in downtown Corvallis. It might be the only White Malbec produced in the U.S. Juan Pablo (JP) Valot, owner and winemaker for Valcan Cellars, grew up in Mendoza and has been around Malbec vines and wines for much of his life. His Argentine background makes perfect sense when you discover the magic he is creating with this variety. (Pro

John Grochau made his winemaking debut with Gamay from the organically farmed Redford-Wetle site a few years ago, and the 2018 is just singing right now. Redford-Wetle Farm is a certified organic vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. Sitting on an eastern-facing slope, the blend of volcanic Jory and Nekia soils makes for a stunning wine. On the nose, this Gamay is cranberry, white pepper, tobacco and cinnamon stick. It has bright acid, juicy fruit, medium body and lingering cranberry and orange rind on the finish. Enjoy with turkey or goose.

Lolati Wines 2019 Primitivo, Columbia Valley, $36 After being an assistant winemaker for years, Leigh Brown began making wine under her own label in 2019. Inspired by her experience working harvest in South Africa in 2009, she enjoys working with heavier red varieties, like this rocking red Primitivo.

Lolati’s Primitivo comes from Bolton Family Vineyard on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge near Lyle and was aged in neutral French oak for 18 months, producing a rich wine with some peppery notes along with deep, rich dark fruit flavors of dark cherry and blackberries and an earthy, ripe finish. Savor this fireside wine with flavorful stews such as Beef Tagine, grilled meats, Leigh’s own Plum, Fig & Blue Cheese Tart or desserts rich in dark chocolate.

Bryn Mawr Vineyards 2016 Tempranillo, Eola-Amity Hills, $50 Perched on the upper crest of the ac-

FEATURE l Get Cozy With it claimed Eola-Amity Hills, Bryn Mawr’s 40-acre LIVE-certified estate is battered by powerful winds sweeping through the Van Duzer Corridor from the Pacific Coast.

Their vines are anchored into rocky volcanic soils on the steep vineyard and produce powerful characteristics across their entire portfolio. The whites and pinks are nervy, acid-driven and refreshingly crisp. The reds are bold and edgy, as is their Tempranillo.

Dark violet in color, they sport a nose that is rich and lifted with sweet vanilla bean and cocoa butter st the outset. After a twirl, the dried cherry, sweet fig and pepper notes come jumping out to greet you. The palate is smooth and complete. Concentrated fruit and earthy cocoa nibs emerge on the midpalate, while the tannins are perfectly balanced and satisfying all the way to the end. Rachel Rose is both the winemaker and vineyard director for Bryn Mawr, giving her complete control from grape to glass. Under her leadership, they’re crafting wines of great complexity and tension and have continually elevated their production and quality recently. A common adage among the team is “high hill, high risk, high reward,” and that tenacious spirit is reflected in all that they do.

end any evening (or article). This inaugural release of Gran Moraine’s estate-grown 2014 Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine is a bit of sass and a lot of class, all in a glass. Made entirely from two treasured blocks of estate Chardonnay, it’s been in tirage for nearly six years, where it built character and tiny, precise bubbles. The resulting wine is pure elegance with aromas of lemon curd, kumquat, toasted baguette and grassy meadow, with flavors of orange peel, lilac, persimmons and Meyer lemon. Focused and brilliant, it’s sure

to appeal to the hard-core bubble fanatics as well as the casual imbiber. Idaho native Shane Moore, who graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in viticulture and enology, suggests pairing it with ramen, corn dogs, oysters, tempura, existential dilemmas, sunrises, reunions and off-beat pop music.

Tamara Belgard is a freelance journalist based in Portland with decades of experience detailing the Pacific Northwest wine industry.

Leah Jørgensen Cellars 2020 Cabernet Franc, Southern Oregon, $25 Grapes for this wine were sourced from Crater View Ranch and Sundown Vineyard, both in Southern Oregon. With the fires in Oregon, 2020 was a challenge for winemakers and some chose to not make wine from the vintage. That is not the case for Leah Jørgensen. Like most Cab Francs, hers showcase hints of tobacco leaf and cigar, so an element of smoke can marry well with these components. Lovely and lifted aromatics of ripe cherry, violets, vanilla and bourbon are included with cherry tobacco. The palate is smooth, with lots of ripe cherry, boysenberry and lingonberry jam. Its midpalate of velvety texture meanders into crushed herbs, cigar leaf and astringent black tea. Leah says, “I love this wine! I am proud of this wine! And I will be damned if people write off 2020 when there are plenty of winemakers producing graceful, interesting wines! While this is not a vintage that I would personally cellar for as long as, say, my 2019 Oregon Cab Franc.

Make no mistake, the 2020 holds up!”

Gran Moraine 2014 Blanc de Blancs, Yamhill-Carlton, $90 Bubbles are not only perfect any time of year, they’re the perfect way to begin or Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 21

FEATURE l Oregon Wine Tales

White Pinot Noir: A wine of a different color

By Sophia McDonald

W

hite Pinot Noir has long had a place in Oregon but may be more prevalent in the 2020

vintage.

The devastating wildfires that hit Oregon’s Willamette Valley in September 2020 made for an unusual vintage.

Many winemakers were able to pick their fruit before smoke came pouring in, or long enough after it dissipated that the grapes were unaffected. Those who had ripe grapes during the worst of the fires faced a difficult choice.

Should they pick their Pinot Noir and risk making a wine with smoke taint? Or should they abandon the fruit altogether?

Some grappling with that challenge opted for a third path. They made sparkling wine for the first time or decided to do a rosé with a miniscule amount of skin contact. And still others produced a wine that has flown under the radar in Oregon for many years: White Pinot Noir.

While the skin of Pinot Noir is an inky purple, the pulp has no color, which means it can be used for white wine. Left Coast Estate in Rickreall, which received a double gold medal for its 2020 White Pinot Noir at the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition in October, has been doing that for 10 years. During the particularly cold vintage in 2011, the family-owned company looked into making sparkling wine with its grapes. Apprehensive about crafting a high volume of something they had no experience with, they decided to put half the grapes to sparkling and half to white wine.

It turned out to be a good decision. In the hands of winemaker Joe Wright, White Pinot is now one of Left Coast Estate’s flagship wines at 10,500 cases from the 2020 vintage.

However, the comparison to sparkling wine is an apt one.

“Often people don’t think about Pinot Noir as a white wine, even though they’ve been drinking sparkling and Champagne for a while,” said Kate Payne-Brown, winemaker at Stoller Family Estate in Dayton.

White Pinot is essentially a less acidic spar22 | greatnorthwestwine.com

kling base served as a dry table wine. Like sparkling, it’s great with food, able to pair with lighter fare or cut through a rich meal.

To make White Pinot, the grapes are very lightly pressed to ensure that little or no color is extracted from the grape skins. (Sometimes the wine will have a very pale pink tinge.)

From there, it’s treated like a white wine.

Terry Brandborg, winegrower at Brandborg Vineyard & Winery in Elkton and a longtime White Pinot producer, begins with a whole-cluster press, then settles the juice before fermenting it in neutral barrels and puncheons. He does not encourage malolactic fermentation. Instead, he leaves the wine on the lees and stirs it frequently during aging.

“That helps build some structure and character into the wine,” Brandborg noted.

Stoller fermented some of its wine in concrete and some in oak in 2020, then “married all of those components together in stainless steel,” said Payne-Brown. “We do that with some of our Chardonnay, too. I think it drives complexity over time. We’re trading fruit-forwardness for better texture, and something with amazing length and some yeasty characteristics.”

It’s common for White Pinot to go through barrel aging for six to 12 months, typically with more neutral than new oak.

Flavor profiles can vary depending on the year and location. Brandborg always detects a bit of quince, green apple and spice components in his wine. There is often a little pear, peach or cherry, as well as a floral component that leans toward jasmine or honeysuckle.

Taylor Pfaff, CEO of Left Coast Estate, has always liked White Pinot’s aromatics.

In colder years, it tends toward citrus and melon. In warm ones, it can smell almost tropical.

“On the palate, it’s got a lot more body and structure than you get in other white wines,” he added. “It’s a really fun wine to blind taste people on. It really gets them thinking, and they probably won’t be able to guess it. It opens up that curiosity with your palate about what wine can and can’t be.”

Domaine Nicolas-Jay in Newberg was among the Oregon producers who made

white and rosé wine with Pinot Noir in 2020 rather than risking a smoke-affected red.

“It’s not like the vintage was bad,” said co-owner Jay Boberg.

“The vintage was terrific in terms of the weather and where the grapes were.

Everybody, including us, was very excited about it.”

Although the team at Nicolas-Jay found making White Pinot an interesting exercise, it chose not to continue it in 2021. Meanwhile, some who made White Pinot last year will craft it by choice in the future.

Stoller hadn’t vinified it since 2014. Rediscovering it in 2020 “was a light in a dark period because now we’re making it again this year,” said Payne-Brown.

The Stoller team is farming specifically for White Pinot and plans to keep it in its lineup indefinitely. It made 700 cases in 2020 and plans to increase production to 1,000 cases with the 2021 vintage.

Overall, Pfaff sees a bright future for White Pinot.

“I think it has a place as an emerging (product) on its own,” Pfaff said. “It’s going to increase in popularity. Oregon has great potential for it and it’s on a good trajectory.”

If you pick up a bottle of White Pinot Noir and think it must be a typo, think again. This wine of a different color is here to stay and worth sampling the next time the menu calls for white wine.

Sophia McDonald’s Oregon Wine Tales focuses on Oregon wines and wineries. Her work has appeared in more than three dozen newspapers, magazines and trade publications, including TheAtlantic.com, Wine Enthusiast, Eating Well and Cheese Connoisseur.

2021 Platinum Awards 1 PLATINUM 2 DOUBLE GOLD & 4 GOLD MEDALS

Bluebird Hill Cellars 25059 Larson Road  Monroe, OR (541) 424-2478  www.bluebirdhillcellars.wine December 2021 through April 2022: Wine Tasting Sat/Sun 12-5 Curbside pickup & local delivery available 7 days a week.

We are also hosting private and corporate group virtual tastings. Call for details or to schedule.

winners of

Six Platinum & Double Platinum Awards

Edward Lynne Cellars 748 Vineyard Lane Camano Island, WA 98282 (360) 929-6072 www.EdwardLynneCellars.com Local vineyard and winery producing award-winning wines on Camano Island featuring Washington state grapes.

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24 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Eat. Stay. Relax

Just Minutes Away From Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village

 (509) 586-0541 www.cloverislandinn.com 435 Clover Island Drive, Kennewick, WA 99336

 Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 25

PLATINUM AWARDS

Liberty Lake Wine Cellars uses #RedMtn to bat 7-for-7

By Eric Degerman

L

IBERTY LAKE, Wash. — A sign behind the tasting bar at Liberty Lake Wine Cellars reads #RedMtnUnfiltered, and what winemaker Mark Lathrop managed at Great Northwest Wine’s Platinum Awards was unprecedented.

Lathrop entered the 2021 Platinum with seven of his wines that had won a gold medal during the previous 12 months. All seven went on to receive a Platinum — a 7-for-7 performance unparalleled in the 22-year history of the judging. He credits Red Mountain growers with the fruit that went into six of those seven Platinum winners.

“That was pretty shocking news,” Lathrop said. “I knew the ’18s were good when I was sending them in, but that’s only my third vintage. That was a pretty good email to get, especially when I was deliriously tired at the end of crush. It tells me that, ‘Yeah, I’m on the right track.’ ” And it might make those 2 1/2-hour trips to Red Mountain seem even shorter for the self-taught winemaker who lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and makes wine in the Spokane area. Part of his exploration of Red Mountain stems from his days as a club member at Liberty Lake Wine Cellars. In January 2016, he and his wife, Sarah, purchased the winery from Doug and Shelly Smith.

Since then, the CFO of West Star Industries with an MBA from Eastern Washington University has filled his spare time with reading and researching winemaking techniques to slowly reach an annual production of 2,500 cases.

Wisely, Lathrop, 43, has placed his confidence in some of the Northwest’s top viticulturists. They include Damon LaLonde, Marshall Edwards, Kiona’s Scott Williams and vineyards such as Red Heaven, Scooteney Flats, Heart of the Hill, Ranch at the End of the Road and Candy Mountain. Each is a site of renown that the Smiths were not buying from.

“Damon was responsible for setting us up with a mix of clones out of Scooteney that have served us very well,” Lathrop says.

26 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Liberty Lake winemaker Mark Lathrop works with small lots from Red Mountain, typically ranging from four to eight barrels of each.

PHOTO BY RICHARD DUVAL IMAGES

The honor roll reads:

Double Platinum — L iberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Scooteney Flats Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $36 Platinum — Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Reserve Syrah, Red Mountain, $44 Platinum — Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Scooteney Flats Vineyard Malbec, Red Mountain, $38 Platinum — Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Heritage Reserve Red Wine, Red Mountain, $45 Platinum — Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Red Heaven Vineyard Tempranillo, Red Mountain, $38 Platinum — Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Heart of the Hill Vineyard Carménère, Red Mountain, $40 Platinum — TAHIJA. 2018 Candy Mountain Vineyard Sangiovese, Candy Mountain, $26

“And ’18 was the first time we were able to source by clones rather than just by variety.”

The fledgling winemaker, Liberty Lake’s customers and judges — particularly those at the Platinum — have been wonderstruck by the delicious results.

In a remarkable bit of history, the top wine from the inaugural Platinum in 2000 was a Kiona Vineyards 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon from Williams family grapes on Red Mountain.

And for geographical context, Candy Mountain is the next land formation east of Red Mountain, close enough for the Tri-City hiking community to dream of establishing a trail about five miles long that would link the two American Viticultural Areas.

Lathrop continues to stand by that “RedMtnUnfiltered” sign. Liberty Lake wines have been sourced from Red Mountain — albeit from different sites — nearly from the time when the Smiths launched the winery in 2005. And Lathrop doesn’t plan to start filtering his wines, either.

“I don’t think anything that’s happened is going to change our minds,” he said. “After the 2018 vintage we locked in on multi-year contracts, only now there’s a lot of pressure on me not to mess this up.”

Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 23110 E. Knox Ave. Liberty Lake, WA 99019 LibertyLakeWineCellars.com 509-255-9205

PLATINUM AWARDS

Napa winemaker produces Platinum’s top wine at Chris Daniel Winery

By Eric Degerman

Q

UINCY, Wash. — It’s not the story of a hired gun, but there is a young hot shot Napa Valley winemaker and his father who are crafting some of the Pacific Northwest’s best wines near the Columbia Basin town of Quincy, Wash.

Chris Daniel Stewart works with his father, Michael, to produce fewer than 1,000 cases each year at Chris Daniel Winery along Highway 283. This year, they earned four Platinum Awards from Great Northwest Wine’s year-end judging of gold medal wines. Last year, the Stewarts won three Platinums.

On top of that, the Chris Daniel Winery 2017 Malbec ($30) from Stillwater Creek Vineyard on the Royal Slope ranks as “The Best of the Best” — the top-rated wine from the 2021 Platinum and meriting 99 points from the judges.

“It’s nice to have someone come and say, ‘Yeah, you’re doing a good job,” Chris says.

“We know we’re making really good wines, and we want to put them out there and get some exposure.”

The Royal Slope, the deep purple Bordeaux variety Malbec and viticulturists Ed Kelly at Stillwater Creek and Josh Lawrence of Lawrence Vineyards all have been making headlines in the past year. This fall, the Gärd Vintners 2017 Lawrence Vineyards Malbec was named the No. 1 wine of 2021 by The Seattle Times.

“I’ve been attracted to the varietal ever since I worked at a couple of awesome wineries in Chile,” Chris says. “We’ve been quite pleased with the Malbec we get from the Royal Slope because you can get it quite ripe and it’s not as late as Cab.” Those sites and Jerry Milbrandt’s Northridge Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope also factored into other two Double Platinum wines for Chris Daniel — a 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2017 Syrah.

Michael Stewart’s history in irrigation management and a consultant for orchards and vineyards introduced him to those plantings early in their history as well as some historic sites and figures. There was Mike

Hogue, the Gordon brothers, Jim Holmes of Ciel du Cheval on Red Mountain and Mike Sauer at Red Willow Vineyard.

“Meeting all of those people was a hoot, and I began to wonder if we could have a winery someday,” Michael says.

Once he graduated from Quincy High School in 2006, Chris entered the viticulture and enology program at Washington State University in Pullman. Five years later, he’d earned two degrees — one in science, the other in Spanish. Both have served him well in Chile, France and California.

“There have been a few times when I’ve come home and thought to myself, ‘I don’t think I spoke any English today,’ ” Chris says.

PHOTO BY FANNY DENEUVILLE/COURTESY OF CHRIS DANIEL WINERY

Chris Stewart and the Chris Daniel Winery 2017 Malbec topped the 2022 Platinum Awards.

Even though he eschews all titles, Michael essentially serves as the cellarmaster at Chris Daniel. Dianne, his wife and Chris’s mother, manages the tasting room near their home and cherry orchard. Throughout the process, Michael shares his own sensory evaluations and executes Chris’s work orders.

“I figured out how to boss my Dad after 18 years,” Chris laughs. “Honestly, it’s a great excuse to call up my parents all the time, and I’m able to guide him on exactly what we need to do by shipping samples back and forth.”

All of the vineyards they work within are within a 30-mile radius of the winery, and it is Michael — not Chris — who makes the picking decisions.

“We’ve had eight vintages of learning how to communicate with each other,” the father says. “Fortunately, Chris is always multiple steps ahead of me.”

Chris playfully points out, “Luckily, we share DNA.” The Stewarts launched the winery in 2014, and their first wines were released while he was an assistant winemaker at Bell Wine Cellars in Yountville. Now he’s in Calistoga with Girard Winery, a brand owned by Vintage Wine Estates. In recent years, founder Pat Roney and his California-based VWE have acquired three Northwest properties — Owen Roe in the Yakima Valley, Tamarack Cellars in Walla Walla and Firesteed in the Willamette Valley.

“My parents always raised me and my brothers to explore and look outward while we were growing up,” Chris says.

The Platinum judging also underscores how father and son have completed a circle of sorts. Michael played a role in the first Milbrandt plantings on the Wahluke Slope in 1996. Two decades later, his son began making wine from Milbrandt vines, and the 2015 Petite Sirah from Northridge Vineyard produced the first Platinum for Chris Daniel Winery in 2019.

And PS, their 2017 scored a Platinum this year, too. That Petite Sirah is sold for the same price as the “Best of the Best” 2017 Malbec.

“I just bought a house down here and spending $60 for a really nice bottle of local wine is a bargain,” Chris Stewart said.

Thanks to the Stewart family, the 2021 Platinum Awards proved a 99-point wine can be found in the Northwest for $30.

Chris Daniel Winery 2743 Highway 283 North Quincy, WA, 98848 ChrisDaniel.wine 509-398-1417 Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 27

Best of the Best Double Platinum TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

By Eric Degerman

Double Platinum 99.5 points Chris Daniel Winery, 2017 Malbec, Columbia Valley $30 One of the goals of the Platinum Awards is to identify trends. Among those in 2021 is that Malbec in the hands of Chris Daniel Stewart is worth seeking out. The Stewart family winery, not far from the Gorge Amphitheater, produced the top-scoring wine of the 2021 Platinum Awards. The Napa Valley winemaking son — Chris — works closely with his father, Michael, and there’s an astounding attention to detail in this expression of Malbec. Last year, he earned a Platinum for his 2016 Malbec. This time around, his 2017 Malbec not only earned a Double Platinum, but it emerged as the Best of the Best — the top-scoring wine of the judging.

It gushes with distinctive tones of dark purple fruit — black currant and blueberry — that are delivered with density and awash in gorgeously integrated tannins. Secondary notes of lavender, white pepper and pencil shavings finish with a savory note of black olive. Its full-bodied structure brings a long and supple finish. The lone judge who didn’t vote to award this wine 100 points still gave it 99, adding, “No wine is perfect, but this is close.” (118 cases, 14% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Double Platinum 99 points Reustle - Prayer Rock Vineyards 2019 Estate Green Lizard Grüner Veltliner, Umpqua Valley $34 One of the United States’s most decorated wines of 2021 finishes the year as the top-scoring white wine of the 22nd annual Platinum Awards. Stephen Reustle, the American guru of Grüner, delivers exactly what you would expect from his Green Lizard — a wine redolent of lime, nectarine, honey28 | greatnorthwestwine.com

How the Platinum is conducted A

ndy Perdue, founder of GreatNorthwestWine.com, created the Platinum in 2000 as a way to determine some of the best wines of the Pacific Northwest.

The 22nd annual Platinum Awards took place Oct. 27-28 at the Clover Island Inn in Kennewick, Wash. To accomplish this each year, Great Northwest Wine tracks more than 50 professionally judged wine competitions worldwide. The goal is to compile a list of wines that won gold medals during the previous 12 months and were produced with fruit from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho or Montana. Late each summer, our team begins contacting the wineries, inviting them to enter those wines.

The entries are categorized and judged blind over several days by three panels of experts, who award wines with Platinum, Double Gold, Gold or no medal. A wine is awarded a medal based on how a majority of the judges voted. In the case when all of the judges on a panel deem the wine worthy of a Platinum, that wine is awarded a unanimous Double Platinum.

In 2022, the panel also was tasked with using the 100-point scale to arrive at a score for each Platinum winner. Based on each judge’s rating and score, we are able to rank which wine or wines end up at the top — the best of the best. suckle and starfruit with perfect acidity, a scrape of minerality and a forever finish. The undervalued versatility of Grüner includes dishes featuring vegetables such as asparagus and Brussels sprouts. (400 cases, 13.2% alc.) Awards: Cascadia International Wine Competition, Critics Challenge International Wine Competition, Monterey International Wine Competition, Sunset International Wine Competition, American Fine Wine Invitational Wine Competition, Toast of the Coast, Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competitiong)

Double Platinum 99 points Callan Cellars 2019 Boushey Vineyards Grenache, Yakima Valley $38 Last year, Lisa Callan’s brilliant Picpoul grown by Dick Boushey was the best white wine at the Great Northwest Invitational.

This year, she used two other Rhône varieties to raise her total Platinums to six in four years, an effort led by this Grenache. Notes

of boysenberry and red currant combine with cola, cigar box and mocha inside a red with a remarkable body and never-ending finish.

The result is a fantastic red that adds another chapter to Callan’s emerging reputation as one of Woodinville’s premier producers.

(135 cases, 14.5% alc.) Awards: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Double Platinum 99 points Maryhill Winery 2018 Classic Malbec, Yakima Valley $28 One of key components to the growth of the award-winning program at Maryhill Winery has been the relationship with Tudor Hills Vineyard. That’s on delicious display with this Malbec crafted by winemaker Richard Batchelor. The New Zealand native provides a remarkable example that encompasses so much of what Argentina’s work with this Bordeaux red has made famous, a wine that offers black fruit, spice and earthiness, wrapped up in a tremendous mouthfeel and long finish. It’s the seventh time since the

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

2005 vintage that the Leutholds have won a Platinum for their Malbec program. (1,020 cases, 14.2% alc.) Awards: Cascadia International, Great Northwest Invitational.

Double Platinum 98 points Domaine Ste. Michelle NV Brut, Columbia Valley $13 Best Buy! The bubble house for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has picked up 14 Platinums in the 22 years of the judging, and this marks the fifth time for its bargain Brut. Paula Eakin took over the program in 2015, and the University of Idaho graduate produces this methode Champenoise using the classic varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It’s incredibly bright with aromas and flavors of Bosc pear, Golden Delicious apple and lemon/lime to balance the residual sugar of 1.5%. The expressive mousse and precision made this an ideal accompaniment for just about any food and occasion. Thankfully, it’s priced for everyday enjoyment, and it’s the most widely available wine to earn a Platinum in 2021.

(917,000 cases, 11.5% alc.) Award: Cascadia International

Double Platinum 99 points Reustle - Prayer Rock Vineyards 2019 Estate Selection Hefeabzug Grüner Veltliner, Umpqua Valley $28 Stephen Reustle’s estate sur lie aging program for Grüner is named hefeabzug, which in Austria refers to aging on the lees. That approach bevels the edges on the acid profile while still offering amazing balance and appreciation for the fruit notes of kiwi, casaba melon and white nectarine with fascinating secondary hints of camomile, honeysuckle and white pepper. (430 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Awards: Cascadia International (best white/ double gold), San Francisco Chronicle (gold), Critics Challenge International (gold), Monterey International (gold), Sunset International (gold) American Fine Wine Invitational (gold), Toast of the Coast (gold), Sommelier Challenge International (gold).

Double Platinum 97 points Tulpen Cellars 2018 Yellow Bird Vineyard Merlot, Walla Walla Valley $45 A year ago, viticulturist/winemaker Ken Hart produced the best Cabernet Sauvignon of the 2020 Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition under his own Tulpen Cellars brand.

This year, his three barrels of Merlot from Yellow Bird Vineyard — the Chan family’s dry-farmed planting that overlooks Walla Walla Vintners — emerged as the top-scoring Merlot of the Platinum. Its spicy nose and layers of raspberry, sweet herbs and tobacco leaf make for a bold wine with a big finish that’s built for the long-haul but already revealing itself as one of the Northwest’s best.

(72 cases, 14.8% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold)

Double Platinum 99 points The Bunnell Family Cellar 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain $54 Red Mountain fruit played a key role in some of the 22nd Platinum Awards’s top wines, and the work by winemaker Ron Bunnell with rising star Red Heaven Vineyard fruit turned into the highest-scoring Cabernet Sauvignon of the judging. Its gorgeous core of fruit begins with dusty plum and blueberry with leather and tobacco. Precise tannins and huckleberry juice make for a remarkable structure that’s capped with cassis. (119 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: San Francisco Chronicle (gold)

Double Platinum 99 points Chris James Cellars 2018 Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills $38 Christopher Barnes in Carlton, Ore., used four barrels of fruit from Carl Muska’s vineyard near Amity to produce the highest-ranked Pinot Noir of the 22nd Platinum Awards. Barnes has been working with this site starting with his first commercial vintage of 2015. This Pinot Noir, grown at 500 feet elevation, is one of perfume, precision and balance. Gorgeous notes of cherry, red currant, cedar and anise lead to a wondrous interplay of approachable tannins and delicious pomegranate acidity, picking up spice box and blueberry along the way. Suggested pairings include Beef Ragout, cedar-planked salmon or aged cheddar. (100 cases, 13.68% alc.) Award: SavorNW (gold)

Double Platinum 99 points Domaine Holesinsky 2019 Gertschen Vineyard Buhljolais Rosé of Syrah, Snake River Valley, $12 Best Buy! Southern Idaho winemaker James Holesinsky celebrated the 20th anniversary of his eponymous project in 2021, and he and chemist/wife Caitlin are producing the best wines in the history of the Hagerman Valley brand. This project with Syrah from nearby Gertschen Vineyard leads to an expressive rosé that’s filled with watermelon, golden raspberries and spice in the nose.

Inside, it’s beautiful with kiwi, mango and nectarine flavors, capped by delicious acidity, a combination that lifted this atop the rosé category at this year’s Platinum. (400 cases, 13% alc.) Awards: Drink Pink Vino International Rosé Competition (gold), American Fine Wine Competition The Rosé Competition (gold).

Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 29

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

Double Platinum 99 points

Double Platinum 98 points

Holesinsky Winery and Vineyard 2018 100% JH Syrah, Snake River Valley $45

Coyote Canyon Winery 2018 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Tempranillo, Horse Heaven Hills $32 For the second time in three years, Justin Michaud turned Mike Andrews’s Tempranillo grapes into a Platinum. This time, however, it earned a Double Platinum and ranked as the highest-scoring Temp of the tasting. Michaud used a stream of Graciano (5%) to bring everything together in a concentrated fashion — dark plum, black cherry, graphite and steak juice — for a bold yet polished example of Washington Tempranillo. Enjoy with ham or cured meat. (66 cases, 14.9% alc.) Award: Wine Press Northwest peer-judging (Outstanding!)

Idaho’s Snake River Valley has become a natural sweet spot for Syrah, and James and Caitlin Holesinsky’s work with their estate plantings has their wines lining up alongside the best in the Pacific Northwest. Complex notes of forest berries, lemon, orange blossom, spice box and Gunpowder tea emerge in a well-crafted expression of Syrah that shows purity in the glass with the balancing juiciness that seems inherent with so many wines from the Gem State. And this finished as the top-scoring Syrah of the Platinum. (120 cases, 13.9% alc.) Award: Women’s International Wine Awards (best of class/ double gold), Idaho Wine Competition (double gold)

Double Platinum 98 points Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2018 Spice Market Red Wine, Washington $38 No one could match the nine Platinums won by Clearwater Canyon Cellars, and this Carménère-led blend proved to be the top scoring by Idaho’s Coco Umiker. The Carm from Phinny Hill Vineyard in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills makes up two-thirds of the blend, with the rest being Cabernet Sauvignon (12%), Merlot (9%), Petit Verdot (7%), Malbec (2%) and the thoughtful use of Rhône red Petite Sirah (5%). Those components bring a remarkable spectrum of aromas, led by dark red fruit, black pepper and hints of pico de gallo. The tannin management produces a silkiness and a squirt of blueberry adds to its freshness and lengthy finish. (164 cases, 15.1% alc.) Award: American Fine Wine (gold) 30 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Double Platinum 98 points Elephant Seven Wines 2018 Yellow Bird Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley $30 The dry-farmed Yellow Bird Vineyard along Mill Creek Road, one of a number of sites in the Walla Walla Valley managed by Ken Hart, set the stage for Joshua West’s stellar Syrah, which delivered him his first career Platinum. It offers a basketful of fresh berries in a pure expression of fruit, joined by notes of spice box and cured meat. A vanilla cream aspect to the structure provides an elegant mouth feel, joined by an underlay of menthol.

(700 cases, 13.9% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition (gold)

Double Platinum 98 points King Estate Winery 2019 Inscription Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $20 While it doesn’t officially qualify as a “Best Buy!”, this project by Brent Stone is in its second vintage, and it’s a gobsmacker

in terms of quality and price. Half of the lot comes from the King family’s Demeter-farmed estate, and the winemaking regimen includes 20% whole cluster fermentation followed by eight months in 30% new French oak. The approach is bright and classic with Bing cherry, Marionberry and pomegranate juice layered over smooth tannins, offering bits of anise and tapenade. And the success of the 2018 debut vintage prompted the 2021 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year to triple its production here. (33,000 cases, 12.94% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (double gold)

Double Platinum 98 points Mellisoni Vineyards 2018 Best Friends Red Wine, Royal Slope $125 The 2021 Washington Winery of the Year turned one of the Platinum’s most expensive entries into one of the judging’s top wines, a Super Tuscan-inspired blend of Sangiovese (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 22 months in ICÔNE Elégance Seguin Moreau barrels. The combination is perfect. Blackish red fruit, black peppercorns and dark roast coffee make for a smoky and sultry drink with superb balance. (116 cases, 15.6% alc.)

Award: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Skagit Crest Vineyard & Winery 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $27 Chuck Jackson reaches into the old vine Cab plantings of Martinez Vineyard, established with cuttings from the original Block One in Mercer Ranches — now known as famed Champoux Vineyard. The nose is deep, dark and compelling with cassis, crushed peppercorn, tobacco and Horse Heaven

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

graphite, while the palate provides flavors of black cherry, chocolate, blueberry and baking spices. (51 cases, 14.2% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Three of Cups 2018 L’ermite Red Wine, Columbia Valley $24 Mike Metheny and Lisa Swei have been on a nice roll in the past three years, leading this small Woodinville producer to seven Platinum Awards. This example of Grenache — a blend of Lonesome Springs Ranch in the Yakima Valley with Tertulia Cellars Rivière Galets fruit in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater — brings back their first Double Platinum.

They refer to the bottling using the French expression for “the hermit,” and the three-barrel lot is bargain-priced considering the popularity and scarcity of the Rhône variety in Washington. It’s chock full of strawberry jam and black pepper with secondary notes of cured meat and capped by olallieberry and pomegranate. (69 cases, 15.1% alc.) Award: Savor NW Wine Awards (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Tulip Valley Winery 2019 Abberin Vineyard Gewürztraminer, Yakima Valley $15 Best Buy! Camano Island winemaker Carl Engebreth sources this charming example of Gewürz from Tulip Valley’s estate vineyard across the Cascades near Sunnyside, Wash.

The Salmon Safe site provides the fruit for a beautifully textured experience that’s classic with orange blossom, lychee, melon and pink grapefruit, a structure sparked by gorgeous acidity to balance the 6% residual sugar — and resulting in the winery’s first career Platinum. (200 cases, 10% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Double Platinum 99 points

Double Platinum 98 points

Chris Daniel Winery 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley $35

Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2019 Renaissance Red, Lewis-Clark Valley $23 The latest and youngest of the “Ren Red” program is essentially the equal to the 2018 vintage as they both entered rarified air by being voted Double Platinum at the competition. It speaks to winemaker Coco Umiker’s style, vision and painstaking approach to blending, which over-delivers for the consumer. The 2019 expression marks the fourth consecutive vintage for Clearwater Canyon Cellars to reach Platinum, yet this neither relies as heavily on Syrah (33%) nor does it involve Carménère. Instead, the pinch of herbs comes from Cabernet Franc (28%), with Malbec (19%), then Cabernet Sauvignon (12%), Merlot and Petit Verdot in equal amounts. The result is a wine of plum and blueberry with spice, anise and fennel melding together amid a great mouth feel and long finish of boysenberry. (900 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Award: Great Northwest Invitatioal (gold)

Chris Stewart began working on these five barrels of Cab with his folks during his second vintage at Bell Wine Cellars in the Napa Valley. He’s since moved 20 miles north to famed Cab producer Girard Winery in Yountville. Here’s a stately example of Washington-built Cab that’s engaging from the start, offering rich notes of black cherry and cassis with secondary tones of chocolate, tobacco and graphite. While built for time, it also achieves a remarkable balance of structure with dark fruit. The Stewarts have scored three Platinums in the past two years with examples of Cab, and it’s their second straight judging with a Double Platinum. (123 cases, 14.9% alc. Award: Seattle Wine Awards)

Double Platinum 99 points Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2018 Renaissance Red, Lewis-Clark Valley $23 For the third straight year, Coco “Empress of the Platinum” Umiker has used her entry-level “Renaissance Red” — a tribute to the renaissance of her valley’s wine industry — to earn yet another Platinum.

While the foundation is Syrah (53%) from Umiker Vineyard, Carménère (11%) plays a significant role behind Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon as blackberry, plum skins, blood orange and sandalwood combine in a remarkable red at a bargain price. (695 cases, 14.3% alc.) Awards: San Francisco Chronicle (double gold), Savor Northwest (double gold)

Double Platinum 98 points Mt. Hood Winery 2018 Dry Hollow Vineyard Syrah, Columbia Valley $36 For the third time in four years, Dry Hollow fruit has helped deliver a Platinum to winemaker Rich Cushman and the Bickford family, which he crafts the wine for at Mt. Hood. One of the most expressive Syrahs of the judging, it features a constant flow of black fruit, campfire s’mores, cured meat, black licorice, tobacco and cracked black peppercorns. The espresso grounds in its tannin structure provide plenty of cellar life and a superb accompaniment for smoked pork ribs. (234 cases, 13.8% alc.) Award: Cascadia International (gold) Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 31

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TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

Double Platinum 97 points

Double Platinum 97 points

Double Platinum 97 points

Cathedral Ridge Winery 2017 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley $48

Hightower Cellars 2018 Merlot, Red Mountain $30

The Columbia Gorge winemaking team of Michael Sebastiani and Robb Bell earned a winery-record four Platinums in 2021, and this reserve Cab led their efforts. Bell’s recent forays into renowned Elephant Mountain Vineyard in Washington’s Yakima Valley have paid immediate dividends, exemplified by this statuesque Cab that’s a cherry bomb, framed by toasted oak, fine-grained tannins and black currant acidity. Suggested pairings include seared meats, roasted vegetables and mushrooms foraged in the Cascades. (200 cases, 13.3% alc.) Award: Cascadia International (gold)

The Hightowers built their first Merlot back in 2000 when they were still in Woodinville, and now they rely on their estate Out of Line Vineyard for the foundation. Their harvest during the last week in September resulted in a big delivery of blueberry and black cherry as earthiness merely adds to the marvelously managed tannins of Merlot, accounting for a great mouth feel with juiciness in the finish. It’s worth noting that their 2017 Merlot achieved Platinum in 2020. (269 cases, 14.7% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Latah Creek Wine Cellars 2019 Familigia Vineyard Rosé of Malbec, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley, $14

Double Platinum 97 points Cellardoor Winery 2019 Buoy White, American $18 A year ago, Maine winemaker Aaron Peet reached into Washington state vineyards to produce a Platinum for his Chenin Blanc program. This fall, he parlayed a blend of Chenin Blanc/Sèmillon (44%) from Yakima Valley fruit into a Double Platinum. It’s filled with tropical and stone fruit, and is bright and balanced with a crisp finish that’s wowed judging panels from January through October. Suggested pairings include prosciutto-wrapped melon, bacon-wrapped scallops and oysters on the half shell. (917 cases, 12.5% alc.) Awards: San Francisco Chronicle (gold), Cascadia International (best of class, double gold)

Double Platinum 97 points DeLille Cellars 2018 Four Flags, Red Mountain $75 A year ago, Jason Gorski won a Platinum for the 2017 edition of this vaunted Cabernet Sauvignon program. This fall, he climbed the ladder with the 2018 vintage by earning a Double Platinum, and it was constructed from four vineyards on Red Mountain — Ciel du Cheval, estate plantings Grand Ciel and Upchurch, and historic Klipsun. It’s a Cab lover’s delight with some suppleness as plum, black cherry, cinnamon toast and allspice are presented in impeccable fashion. “It’s simply lovely,” remarked one judge. (18,750 cases, 14.3% alc.) Awards: Cascadia International (gold), Sommelier Choice (gold), Seattle Wine Awards (gold), Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points

Best Buy! Three of the Conway family’s six career Platinums have been for their work with Malbec, and this marks their second time for the rosé with fruit from near the Gorge Amphitheater. Mountain berries, white peach and citrusy notes are cast within brilliant acidity that’s reminiscent of biting into a golden raspberry. The family suggests serving their rosé with pork, chicken or Street Cod Tacos, a recipe from Ellena Conway that’s posted on the Latah Creek website. (372 cases, 12.5% alc.) Award: Wine Press Northwest peer-judging (Outstanding)

King Estate Winery 2019 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $19

Double Platinum 97 points

No surprise here that King Estate stands atop the Pinot Gris category for this year’s judging, earning its fourth Platinum in three years with this white grape from Burgundy. It’s charmingly fresh and bright with lemongrass, Meyer lemon and apricot on the entry, which leads to Ruby Red grapefruit and seafood-friendly finishing notes of minerality, peach pit and lemon pith for a delightfully refreshing wine. (57,000 cases, 13.36% alc.)

Awards: Sunset International (best of class), Rodeo Uncorked (gold), Cascadia International (gold), Savor NW (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points King Estate Winery 2017 Sonrisa Vineyard Tempranillo, Columbia Valley $50 Even though it is in Rattlesnake Hills of the Yakima Valley, there’s some natural synergy between Sonrisa Vineyard and King Estate.

Both the winemaker, Brent Stone, and the grower, Nick Loeffler, are products of Washington State University. And while Sonrisa is devoted to Iberian Peninsula varieties, Loeffler’s organic farming practices fit with the desired approach of Ray Nuclo, King Estate’s director of vineyard operations. Stone develops a dense and deep style of Tempranillo, a variety that can handle 27 months in nearly 50% new French oak. That shows in the black cherry, dark plum and baking spice tones, which make for a remarkably elegant version of this Spanish red. (220 cases, 13.56% alc.)

Award: Wine Press Northwest peer judging (Outstanding!)

Schmidt Family Vineyards 2018 Reserve Tempranillo, Applegate Valley $42 The Southern Oregon three-generation winemaking team of Cal Schmidt, his daughter, René Brons, and grandson Duncan Brons now have 12 career Platinums to their credit, and four of those are for work with the popular Spanish red. Its beautiful aromas fill your nose with cherries, currants and toasted oak. That theme delivers a gorgeously framed mouth feel where the tannins come off as so refined they are borderline opulent. (109 cases, 14.1% alc.) Awards: Oregon Wine Experience (gold), Savor Northwest (gold), Denver International (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Siren Song Wines 2017 Beijo Siren’s Reserve Estate Red Wine, Lake Chelan $42 Chelan-based winemaker Kevin Brown takes an approach that we’re surprised more in Washington don’t attempt — building a wine with the firm base that Merlot supplies and framing the midpalate with fleshy Syrah.

Just those two, although they both are grown along the Brown estate on the south shore of Lake Chelan. Named for a Portuguese term for a kiss, it has a sultry elegance in its layers of succulent cherry juice, blueberry compote and Marionberry, with lavender and rosemary accents. Brown’s wife, Jordan, a trained chef, suggests serving it with grilled raspberry and balsamic-glazed lamb chops. (197 cases, 14.2% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold) Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 33

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

Double Platinum 97 points Thurston Wolfe Winery 2020 Albariño, Yakima Valley $20 Wade Wolfe scored his 30th career Platinum, which places him in a tie for seventh on the all-time list. Three of the most recent are for his work with this brilliant Spanish white grape, which the Ph.D in plant genetics from University of California-Davis asked the Crawford family to plant for him in their vineyard near Prosser, Wash. This screams Albariño with its hints of quince, Bosc pear, lemon curd and minerality that are bathed in beautiful acidity. (187 cases, 13% alc.)

Awards: Seattle Wine Awards (gold), Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Warr-King Wines 2020 Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley $24 Lisa Warr-King Packer’s résumé includes a stint at Chateau Ste. Michelle working with white wines, and the Woodinville winemaker earned her first Double Platinum with the judging’s top example of Chenin Blanc. It hails from Hahn Hill Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, a site established in 1968, and Packer loads the wine with hints of tropical fruit, orchard fruit and melon. The body carries beautiful weight with flavors of honeydew and cantaloupe, and the finish of lemon curd provides perfect acidity for a long finish.

Enjoy with fresh pastas, cheeses and salads.

(124 cases, 13.5% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Williamson Vineyards 2020 Albariño, Snake River Valley $23 The Williamson family planted the Spanish 34 | greatnorthwestwine.com

white Albariño at the behest of Sunnyslope winemaker Martin Fujishin, and it’s been a golden grape in Idaho for both the Williamson’s winery brand and Fujishin’s Free Dog Wines project. Here, it’s young winemaker James Nederend at the helm of this bottling that garners the Williamsons their first Double Platinum, rewarded for its beautiful aromatics of honeysuckle, citrus blossom and peach. Those are followed by guava, lemon sorbet and tangerine flavors, backed by white peach. (110 cases, 12.5% alc.) Award: Idaho Wine Competition (gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Sigillo Cellars 2018 EVO Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $38 Founding winemaker Mike Seal leans into Rhône for this four-barrel blend of Syrah (50%) and Petite Sirah (25%) that’s given some framework from Cabernet Sauvignon (25%). Prominent hints of plum, fig and black currant pick up spice box dust along the way to the juicy midpalate that’s capped by café mocha, creating a long finish that gives it a wow factor. (95 cases, 14.9% alc.) Award: Savor NW (double gold)

Double Platinum 96 points VanArnam Vineyards 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley $55 Kent and Allison VanArnam grow four Bordeaux varieties across their quiet estate in the Rattlesnake Hills, and Branden Seymour — a product of Central Washington University’s global wine studies program — has turned this six-barrel lot into the brand’s first Platinum. Free-run juice is one of their practices, and the profile of this young Cab is black-fruited with classic notes of leather, menthol and crushed basalt. Enjoy with a

board of meats and cheese at the on-premise Tin Roof Grill (150 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Awards: San Francisco Chronicle (gold), Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Woodward Canyon Winery 2020 Chardonnay, Washington State $44 It’s been fascinating to follow the transformation of the Small family’s Chardonnay program. Regardless of the style, it’s long been a standard for Washington, both when it was round and oak-driven to the balanced, fruit-focused approach of today. Kevin Mott, who arrived in 2003, relied on estate fruit and a bit from Celilo in the Columbia Gorge to craft the top Chardonnay of the Platinum.

White peach, Fuji apple, light vanilla and citrusy notes make for a fresh and bright Chardonnay that includes facial powder and orange zest in the finish. “It’s clean, beautiful, seamless and flirty,” according to one judge.

(417 cases, 14.2% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Brian Carter Cellars 2016 Byzance, Columbia Valley $34 For the fourth time, Woodinville’s Brian Carter earned a Platinum for his Rhône-inspired GSM. Only this time, it received a Double Platinum and stands as the highest-ranked of his six Platinums in 2021.

Lonesome Springs Ranch and StoneTree have long been at the core of Byzance, which in 2016 was a blend of Grenache (58%), Syrah (19%), and Mourvèdre (16%) that also included Counoise and Cinsaut. The Grenache brings vibrant tones of red currant and strawberry sauce, and there’s blueberry, smoke and spice from the Syrah. While sultry

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

in its structure and roasted coffee, there’s great Marionberry acidity to achieve balance.

(434 cases, 14.7% alc.) Awards: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold), Savor NW (best of class), Cascadia International (gold), Wine Press Northwest peer-judging (Outstanding!)

Double Platinum 97 points Cinder Wines 2020 Dry Viognier, Snake River Valley $25 Boise native Melanie Krause recently has built a reputation as one of the Northwest’s leaders with Viognier. She burnished that in 2021 via the consistent showing for her blend of three vineyards — Emerald Slope, Sawtooth and Williamson. Apple blossom, apricot and white peach aromas spill out across the palate, where there’s a light sheen of oil to give weight to the body, and then there’s some Mandarin orange and a bit of nectarine.

“This is what Viognier is supposed to be,” remarked one judge. (1,480 cases, 13.7% alc.)

Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/gold), Cascadia International (gold), Idaho Wine Competition (best white/best of class/double gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Scooteney Flats Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain, $36 Mark Lathrop went to business school, not winemaking school, but he’s proved to be a quick study in the cellar, thanks in part to talking his way into some of the best vineyards on Red Mountain. He blends clone 2 and clone 4 with a bit of Cabernet Franc (20%) to add enough style to achieve the ranks of Double Platinum. Think of cherry cocktail, cassis, chocolate and fruit cake spice, but there’s also a bit of menthol and

crushed brick. Sweet tannins and red pepper play out in the finish. One judge said, “It’s just a fun wine.” (120 cases, 14.8% alc.)

Award: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Mellisoni Vineyards 2018 Forte Rosso Red Wine, Royal Slope, $125 Rob and Donna Mellison have amassed 13 Platinums in the past two years, a remarkable achievement for a boutique producer, but they readily credit viticulturist Ed Kelly at Stillwater Creek Vineyard for much of their recent success, including this 50/50 unfiltered blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Beautiful fruitiness brings hints of cassis, cherry and blackberry within an appealing structure that includes orange oil and blueberry juice finish.

(152 cases, 15.2% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold), Bellingham NW (double gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Newhouse Family Vineyards 2013 Upland Vineyards Vestige Red Wine, Snipes Mountain $53 Rhône varieties love the heat generated along the slopes of Snipes Mountain and historic Upland Vineyards, and the Newhouse family works with winemaker Ron Bunnell — one of Washington’s top talents with Rhône reds — for this Syrah-based blend with Malbec and Merlot that finished as one of the highest-ranking proprietary reds of the Platinum. Despite its age, its wardrobe remains brilliantly vibrant, as is the structure. Think of roasted meat, dusted black cherry, chocolate mint and spice box tones with sumptuously soft tannins. This is the fifth Platinum that Bunnell has crafted for Newhouse, and the third in the past five

years. (99 cases, 14.3% alc.) Awards: Sunset International (best of class/double gold), Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Palencia Wine Co. 2019 Vino la Monarcha Malbec, Columbia Valley, $24 Victor “Kid Platinum” Palencia picked up five Platinums this fall, giving him a career total of 48 that he’s made across three brands since 2009. One of those came a year ago for the Monarcha 2018 Malbec, so it’s no surprise to see him go above and beyond this year with a unanimous Platinum award for his ebullient 2019. Despite the price and the youthfulness, there’s a riserva-style approach in this bottling as fig, bacon and black olive add complexity to the theme of blackberry jam, chocolate and crushed herbs. The tannins are beautifully refined, and there’s pleasing brightness with blueberry juice in the finish. (268 cases, 14.8% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Rocky Pond Estate Winery 2019 Stratastone Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $45 The winemaking legacy of Shane Collins helped Tsillan Cellars earn its Washington Winery of the Year award in 2020, and here is the third Platinum he’s produced for the Dufenhorst family and Rocky Pond. It’s the sixth overall by Rocky Pond, and the second involving Grenache, which is the lead player in this Rhône-inspired GSM blend with Syrah (30%) and Mourvèdre (14%). There’s purity to its bright red fruit approach that’s loaded with raspberry, red currant and Rainier cherry. Spice box, crushed herbs and cocoa fill in deliciously behind the plum skin tannins.

Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 35

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

In the next decade, this growing region is expected to be known as the Rocky Reach appellation, and Rhône varieties will be a major piece of its history. (380 cases, 14.9% alc.)

Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points The Bunnell Family Cellar 2014 Painted Hills Vineyard Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley $54 Art den Hoed’s vineyard just north of the Horse Heaven Hills near Mabton, Wash., has long been a prized source for Ron Bunnell, and it helped him produce a rarity — a wine that has received two Platinums three years apart. This bottling from 2014 picked up a Platinum in 2018, and it’s showing better by earning a Double Platinum in 2021. Much of its pretty nose of black fruit, black pepper, mint and orange oil carries onto the palate, where the variety’s typically robust tannins don’t overwhelm. Savory notes of black olive include baking spice and blueberry juice for a marvelous example of this traditional Bordeaux blending grape. (106 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Award: Sunset International (double gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2018 The Wine Project Red Wine, Washington $32 The product of a young proprietary blend approach by Wine Press Northwest’s 2020 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year results in a Double Platinum as Petit Verdot (61%), Petite Sirah (30%) and Carménère come together. Black currant, ripe blackberry notes include lavender and fresh peach. There’s nothing petite about the structure, but the tannins are knitted up while still capturing the aromatics and the body that Petit Verdot provides. “They accomplished all of what 36 | greatnorthwestwine.com

you would hope for,” offered one judge, and there’s age-worthy acidity, too. (166 cases, 14.7% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Double Platinum 96 points

Double Platinum 96 points

The Roberts family’s relationship with Mike Sauer at Red Willow Vineyard has been critical to the success of this Grays Harbor winery, and Riesling from the storied site in the Mount Adams foothills has been a foundation block. It’s never been better, as this is the second straight vintage of Lighthouse to go Platinum. Apple blossoms, orange, apricot and ginger combine in the aromatics and flavors, which conclude with a lingering juicy acidity. It’s a versatile wine, fit for your patio or deck but also at home on the table with a dinner of chicken, fish or Asian fare. (167 cases, 12% alc.) Award: Cascadia International (gold)

Siren Song Wines 2018 Ancient Stones Vineyard Grand Cru Estate Collection Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley $54 Kevin Brown’s collection of estate vineyards includes a site in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, an Oregon planting in which he shares ownership with Betz Family Winery. These four barrels provide a fascinating look at what Cab Franc offers when grown in cobblestones a la Châteauneuf-duPape. Brown leaves the funk buried in the background, showcasing instead a classically herbal and savory example of Cab Franc that’s refined on the palate with boysenberry, red currants and lithe tannins. That drinkability lends itself to crostini topped with a creamy goat cheese and sweet fig compote.

(92 cases, 14.2% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Tsillan Cellars 2018 Estate Reserve Malbec, Lake Chelan $50 Ray Sandidge had this wine in barrel when Tsillan Cellars received Washington Winery of the Year in 2020, and this is the fifth Malbec to earn a Platinum for Dr. Bob Jankelson, the winery’s visionary owner. It’s a wine filled with Bing cherry and strawberry juice as pleasing toast and cocoa butter add to its pleasing texture and medium structure. Enjoy with the rack of lamb or Duck Confit Risotto at Sorrento’s, the on-premise restaurant just beyond the Lake Chelan tasting room. (180 cases, 14.7% alc.) Awards: Seattle Wine Awards (gold), Bellingham Northwest (double gold)

Westport Winery 2018 Lighthouse Riesling, Yakima Valley, $28

Double Platinum 96 points VanArnam Vineyards 2018 Estate Reserve Syrah, Yakima Valley, $38 The VanArnam vines in the Rattlesnake Hills offer views of Mount Adams, and they are hitting their stride in the hands of Branden Seymour, who has accumulated more than 40,000 followers on TikTok while polishing the two Platinums he’s helped the VanArnams claim in 2021. Their Syrah is a mind-bender, classic in its theme of smoked bacon, dark brambleberries, violets and thyme. There’s a slice of raspberry pie on the midpalate and even a snickerdoodle before being chased by a squirt of maraschino cherry. (150 cases, 13.6% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

Double Platinum 98 points

Double Platinum 96 points

Double Platinum 96 points

Hightower Cellars 2018 Red Mountain Reserve Red Wine, Red Mountain $55

Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2020 Shepherds Mark White Wine, Horse Heaven Hills, $28

Cellardoor Winery 2017 Merlot, American $24

Tim and Kelly Hightower share winemaking and blending decisions, and that marriage of responsibilities continues to reveal itself with Meritage-type releases such as this Cabernet Sauvignon (88%) and Cabernet Franc (12%). Its fruit is a 50/50 split between the Hightowers’s Out of Line Vineyard and nearby E&E Shaw with a collection of Cab clones 6, 8 and 32. As usual, there’s brilliant balance and expression of the fruit core featuring black cherry, cassis and blackberry as new leather and pencil shaving notes are sifted into the background and polished off with a nibble of blueberry. (195 cases, 14.7% alc.) Award: Cascadia International (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Chris Daniel Winery 2017 Syrah, Columbia Valley $30 This product of Washington State University’s winemaking school has garnered two Platinums in the past three years for his work with Petite Sirah, so it’s no surprise to see him score a Double Platinum with the more famous grape from the Rhône. It hints at a brambleberry patch in the nose, and it’s remarkably fruit-forward on the palate, where it offers both power and balance in the delivery of blackberry, blueberry and black olive.

(90 cases, 14.2% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards. (gold)

Double Platinum 97 points Desert Wind Winery 2018 Ruah Red Wine, Wahluke Slope $20 The Fries family, winners of 10 career Platinums, left behind one of the Northwest’s top value reds when they sold their Prosser winery and their Washington vineyards in 2020 to Columbia Valley growers Joshua Lawrence and Tom Merkle. It’s a wide-ranging eight-variety blend that’s primarily Merlot (40%) and Syrah (33%), but the roles of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Carménère provide elegance. The sweet nose of blackberry and vanilla bean gathers up notes of cured meat and sarsaparilla for a smooth and fun wine with lingering touches of cassis and pomegranate syrup. (5,000 cases, 13.9% alc.) Awards: Sunset International (gold), Bellingham Northwest (double gold)

This marks the third career Platinum for Jarrod Boyle’s Shepherds Mark program, a blend dedicated to Rhône varieties Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne that he’s named as an homage to the early 20th century sheepherders who would stack rocks to serve as markers along the Horse Heaven Hills. It’s easy to scout out the hints of guava, passionfruit and honeysuckle, along with some weight from honeycomb. Mandarin orange and lime curd lead to the bright finish that the Boyles enjoy pairing with poultry, rich fish or sautéed chicken with celery-root purée.

(1,410 cases, 13.2% alc.) Award: Sunset International (gold)

Aaron Peet, a product of Walla Walla Community College’s winemaking program, joins an elite group of producers who have earned Platinum in back-to-back years with the same vintage of the same wine. Only this year, his blending of Merlot from Dick Boushey’s vineyard in the Yakima Valley and an undisclosed site on Red Mountain was a unanimous selection for Platinum. Dark, decadent and delightful were descriptions from judges who applauded this Merlot for black cherry, red currant, sarsaparilla and Nilla Wafer notes. Beveled edges and Bing cherry juice make for a velvety and lengthy finish.

(455 cases, 15% alc.) Award: San Francisco Chronicle (double gold)

Double Platinum 96 points

Double Platinum 96 points

Brian Carter Cellars 2016 Opulento, Yakima Valley, $22 Once more, Brian Carter’s Port-style program stands side by side with the best in the Northwest. His traditional approach layers Touriga Naçional (50%), Tinta Roriz (19%) and Souzao (17%) with Tinto Cão for a theme of sweet plum, cordial cherry, berry compote, campfire smoke and mint tea. All of the components work together as the fruit, sugar, tannin structure and alcohol blend seamlessly.

(295 cases, 19% alc.) Awards: Cascadia International (best of class/double gold), Seattle Wine Awards (double gold), Savor NW (best of class)

Double Platinum 96 points Callan Cellars 2019 Boushey Vineyards Mourvèdre, Yakima Valley $38 A small amount of Mourvèdre made its way into Lisa Callan’s GSM from Boushey Vineyards, and she held onto a single barrel of Mo to showcase the Rhône variety and finish as the top example entered into the Platinum. Its bold approach with strawberry compote and black plum fruitiness is joined by secondary notes of black peppercorns, Herbes de Provence and leather, making for a balanced blend of fruit, spice and brightness that finishes with toasted caramel and rosemary. The Washington State University grad has earned five Platinums in the past three years, all but one connected to Rhône.

(25 cases, 13.7% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2018 Coco’s Reserve Carménère, Washington $42 Ten of Coco Umiker’s 34 career Platinums have come from standalone bottlings featuring the red Bordeaux variety once thought to have been driven to the brink of extinction by the 19th century plague of phylloxera in France. Fortunately, Carménère thrives in the Pacific Northwest, particularly at Phinny Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. Classic notes of green peppercorn are joined by spicy roasted coffee and dark fruit. The injection of juicy blue-fruited Malbec (17%) makes for a mouth feel that’s big, rich, supple and sexy.

(132 cases, 15.1% alc.) Award: Cascadia International - Double Gold/Best of Class

Double Platinum 96 points Cliff Creek Cellars 2019 MRV White Wine, Rogue Valley, $22 A number of white Rhône blends finished toward the top of the 22nd Platinum Awards, and the Garver family in Sams Valley worked with the Medford, Ore., winemaking team of Herb Quady, Brian Gruber and Nicole Shulte to claim a Platinum with its MRV program for a second straight vintage. This time, Viognier (47%) takes the lead ahead of Roussanne (35%) and Marsanne, and there is great weight to the profile of stone fruit and butterscotch as pear skin and lemon oil allow it to strike a balance. Enjoy with shellfish and cream-based pasta dishes. (457 cases, 13.7% alc.) Awards: San Francisco Chronicle (gold), McMinnville (double gold) Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 37

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Double Platinum

Double Platinum 96 points Dusty Cellars Winery 2018 Spartan, Rattlesnake Hills, $17 A decade ago, Ryan and Dusty Kramer on Camano Island in the Puget Sound pulled down a double Platinum for their Cabernet Franc. They are back with a Merlot-driven red they call Spartan, but it’s a wine that’s anything but spartan. Jammy fruit that hints at blackberry and black cherry are joined by Graham cracker, herbal notes and a scrape of slate. The silky finish includes a lingering nibble of mulberry. (150 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Double Platinum 94 points Holesinsky Winey and Vineyard 2020 Sparkling Unicorn Rosé of Syrah, Snake River Valley $18 The Holesinskys recently launched this portion of their program, which they playfully refer to as their “Pacific Cooler.” In the judging arena, where the label isn’t seen, this sparkling rosé made with Syrah comes across deliciously serious. Aromas of raspberry, strawberry and fresh-baked bread come through along with a thread of spice. It offers beautiful vibrancy to balance the touch of residual sugar (less than 1%) as it circles

38 | greatnorthwestwine.com

back with a lick of strawberry compote. (400 cases, 11% alc.) Award: Idaho Wine Competition (gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Mellisoni Vineyards NV Bollincini Brut Bubbly White, Columbia Valley, $60 The inspiration for Rob Mellison to enter the wine industry and launch it from Lake Chelan came from his business trips to Italy.

Only recently has he begun producing Prosecco-style sparkling wines, which feature his wife, Donna, on the label during her days as a fashion model. This young effort is a multiple vintage of Chardonnay from the Ancient Lakes.

It’s an exceptional example as the delicate yet persistent mousse pushes out aromas of bubble gum, guava and pink grapefruit. “It just smells fun, and I could drink it all day long,” remarked one judge. (124 cases, 12.7% alc.) Award: Bellingham NW Wine Festival (gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Pomeroy Cellars 2018 Lucia No. 47 Red Wine, Yakima Valley $44 The Brink family’s connection to the Lucia Valley north of Vancouver, Wash., reaches back to the early 1900s, and his great-grandmother attended and later taught for the

Lucia School District — No. 47 on the state registry, not far down the list from L’Ecole No. 41 in the Walla Walla Valley. He pays tribute to her with this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Merlot (20%) and Syrah — all off famed DuBrul Vineyard. His deft touch with the balanced barrel program of 50% new French oak keeps the focus on that fruit — redolent of strawberry jam and cassis with tremendous structure and balance. The result is his first career Platinum. (105 cases, 14.1% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Rolling Hills Vineyard 2018 Cabernet Franc, Eagle Foothills, $45 Mark and Lori Pasculli have rehabilitated a Cabernet Franc vineyard near the Boise suburb of Eagle and have naturally chosen to make that Bordeaux variety a focus of their young estate winery. This bottling, with some guidance from winemaker Angela Shaltry, is from the winery’s first commercial vintage, and there’s a richness beyond its savory herbal profile. Blackberry and plum are joined by black pepper, cloves and orange oil, which carry into a finish of toasted oak and black cherry. (223 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: Idaho Wine Competition (gold)

Double Platinum 96 points Siren Song Wines 2017 Jolie Red Wine, Washington State, $41 In his previous life, Kevin Brown was a Seattle software executive with strong ties to a pair of now publicly traded companies.

He’s into his second decade as a Washington winemaker, and his work has merited seven Platinums in the past two years. This blend of Cabernet Franc (35%), Malbec (35%) and Merlot off the Wahluke Slope carries a theme of cherries, bittersweet chocolate, toast and Big Hunk nougat. Presented in a bright style, it leaves plenty of room for a long finish of cherry juice. (125 cases, 13.6% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold), Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Single Platinums Platinum 95 points Ancestry Cellars 2018 Reminiscence Riesling, Columbia Gorge, $22 Among the encouraging developments in the Northwest wine industry is the growing appreciation for recently released Rieslings with some bottle age to them. Jason Morin, a graduate of the Northwest Wine Academy, deserves applause for this work with Riesling from Underwood ​​ Mountain Vineyard, one of Washington’s coolest sites. Devotees can expect a theme of peach, melon, petrol and slate with a bit of sweet green pea emerging along the way. Two years ago, Ancestry’s 2017 Reminiscence went Double Platinum.

(118 cases, 11.8% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold), North Central Washington Wine Awards (double gold)

Platinum 96 points

Platinum by the numbers Here are a few statistics of interest about the 2021 Platinum Awards: • Total entries: 528 • Double Platinums: 66 (12%) • Platinums: 127 (24%) • Double golds: 210 (40%) • Golds: 117 (22%) • Total cases represented in this judging: 2,548,202 • Average alcohol by volume: 13.95% • Average price per bottle: $34.78 • Average price per Double Platinum: $37.11 • Mean price for Double Platinum: $34 • Average per per Platinum: $35.03 • Mean price for Platinum: $34 • What it would cost to buy one bottle of each wine judged: $17,984

Platinums won by AVA Columbia Valley (50), Yakima Valley (19), Horse Heaven Hills (14), Red Mountain (14), Walla Walla Valley (13), Washington State (12), Willamette Valley (11), Snake River Valley (7), Lake Chelan (6), Rogue Valley (6), Royal Slope (5), Umpqua Valley (5), American (4), Lewis-Clark Valley (4), Puget Sound (3), Rattlesnake Hills (3), Wahluke Slope (3), Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley (2), Applegate Valley (2), Snipes Mountain (2), Southern Oregon (2), Candy Mountain (1), Columbia Gorge (1), Eagle Foothills (1), Eola-Amity Hills (1) and Yamhill-Carlton (1).

Leading categories of Platinum winners All red blends - 36 Cabernet Sauvignon - 24 Pinot Noir - 13

American Viticultural Areas represented: 33

Syrah - 13

They include: Columbia Valley (124), Yakima Valley (55), Horse Heaven Hills (35), Walla Walla Valley (34), Red Mountain (32), Washington State (30), Willamette Valley (26), Snake River Valley (25), Rogue Valley (22), Umpqua Valley (20), Lake Chelan (15), American (12), Lewis-Clark Valley (12), Wahluke Slope (12), Rattlesnake Hills (8), Royal Slope (8), Southern Oregon (8), Columbia Gorge (7), Applegate Valley (6), Puget Sound (6), Snipes Mountain (5), White Bluffs (5), Yamhill-Carlton (5), Chehalem Mountains (4), Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley (2), Eola-Amity Hills (2), McMinnville (2), Candy Mountain (1), Dundee Hills (1), Eagle Foothills (1), Naches Heights (1), Oregon (1) and Tualatin Hills (1).

Malbec - 10

Above The Curve Vineyard 2019 Old Vine Sèmillon, Yakima Valley $18

Platinum 95 points

In 2017, retired school psychologist Mike Jacobsen purchased this small vineyard near Prosser, Wash., which was first planted in the 1980s. Jacobsen renamed it Above The Curve Vineyard, and here he works with former Ste. Michelle winemaker Ron Bunnell to produce small lots of this white Bordeaux grape. It opens with a nice golden color and has all the right things in place and nicely stacked.

There’s lemon curd, toasted sesame seed and pear butter framed by delicious balance and capped by lemon pith. (125 cases, 13% alc.)

Award: Sunset International Wine Competition (gold)

The latest bottling of “The Green Lizard” Grüner hadn’t been released long before it quickly started winning gold medals, and the 2020 vintage marks the fourth straight time it’s earned a Platinum or better. The mascot of Austria’s Wachau Valley — a green lizard — is known as smaragd. It’s also a term denoting the lots of Grüner that attain the highest level of ripeness and result in a finished wine that fermented to 12.5% alcohol. Stephen Reustle gets there with his

Reustle - Prayer Rock Vineyards 2020 Estate Green Lizard Grüner Veltliner, Umpqua Valley, $32

Merlot - 9 Rosé - 9 Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blends - 9 Red blends led by Cabernet Sauvignon - 9 Red blends led by Merlot - 7 Red blends led Syrah - 5 Tempranillo - 8 Riesling - 7 Cabernet Franc - 5 Chardonnay - 4 Albariño - 4 Carménère - 4 latest Green Lizard, and the ripeness brings a softer mouthfeel that offers charming notes of orchard blossom, honeysuckle and lime. (259 cases, 12.6% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 94 points Brian Carter Cellars 2017 One Grenache, Yakima Valley, $85 Colin Morrell’s transformation of a sheep ranch near Prosser, Wash., into Lonesome Springs Ranch is embraced by a number of Washington winemakers and their supporters. Among them is Brian Carter, who took a bit more than three barrels of Grenache and crafted a wine of elegance with raspberry, Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 39

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

Chelan cherry and black currant aromas and flavors, which come with some spicy accents.

(83 cases, 14.8% alc.) Awards: Wine Press Northwest peer-judging (Unanimously Outstanding!), Savor NW (best of class)

Platinum 94 points Brian Carter Cellars 2018 Abracadabra Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $25 Oregon State grad Brian Carter pulls off some magic with this recent release of his flagship red. We won’t list all 12 varieties in play, but the assortment is led by Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot and Merlot. It’s deep, dark and delicious, dominated by flavors and aromas of black currant, Damson plum, baking spice and graphite. One judge complimented the winemaker for the wine’s “forever finish.”

(1,400 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Platinum 94 points Rellik Winery 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Rogue Valley, $35 Southern Oregon winemaker Chris Graves handles the program for this tasteful yet whimsical property in historic Jacksonville, Ore., that offers wine tasting surrounded by an orchard where alpacas roam. There’s lodging and build-your-own pizza, too. Graves’s work brings out a Cab filled with deep blueberry and black currant notes, dark chocolate and violets accompanied by light tannins that will be ideal with one of those pizzas. Nearly two years ago, this same bottling earned a gold at the Savor NW judging on Cannon Beach, so this high-ranking Platinum — the first for the Pegan family, really is hitting its stride. (65 cases, 13.8% alc.) Award: San Francisco Chronicle (gold) 40 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Platinum 94 points Schmidt Family Vineyards 2018 Reserve Touriga Naçional, Applegate Valley, $40 A year ago, the Schmidt clan used a fortified Tempranillo with five years of age to claim a Platinum. In Portugal, that grape is called Tinta Roriz. Touriga Naçional — is another Portuguese variety that often plays a role in Port-style wines. However, this interpretation is made into a dry red table wine that’s gone gold three times in 2021.

It now wears a Platinum for its hints of dark cherry, plum and coffee, creamy structure and juicy finish of black raspberry and vanilla.

(96 cases, 14.5% alc.) Awards: Oregon Wine Experience (gold), Savor NW (gold), Denver International (gold)

Platinum 93 points Three of Cups 2016 Heart of Hill Vineyard Le Bateleur, Red Mountain, $35 For a second consecutive vintage, Williams family Cabernet Sauvignon from the middle of Red Mountain leads Mike Metheny to a Platinum. It’s drinking superbly, a ripe and supple Cab that one would be a fool not to seek out as classic Bing cherry, red currant, cocoa powder notes finish with an injection of black raspberry juice. (104 cases, 14.3% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 96 points Dusted Valley Vintners 2019 Stoney Vine Vineyard Estate Tall Tales Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $62 Wisconsin-raised brothers-in-law Chad Johnson and Corey Braunel reach into their own vineyard in The Rocks District for this inky, meaty and black-fruited Syrah. Done in neutral French oak puncheons, there’s plenty

of black currant, licorice and mincemeat pie to enjoy, with some Graham cracker, tar and pencil shavings along for the ride in the medium-structured Syrah that speaks softly in terms of its funky birthplace. This is DVV’s third Platinum with Syrah, and the 14th in their screw-capped history. (110 cases, 14.2% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 95 points Brian Carter Cellars 2019 Oriana White Wine, Yakima Valley $25 Brian Carter produces just one white wine under his eponymous brand, and he named it for the Latin term for “golden lady.” Primarily a Rhône blend, it leads with Viognier (49%) and Roussanne (41%) with some Riesling to boost the fruit profile. It’s well-measured as it rolls out fresh peach, guava and nectarine, but wet stone and minerality give it a spot at the dining table rather than just the back patio. Enjoy it with scallops on a bed of mushroom risotto alongside market vegetables. (764 cases, 13.9% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 95 points Chateau Ste. Michelle 2018 Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9 Best Buy! Two dozen of the Woodinville giant’s 45 career Platinums have been for work with Riesling, and this is the world’s largest bottling of the noble white grape from Germany. It rides the fine line between medium dry and medium sweet, bringing slices of peach and apricot, a tiny whiff of petrol because of its age, and a masterful amount of lime juice acidity to check the residual sugar of 2%. Enjoy with grilled fish, rice dishes, linguini in clam sauce or a plate of mild

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

cheeses. (850,000 cases, 12% alc.) Award: Rodeo Uncorked (gold)

Platinum 95 points Chris James Cellars 2018 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $32 This young brand in Carlton, Ore., achieved Platinum in 2021 with three wines.

Among those was this Pinot Noir that blends fruit from three vineyards — including Christopher and Bethany Barnes’s estate planting.

Dark cherries, black raspberry and Damson plum help describe the profile of this Pinot Noir, which picks up lavender, earthiness and spice box tones. It’s an elegant and pure expression of the variety. Suggested pairings include Fennel-Greek Pork Roast and flank steak with garlic mashed potatoes. (146 cases, 13.68% alc.) Awards: SavorNW (gold), Oregon Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 94 points Basalt Cellars 2018 Rim Rock Red, Washington State, $22 This Right Bank Bordeaux-style blend led

by Merlot (51%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (29%) lacks only Carménère from representing all six of the classic Bordeaux varieties, and Rick Wasem’s skillful blending of his flagship red turned it into the highest ranking wine of his four Platinum winners in our 2021 judging. Dusty dark blue fruit, beveled tannins, pomegranate acidity and cinnamon powder only begin to describe this bright and balanced red. Wasem has used Merlot to win four of his 19 career Platinum Awards. (444 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: Sunset International (gold)

Platinum 94 points Thurston Wolfe Winery 2018 Petit Verdot, Horse Heaven Hills, $30 Twice in the past three years Wade Wolfe along Cabernet Court in Prosser has earned a Platinum for his work with Petit Verdot.

Double Canyon Vineyard has given him a very expressive example of this Bordeaux variety that’s traditionally been used as a blending component. Allowed to stand on its own, there is rich dark purple fruit with violet, lavender and dried herbs. Plum jam and allspice on the midpalate pave the path for a long and soft finish of sweet chocolate ganache and molasses. (98 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Platinum 94 points Chris Daniel Winery 2017 Petite Sirah, Columbia Valley $30 For the second straight year, Napa Valley winemaker Chris Stewart has brought home a Platinum with his Petite Sirah from Jerry Milbrandt’s Northridge Vineyard. It’s a rich, fruity and delicious example of the cross between Peloursin and Syrah created in the 19th century by Francois Durif. Descriptors include huckleberry jam and cordial cherries, which help explain the dense and silky texture that finishes with juiciness rather than taut tannins. (133 cases, 14.2% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Platinum 94 points Coventina Vineyards 2016 Reserve Tempranillo, Southern Oregon, $45 This 10-acre property between the Rogue River and the dairy for Rogue Creamery has a layered relationship with grower/winemaker Herb Quady, whose team at Barrel 42 works

with Coventina CEO Chris Amen on her wine program. Their combined efforts earned Coventina its first two Platinums, led by this classic Rogue Valley example. The product of fruit certified as organic by the Oregon Tilth is deep and dark with cherries, plum and black currant, joined by spice box, earthiness and cigar box. Elevated acidity and firm tannins from this blend of clones 5 and 11 make it an ideal pairing with David Gremmels’s world-renowned Oregon Blue cheese.

(665 cases, 14.6% alc.) Award: International Women’s Wine Competition (gold)

Platinum 94 points Lady Hill Winery 2019 Trinity Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $38 Jerry Owen of Owen Roe fame has earned three Platinums in the past two years, and winemaker Dan Duryee’s highest score in 2021 came with this three-barrel vineyard-designate Pinot Noir off vines in Jory soil from nearby Salem. It’s a winsome wine that’s delicate and fruity as black raspberries, Rainier cherries and baking spices are embraced within in a suave structure. (73 cases, 13% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 94 points Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Scooteney Flats Vineyard Malbec, Red Mountain, $38 One of the two vineyards established by the Vinagium group, this 40-acre site is dominated by the soil type that inspired its name.

Scooteney Flats also helped Spokane Valley winemaker Mark Lathrop to score three of his seven Platinum award winners in 2021. This is a remarkably complex expression of Marionberry, Damson plum and blueberry with Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 41

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

secondary notes of allspice and bacon riding along a medium structure of Earl Grey tea and bittersweet chocolate. Enjoy with flank steak or pork. (110 cases, 14.3% alc.) Award: SavorNW (gold)

Platinum 94 points Maryhill Winery 2019 Winemaker’s Red, Columbia Valley $18 For the second straight vintage, Richard Batchelor has received a Platinum for his entry-level proprietary red blend program, which leads with Cabernet Sauvignon and gathers up 11 other varieties to the mix for this latest example. Our panels don’t judge by price, so this bottling stands on its own merit, bringing an abundance of black and blue fruit notes, led by black cherry and blueberry, while receiving a nice touch of oak, showing in a lick of chocolate in the close. (7,280 cases, 14.1% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Platinum 93 points Aluel Cellars 2018 Regalia Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $36 Alex Oh and Samuel Hilbert pour their wines on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, and they worked with Bart Fawbush of Bartholomew Winery on the Carménère-driven 2014 Coat of Arms red blend that ranked as the 2018 Platinum’s Best of the Best. This fall, one of their two Platinums were the result of this Rhône-inspired blend of Syrah (40%), Mourvèdre (40%) and Grenache. A slice of sugar-crusted cherry pie comes with a dried of herbs, baking spice and crushed brick. It’s presented in a bigger structure than many GSMs, but the wealth of fruit allows it to strike a beautiful balance as Choward’s Violet 42 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Mints appear in the finish. (124 cases, 13.9% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 93 points Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2018 Merlot, Lewis-Clark Valley $28 Coco Umiker earned her second career Platinum back in 2014 via a 2012 Merlot from her home state of Idaho. She’s back with this example from the Lewis-Clark Valley, where she traditionally pulls from Umiker Estate Vineyard as well as Rock n’J Vineyard, the easternmost vineyard in Washington state. It bursts with black raspberry, mocha and coffee notes in a complex fashion that includes a sense of meatiness. Just as importantly, the tannins are in line, which is no easy feat with Merlot in the Northwest.

(235 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Platinum 93 points Mellisoni Vineyards 2018 Malbec, Royal Slope, $65 Malbec from the Royal Slope has been producing chart-topping hits with critics throughout the Northwest, and the Mellisons reached into Stillwater Creek for this bottling, the result of 22 months in six ICÔNE Elégance Seguin Moreau barrels — a program similar to their Best Friends blend. It’s richly fruited with notions of blackberry sauce and cordial cherries across the smooth palate. A pinch of baking spice and black currant acidity come in a timely fashion. (143 cases, 14.9% alc.)

Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 93 points Oak Knoll Winery 2019 Reserve Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $20 The first winery in Oregon’s Washington

County observed its 50th anniversary in 2020, and erstwhile dairyman Jeff Herinckx is well into his second decade as the family’s head winemaker, taking over from his cousin — pioneer Ronald Vuylsteke. It’s a picturesque example of rosé, and it’s a bit of a throwback with its blazing fruit punch color.

It would be a mistake to view it as a blush, however, because a sip brings lively flavors of Rainier cherry, raspberry and a steady pulse of pomegranate juice. It’s a delicious package from a number of vineyards in the recently established Laurelwood District appellation that provided this Hillsboro brand its first career Platinum. (162 cases, 13.5% alc.) Award: Drink Pink Vino International Rosé Wine Competition (double gold)

Platinum 93 points Reustle - Prayer Rock Vineyards 2018 Estate Syrah, Umpqua Valley $32 While he’s largely known for Grüner Veltliner, Stephen Reustle earned headlines at the 2015 Six Nations Wine Challenge in Australia when his 2012 Masada Bloc Syrah earned the title as Best New World Syrah. In 2009, he used a 2007 Syrah to win his first Platinum, and his ability to ripen Syrah shows up once again at the Platinum, revealing an inky example with classic notes of dark blue fruit, leather and cured meat. (460 cases, 13.8% alc.) Awards: San Francisco Chronicle (double gold), Monterey International (gold), Newport Seafood & Wine (gold)

Platinum 92 points Wautoma Springs 2020 Rosé, Columbia Valley, $17 Grower/co-owner Tom Merkle arranged for the Syrah that co-owner/winemaker Jessica Munnell transformed into pink perfection.

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

Aromas akin to summer flowers, fresh-cut grass and sweet strawberry pie flow into a super clean and juicy entry. Bubble gum and ripe raspberries delight the palate, which lingers with lemon zest, white tea and orange oil. It’s everything a traditional rosé should be. Suggested fare includes rice noodles with chicken breasts cooked in a spicy Asian sauce featuring sesame oil, sambal and soy sauce.

(456 cases, 12.6% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold), Cascadia International (gold)

Platinum 91 points

The core of dark fruit comes with leather, chai spices, eucalyptus and savory black olive notes. There’s an endearing edginess from the Red Mountain influence, an underlying power that will serve this bottling well in the cellar.

Peet has produced a whopping 17 Platinum Awards for winery owner Bettina Doulton in just the past three years of Cellardoor’s participation. (467 cases, 14.5% alc.) Awards: San Francisco Chronicle (gold), Cascadia International (best of class/gold)

Platinum 97 points

Woodward Canyon Winery 2019 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $99 It’s been 40 years since founding winemaker Rick Small launched his Old Vines Cab program, which was also referred to as the Dedication Series until 2005. Its stately sourcing includes famed Champoux and historic Sagemoor as well as the Woodward Canyon Estate. Decadence brings thoughts of dark chocolate, black cherry, dark plum and toffee, with secondary notes of smoked meat, savory black olive and cherry pit. While built for the long haul, its approachable structure and juicy finish belies its youthfulness by winning a Platinum for the four time. (580 cases, 14.9% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold)

Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Reserve Syrah, Red Mountain, $44 There are a half-dozen wineries that factor into the Eastern Washington University Alumni Association’s program — the Eagle Flights Wine Club. Liberty Lake vintners Mark and Sarah Lathrop should move to the top of EWU’s club rotation after their performance at the Platinum. This Syrah from the Williams family’s Ranch at the End of the Road Vineyard deserves strong consideration. An opulent barrel program rolls all along as Baker’s chocolate, blackberry, plum and bacon jam on toast are enveloped by fine-grained tannins, capped by a finish of Marionberry and mocha that keeps on going.

There’s a lot to like and appreciate over the next decade. (120 cases, 15.1% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 91 points

Platinum 95 points

Cellardoor Winery 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, American, $26 McKinley Springs Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills and a vineyard on Red Mountain that Maine winemaker Aaron Peet is not allowed to disclose combined to give the Pine Tree State brand its first Platinum for Cab.

TAHIJA. 2018 Candy Mountain Vineyard Sangiovese, Yakima Valley, $26 Coeur d’ Alene business executive Mark Lathrop developed TAHIJA as a separate brand from his Red Mountain-focused Liberty Lake Wine Cellars. This work predates the 2020 establishment of the Candy Mountain

American Viticultural Area, and it ended up as the top-scoring Sangiovese of the Platinum. It’s not a funky young Brunello but rather a clean, red-fruited and bouncy red with a juicy profile that broadcasts acidity over tannin, making for a slightly rounded mouthfeel and a finish of mocha powder. (120 cases, 14% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 95 points Reustle - Prayer Rock Vineyards 2018 Estate Pinot Noir, Umpqua Valley $36 The amazing diversity of Southern Oregon viticulture, Stephen Reustle’s 40-acre enclave in particular, is on display each year at the Platinum Awards. This signals his sixth career Platinum for Pinot Noir, and it exudes elegance from the start. The spectrum includes cherry and plump raspberry with forest floor and anise, and it continues to please as it opens up. (531 cases, 13.4% alc.) Awards: American Fine Wine Invitational (double gold) Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 94 points 2Hawk Vineyard & Winery 2017 Darow Series Tempranillo, Rogue Valley, $49 Third-generation Fresno County farmer Ross Allen’s vineyard near Medford, Ore., features sections heavily influenced by the Darow Series soil type. Longtime Southern Oregon winemaker Kiley Evans turned this bottling into 2Hawk’s fourth Platinum, half of those for Tempranillo. The big Spanish red spent nearly two years in a barrel program with 50% new French oak, which is revealed in the black cherry, allspice and clove approach. Nicely managed tannins and black currant acidity combine for a great mouthfeel Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 43

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

and long bittersweet chocolate finish. (357 cases, 13.9% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/gold)

Platinum 94 points Camaraderie Cellars 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $29 Olympic Peninsula winemaker Don Corson uses this nicely aged Cabernet Sauvignon to earn the urban geographer’s third Platinum in two years, and his second with Cab. The University of Oregon graduate’s program for Cabernet Sauvignon drills down on two of Washington state’s historic vineyards — Sagemoor’s Dionysus along the White Bluffs and Upland on historic Snipes Mountain.

The profile exudes grace from start to finish, stringing along remarkable aromatics of cassis, boysenberry, graphite and moist earth, a combination that’s carried along to the palate where well-managed tannins make for a rewarding experience. It proved to be one of the classiest Cabs of this judging. (1,092 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Platinum 94 points Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2019 Coco’s Reserve Petite Sirah, Washington, $38 The Umikers’s ongoing relationship with the Verhey family — which farms Roosevelt Ridge near the Columbia Gorge and its namesake planting near Yakima — is on display with the Clearwater Canyon program for Petite Sirah. This marks their third Platinum with the boisterous red Rhône grape, which speaks loudly with bold purple fruit, sage and white pepper. “Petite Sirah is difficult to work with,” said one winemaking judge. “There are the huge aromatics, but it’s also hugely tannic, so you have to strike a delicate balance 44 | greatnorthwestwine.com

— how to hold onto the aromas and still have a wine you can drink. They did a brilliant job.” (146 cases, 14.8% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/gold)

Platinum 94 points Coyote Canyon Winery 2020 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Concrete Fermented Albariño, Horse Heaven Hills, $28 Rancher/grower Mike Andrews brought this Spanish white variety to life in Washington, and he’s now earned five Platinum Awards for the Albariño produced at his winery in Prosser. It’s the second straight year that his winemaker, Justin Michaud, picked up a Platinum for his concrete-fermented approach, which yields a bright and crisp wine filled with lemon verbena and lime sorbet notes. (130 cases, 13% alc.) Award: Denver International (gold)

Platinum 94 points Cliff Creek Cellars 2016 Cabernet Franc, Rogue Valley, $32 The Garvin family, with more than a century of farming in their background, spotlights their Sams Valley Vineyard with this bottling handled by the winemaking team at Barrel 42 in Medford. Red currant and boysenberry mix with the pinch of leafiness that wafts out from the barrel notes of clove and nutmeg. Montmorency cherry provides the food-friendly acidity, and the suitable amount of tannin will serve it well with herb-rubbed poultry, stuffed peppers, Eggplant Parmesan, grilled asparagus and pasta in a red sauce. (98 cases, 13.5% alc.) Award: Oregon Wine Experience (gold)

Platinum 94 points Lagana Cellars 2018 Breezy Slope Vineyard Pinot Noir, Walla Walla Valley, $40 The winemaking team of Jason Fox and Todd Bernave continue their work with this DeWitt family vineyard to deliver one of the top Pinot Noirs entered into the Platinum, and the only one grown in Eastern Washington. A key is the site, which is in the foothills of the Blue Mountains at 1,700 feet elevation. Their 50% whole cluster fermentation builds a foundation of Bing cherry, a pinch of baking spice and subtle notes of leather and raspberry leaf. Smooth tannins and raspberry acidity combine for a stellar finish. (70 cases, 14.3% alc.) Awards: Cascadia International (gold), Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Platinum 94 points Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Heritage Reserve Red Wine, Red Mountain, $45 This straightforward blend of clone 4 Cabernet Sauvignon from Scooteney Flats with Phelps clone Syrah off Ranch at the End of the Road turned into one of Mark Lathrop’s seven Platinum winners this fall. Blackberry, cassis and coffee along with tobacco and an earthy edge are easily enjoyed because of the velvety structure that finishes with a bite of blackberry and another pour of coffee. (50 cases, 15% alc.) Award: Cascadia International (gold)

Platinum 94 points Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Red Heaven Vineyard Tempranillo, Red Mountain, $38 Of the nine vineyard sites across Red

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

Mountain that are now part of the Shaw Vineyards portfolio, there is only one 2-acre block of Tempranillo. Mark Lathrop, from just his third vintage as a winemaker, turned the big Spanish red into a Platinum at Liberty Lake.

It’s a complete and classic example of Temp with its theme of leather, black cherry and boysenberry along with sandalwood, barrel spice and sun-dried tomato. Enjoy with rack of lamb, prime rib or tomato-based dishes.

(120 cases, 13.7% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 94 points Long Shadows Vintners 2019 Poet’s Leap Riesling, Columbia Valley $20 In recent years, French expat Gilles Nicault took control of this program from Armin Diel, the German responsible for the first wine ever released by Long Shadows back in 2004. Grapes from Sagemoor Farms and The Benches go into Poet’s Leap, and skillful balance is achieved within the profile of nectarine, white peach and Queen Anne cherries.

Lime juice and river rock easily address the 1% residual sugar, and this should be thought of as dazzlingly dry. (4,200 cases, 12.3% alc.)

Award: Sommeliers Choice (double gold)

Platinum 94 points Maryhill Winery 2018 Proprietor’s Reserve Grenache, Columbia Valley $46 One of the Northwest’s largest productions of Grenache also ranks among the best as winemaker Richard Batchelor blends fruit from nearby Gunkel, Fountain Farms northwest of Crow Butte Park in the Horse Heaven Hills and Elephant Mountain vineyards into an expressive example. Dried strawberries, cranberry and baking spice pick up underlying notes of tobacco and saddle leather on the

way to a smooth finish of pomegranate juice.

It’s the third time in the past four years for this tier of Grenache to go Platinum. (1,886 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/gold)

Platinum 94 points Maryhill Winery 2019 Rosé of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley $20 In back-to-back years, this same 2019 rosé has gone Platinum, proving that quality rosé deserves to be respected beyond the previous year’s vintage. Maryhill owner Craig Leuthold credits Barnard Griffin for blazing the trail in the Pacific Northwest by featuring the Italian red variety in a rosé program, and Richard Batchelor charts a similar path with a profile that bursts with dusty boysenberry, red cherry and cranberry, backed by orange zest and dried herbs. This marks the sixth career Platinum for Maryhill’s rosé program, and the Leutholds enjoy it with a plate of Cougar Gold cheese and Wheat Thins. (9,312 cases, 12.5% alc.) Awards: Cascadia International (gold), Great Northwest Invitational (gold), Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 94 points Quiddity Wines 2018 AMORE Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $35 Woodinville Warehouse denizen Greg Peiker invested in two of the state’s top vineyards — Elephant Mountain and its sister Sugarloaf — for this GSM-ish blend of Syrah (62%), Mourvèdre (23%) and Grenache. The Microsoft retiree and Northwest Wine Academy grad made AMORE the flagship bottling from his debut vintage, and it’s a beautiful start with black raspberry, strawberry and Herbs de Provence. Pinches of white pepper and violet, along with cherry juice, make for an elegant

finish. (324 cases, 14.5% alc.) Awards: Sunset International (gold), Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 94 points Westport Winery NV Rapture of the Deep Carbonated Cranberry Wine, Washington State, $31 A product of “The Cranberry Coast,” Rapture is the Roberts family’s most decorated wine. Any wine lover who eats Craisins owes it to themselves to buy a bottle to judge for themselves. It offers some tannin for those into red wines, and the natural tanginess of cranberry — combined with the fun frothiness of the bubbles — earns a spot at the dinner table during the holidays. (400 cases, 12 alc.) Award: Savor NW (best of class/gold)

Platinum 93 points Basalt Cellars 2018 Malbec, Washington State, $28 There were more than 30 gold medal Malbecs in the 22nd Platinum Awards, and Lewis-Clark Valley producers Rick Wasem and Lynn DeVleming near the Snake River in Clarkston, Wash., claimed their third Platinum for standalone work with this bright Bordeaux red made famous in Argentina.

The theme of dark blueberries, black currant and light toast is joined by pomegranate acidity and a bite of Western serviceberry.

(122 cases, 14.4% alc.) Awards: Sommeliers Challenge (gold), Beverage Tasting Institute (gold)

Platinum 93 points Benson Vineyards & Estate Winery 2018 Anthem Red Wine, Lake Chelan, $38 This showpiece winery and vineyard overlooking the north shore of Lake Chelan Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 45

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

near Manson has crafted a delicious blend of estate Cabernet Sauvignon (44%) with Merlot (31%) and pulled off Syrah (25%) from its reserve program. The Syrah is the secret sauce as its profile of dusty Marionberry and plum fleshes out the midpalate for a broad, deep and long profile that picks up cassis and earthiness. (350 cases, 15.7% alc.) Award: North Central Washington (double gold)

Platinum 93 points Cinder Wines 2019 Tempranillo, Snake River Valley, $32 How driven is Melanie Krause to crafting Tempranillo? When winter damaged the 2017 vintage in Idaho, she drove to Southern Oregon and trucked home — a nine-hour sojourn — a load of Tempranillo grapes she purchased from acclaimed Abacela. Here, her work from Emerald Slope and Sawtooth vineyards is redolent of red fruits and spices, while the structure shows deft management of tannins. Here’s her second career Platinum with Tempranillo. Enjoy it with paella or what Krause describes as a “Basque Burger” — charred beef, topped with serrano ham, pimento cheese and aioli. (930 cases, 14.7% alc.) Award: Idaho Wine Competition (gold)

Platinum 93 points Convergence Zone Cellars 2018 Virga Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $33 Snoqualmie Valley winemaker Scott Greenberg uses this Southern Rhône blend from a trio of acclaimed sites to pick off his fourth Platinum in the past five years. He leads with Mourvèdre (48%) off Weinbau, Syrah (36%) from Gamache and Grenache via Ciel du Cheval. It’s a dollop of Marionberry jam, a slice of cherry pie and a cellar-worthy supply of structure that’s capped 46 | greatnorthwestwine.com

by mocha and black olive. (79 cases, 14.5% alc.) Awards: Sip magazine Best of the Northwest (double gold), Savor NW (gold)

Locus, with his Modo White accounting for two of those. (223 cases, 13.4% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 93 points

Platinum 93 points

D’Anu Wines 2016 Tempranillo, Willamette Valley $25 Joe Williams reached into acclaimed Freedom Hill Vineyard, and the 40-year-old site famous for Pinot Noir helped this Hillsboro, Ore., winemaker earn his first Platinum.

His light touch with barrels, an 18-month program in neutral French oak, and proper amount of bottle age allows this to appeal to both Old World and New World palates with its early tones of earthiness and rewarding profile of black cherry and black currant, backed by nicely managed tannins and a spicy finish. (200 cases, 13% alc.) Awards: Newport Seafood & Wine Festival (gold), Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 93 points Locus Wines 2018 Modo Red, Columbia Valley, $15 Best Buy! A typo? No, Rich Burton pulls on a thread of Latin by referring to this as his drink “now” red wine. Merlot (61%) and Cabernet Sauvignon form the basecoat, while Rhône siblings Syrah and Cinsaut account for 21% of the final blend. It also represents a collection of vineyards near Yakima — Noel, Keller and Strand in the Naches Heights and 35-year-old 7 Mile. There’s a rewarding balance between fruit and savory tones as blackberry, plum and cola carry along chocolaty tannins, earthy minerality and spiced gumdrops. In the 22 years of the Platinum, prices have never been disclosed to judges, so this wine was awarded on its own merit. And it is the fourth Platinum in three years for

Maryhill Winery 2018 McKinley Springs Vineyard Cinsault, Horse Heaven Hills $54 Three of the past four vintages of Cinsault from McKinley Springs have resulted in a Platinum for Richard Batchelor, which proves that his program with this lesser-known red from the Rhône Valley can serve as a benchmark in the Pacific Northwest. Think of red raspberries, blackberries and blueberries within a smooth and juicy profile that includes a scrape of toast, a pinch of black pepper and a whiff of smoked meat. (234 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 93 points Palencia Wine Co. 2020 Albariño, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley, $22 Four times Victor Palencia has achieved Platinum with his Albariño program. Fortunately, he’s grown its production without losing a step. The latest example is remarkable with its brightness and richness as white peach, Granny Smith apple, quince and lemon juice also includes a pinch of tarragon and minerality for a wide range of food pairings, including steamed mussels. Everyone’s kitchen should have a bottle of this chilled and at the ready. (777 cases, 12.6% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/ double gold), Best of Sip (Best of class/platinum), Bellingham Northwest (double gold)

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

Platinum 93 points Passing Time Winery 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $89 This bottling by Chris Peterson on behalf of retired NFL quarterbacks Damon Huard and Dan Marino is just a rookie, but it’s already hit paydirt at a couple of competitions this fall, including Passing Time’s first career Platinum. Sources for their HHH Cab program have leaned heavily on stalwart Champoux and Discovery vineyards since 2012, and it fills out the shoulder pads with hits of black currant and cherry pie with Graham cracker crust. Remarkable oak integration so early in the game shows up both in the sweet plum-skin tannins and the lingering finish of Baker’s chocolate and cocoa powder. For a Cab to score a Platinum prior to its commercial release is the stuff of legend. (500 cases, 14.9% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

sales go to the Cancer Can’t Foundation. (50 cases, 14.2% alc.) Awards: Savor NW (gold), Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 93 points Siren Song Wines 2017 Raving Beauty Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $36 Lake Chelan winemaker Kevin Brown used red Bordeaux varieties to earn three of his four Platinums in 2021, and here’s a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Wahluke Slope that’s part of the Siren’s Classic tier. Black currant, black cherry and blueberry aromas and flavors receive a pleasing embrace of tannins amid some earthy undertones and lavender. Its classically solid finish of cherries, bittersweet chocolate and toast will serve it well alongside Duck Confit and spicy Brussels sprouts. (221 cases, 13.6% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 93 points

Platinum 93 points

Pomeroy Cellars 2018 Michelle’s Meritage, Yakima Valley, $44 Touring golf professional-turned-winemaker Dan Brink records his second career Platinum with this bottling styled after the Left Bank blends of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc from DuBrul in the Rattlesnake Hills and Inland Desert near Red Mountain combine for aromas of jammy purple fruit, dried herbs, graphite and cedar. Round and luscious flavors of sweet cherries and dark chocolate pick up some minerality and finish with a splash of black cherry soda. It’s an evergreen tribute to one of Brink’s founding investors — the late Michelle Miller — who died of colon cancer in 2016, and a portion of the

Spoiled Dog Winery 2018 Estate Reserve Selection Pinot Noir, Puget Sound $38 Chemist/attorney/winemaker Karen Krug’s passion project on Whidbey Island continues to prove itself. This fall, Spoiled Dog chased down four Platinums, allowing the Krug family to crack the all-time leaderboard with 12 in their career. This year, two of those came courtesy of their Pinot Noir program. For this reserve, five clones came into play — four Dijon and the sexy Pommard — and this is a full, dark and decadent example featuring candied cherry, baking spice and pipe tobacco. A wealth of mulberry acidity makes for a robust finish. (94 cases, 13.4% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 93 points T2 Cellar 2018 GSM, Columbia Valley, $26 Todd Threlkeld tapped into his initials for the name of his young brand in Seattle’s SoDo Gateway Center, and he’s made Rhône varieties a focus. He quickly received acclaim with his 2018 Syrah from Konnowac and Arianses Vineyards, so it adds up that this blend of Grenache (30%), Syrah (55%) and Mourvèdre returns him his first Platinum. Its dark red fruit profile of ripe strawberry and black cherry receives lovely spice box elements. The skillful tannin management he’s learned from the Northwest Wine Academy makes this incredibly complex. Suggested pairings include herb-rubbed roasted chicken.

(74 cases, 14.8% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Award (double gold)

Platinum 93 points The Bunnell Family Cellar 2017 Painted Hills Vineyard Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley $48 Five of the Bunnell family’s 18 career Platinum Awards have featured Painted Hills Vineyard, and this was the second Platinum he earned in 2021 with Petit Verdot from Art den Hoed’s vineyard just outside of the Yakima Valley. Classic notes of dark black fruit, blood orange, violets and lavender ride atop marvelously managed tannins that allow for an enjoyable finish of orange zest. Don’t bet against Bunnell entering this 2017 PV into a Platinum-recognized wine competition in the next year or two, winning a gold and going onto a second Platinum — just as the bottling from the 2014 vintage did this year.

(123 cases, 14.2% alc.) Award: San Francisco Chronicle (gold) Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 47

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

Platinum 93 points

Platinum 93 points

Platinum 92 points

Three of Cups 2018 La Monde Malbec, Columbia Valley, $18

Westport Winery 2018 Courage Red Wine, Yakima Valley, $33

Among the most delicious bargains of the 2021 Platinum was Mike Metheny’s work with Malbec grown in three distinct regions of the Columbia Basin — Kiona’s Heart of the Hill on Red Mountain, Dry Lakes just north of Lake Chelan and young Cameron Ridge near Brewster. Some of Metheny’s restaurant clients asked him for an affordable Malbec, and he’s delivered an attractive example loaded with black fruit, dark chocolate, toast and Bing cherry juice. It’s easy to remember how many Platinum medals Three of Cups earned in 2021 — three, which gives Metheny’s program a total of seven in the past three years. (175 cases, 14.1% alc.)

Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

In addition to being the Northwest’s largest supplier of grapevine material for growers, the Judkins family also devotes resources to growing grapes near Red Mountain for winemakers. The Roberts family and winemaker Mark Bosso got their hands on a lot of Sagrantino — a muscular red variety that few beyond the Umbria region of Italy have heard of. And while not a wine for the faint of heart, it’s a cherry bomb that packs a punch.

Think of cherry taffy from Bruce’s Candy Kitchen, Red Finnish Licorice and plum jam with Gunpowder tea tannins and final burst of cherry/pomegranate juice. It screams for pork ribs, a well-marbled porterhouse steak, Usinger’s bratwurst or mushroom dishes. (97 cases, 15% alc.) Awards: Women’s International (best of class/double gold)

Cougar Crest Estate Winery 2017 Estate Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $34 In addition to celebrating a victory in the Apple Cup by her Washington State alma mater, grower/winemaker Deborah Hansen can use her ninth career Platinum — her fifth in the past two years — to toast the 20th anniversary of her winery. The Cougar Hills Vineyard she planted 25 years ago with her husband, David, is allowed to shine with complex aromas and flavors of dusty black cherry, cassis, rose petals and cedar. Dried herbs, white pepper and mint emerge on the round, savory and bright finish. (186 cases, 14.1% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Platinum 93 points Tsillan Cellars 2018 Estate Reserve Syrah, Lake Chelan, $42 One of the most decorated Syrahs from the 2018 vintage turned into Tsillan Cellars’s fifth Platinum for Syrah — a decade after Dr. Bob Jankelson claimed his first with his 2008 Lakeside Vineyard Reserve Syrah. It’s no doubt a tasting room charmer with its juicy blackberry and black cherry persona that comes with toast, cinnamon and nutmeg — a spice component that rings all the way through the lengthy finish. (406 cases, 14.7% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold), North Central Washington (double gold), Bellingham Northwest (double gold) 48 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Platinum 93 points Yakima Valley Vintners 2016 Balanced Equation Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $25 Yakima Valley College instructors Trent Ball and Brad Smith have guided their students to nine Platinums — all for red wine — including this even blend of Syrah and Merlot. It’s showy and savory as the presentation of plum, black cherry and fig picks up black licorice, bell pepper and black olive. While there’s depth and elegance to the tannins, the bright finish builds balance.

The school now operates two tasting rooms — one on their Grandview campus and a new location along Yakima’s Nob Hill Boulevard.

(44 cases, 13.7% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold)

Platinum 92 points Airfield Estates Winery 2018 Mustang Red Wine, Yakima Valley, $30 The GSM category at this year’s Platinum Awards ranked among the most competitive, and Travis Maple’s expression from the Miller family’s historic Airport Ranch earned praise from judges for emulating a Southern Rhône. Maple, a product of Washington State University’s enology and viticulture program, arrived at the winning equation of Syrah (64%), Grenache (23%) and Mourvèdre.

The results bring both cassis and red currant within an inkiness that’s smoky, funky and finished with a stream of pomegranate juice.

(618 cases, 14% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 92 points Palencia Wine Co. 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Royal Slope, $20 The Frenchman Hills in the recently es-

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

tablished Royal Slope American Viticultural Area in the Columbia Basin continue to be a sweet spot for Victor Palencia’s Sauvignon Blanc program, and his deft deployment of 500-liter Hungarian oak puncheons have enabled him to win six career Platinums for Sauvignon Blanc across three brands. This is fresh and flirty as white peach and nectarine get a lift from a touch of spritzy acidity that leads into a finish of lemon drop. (251 cases, 12.8% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Platinum 92 points Spoiled Dog Winery 2018 Carménère, Yakima Valley, $28 Puget Sound winemaker Karen Krug goes across the Cascades to earn her third career Platinum in three years for work with a red Bordeaux variety. These grapes came from Joe Hattrup’s Sugarloaf Vineyard, and Krug crafts this in such a way that it should appeal to Carm crusaders. A showy nose of black cherry, green peppercorns, tobacco and sweet baking spices holds true on the bold palate, which is juicy but still nicely balanced and leaves room for white pepper in the finish.

(85 cases, 13.9% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 92 points Zerba Cellars 2018 Cockburn Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $40 Of the 41 career Platinums awarded to Cecil Zerba, this is the third for Cabernet Sauvignon. His winemaker, Brent Roberts, worked with the 70-acre Cockburn Vineyard, the largest of Zerba’s three estate plantings in the southern part of the Walla Walla Valley.

It’s ripe while still herbal and filled with

barrel spice, making for what one judge described as “a complete package.” Black plum and blackberry are joined by crushed herbs and eucalyptus while tar-like tannins pick up sarsaparilla, clove and anise ahead of the juicy finish. (410 cases, 15.2% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 91 points H/H Estates 2018 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Big John Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $49 The reserve label for Mike Andrews of Coyote Canyon Winery uses the Big John program to supply more evidence for why the Horse Heaven Hills ranks among the West Coast’s top regions for Cabernet Sauvignon as winemaker Justin Michaud wins a Platinum for the third straight vintage. It’s a classic Cab with black fruit, black olive, cocoa and graphite notes, framed by integrated Earl Grey tea tannins. All told, Big John — named for a prize bull that topped the Western Nugget National Hereford Show and Sale in 1974 — has accounted for five career Platinums.

Its first was from the 2007 vintage. (100 cases, 14.9% alc.) Award: Critics Challenge International (gold)

Platinum 91 points Iris Vineyards 2019 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $18 In 1992, Pamela Frye and hospitality executive Richard Boyle purchased nearly 900 acres in the foothills of the Coastal Range outside of Eugene, and four years later they began what’s grown into 43 acres of vines dedicated to Burgundy varieties, with nearly two-thirds in Pinot Noir. Their longtime winemaker, Aaron Lieberman, produced a pair of Platinums this year for Pinot Noir

rosé, including this still wine that’s perfumy with cherry blossom and rose petal. There’s some depth on the palate as huckleberry and raspberry make for a bright structure that’s capped with a combination of melon rind and cherry-rhubarb compote. (713 cases, 11.7% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (gold), McMinnville Wine Classic (gold), San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Wine Competition (gold)

Platinum 93 points Zerba Cellars 2017 Cockburn Vineyard Estate GSM Blend, Walla Walla Valley, $50 For the third time in the past six years, the 2011 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year has used a blend in the style of Southern Rhône for a Platinum. Brent Roberts took the Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre — all from Cecil Zerba’s planting in the Blue Mountain foothills — and arrived at a winning formula after his first crush as the head winemaker.

Brooding and hedonistic in its style, sweet huckleberry and cherry cordial are its core, with leather and Craisin on the backend for a decadent and compelling finish. (141 cases, 15.2% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (double gold)

Platinum 95 points Bluebird Hill Cellars 2018 South Block Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $49 Husband/wife winemakers Neil and Sue Shay have day jobs connected to their estate along the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail.

Neil is a professor of food science at Oregon State University, while Sue oversees Bluebird Hill Farm B&B and the winery business.

They’ve combined for four Platinums in the Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 49

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

past three years for their Pinot Noir program, and this ranks among their most suave. Cherry, raspberry and woodsy aromas and flavors are wrapped up in baking spice, leather and a sense of earthiness. Pliable tannins and ripe pomegranate in the finish make this a rather complete and sensible Pinot Noir. (75 cases, 13.6% alc.) Award: Cascadia International (gold)

Platinum 94 points Chateau Ste. Michelle 2020 Le Rosé, Columbia Valley, $25 Before graduating from the University of California-Davis as a winemaker, Lacey Steffey taught first-graders. Her work with this rosé from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah has gone to the head of the class at a number of competitions and added a Platinum to the trophy case. This is a full-bodied rosé with slices of strawberry, watermelon and white peach, and the brilliant job with acidity flows all over the palate. (6,500 cases, 13% alc.)

Awards: Cascadia International (best rosé), Savor NW (best of class)

Platinum 94 points Coyote Canyon Winery 2018 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills $32 This marks the second vintage for machine harvesting across the 1,300 acres of vines at Coyote Canyon, and these four barrels of Cab showcase the early approachability of Horse Heaven Hills fruit. The theme of dark cherry, toasted oak, black pepper, sage and roasted meat comes through in pleasant fashion with approachable tannins and black currant acidity. (103 cases, 14.6% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold) 50 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Platinum 94 points Mt. Hood Winery 2018 Gunkel Vineyard Barbera, Columbia Valley, $34 The prolific grape of the Piedmont region in northern Italy requires heat, and it gets that at the eastern edge of the Columbia Gorge, which is the go-to spot for winemaker Rich Cushman’s hot-climate red program. He captures aromas and flavors of Bing cherry, red plum and cassis while bringing along some brambly notes. There’s remarkable concentration and depth to the profile as moderate tannins and huckleberry juice provide food-friendly length. (228 cases, 14.4% alc.)

Award: Cascadia International (gold)

Platinum 94 points Schooler Nolan Winery 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $15 Best Buy! Tri-City restaurateur JD Nolan works with acclaimed Columbia Valley winemakers in order to offer his Fat Olives diners a selection of bargain reds from acclaimed vineyards on Red Mountain and the Horse Heaven Hills. It proved to be Jeremy Santo, now at nearby J. Bookwalter, who helped Nolan with his first Platinum winner. Mercer family fruit is behind the platform of huckleberry, black currant and spice box, joined by saddle leather, refined tannins and a finish of chocolate-covered orange peel. (112 cases, 14.1% alc.) Award: Cascadia International (gold)

Platinum 94 Spoiled Dog Winery 2018 Pinot Noir, Puget Sound, $34 The Krug family has 2 acres of Pinot Noir planted on their 25-acre Whidbey Island estate, but they also recently began working

with Hezel Family Vineyard off Bayview Road. This bottling reflects the site’s first commercial vintage, and Karen Krug turned the blend of Dijon clones 667 and 777 with early ripener Pinot Précoce into a Platinum-winning Pinot Noir. There’s density to the fruity profile of raspberry jam, lemon and spice box notes, joined by strawberry-rhubarb compote, Queen Anne cherries and a lasting squirt of cranberry. Of the 12 Platinums earned in the past five years by Spoiled Dog, six are for her work with Pinot Noir. (79 cases, 13.5% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 94 points Tsillan Cellars 2020 Estate Riesling, Lake Chelan, $24 When he started out, the so-called experts suggested to Dr. Bob Jankelson that he focus his attention on growing Riesling because the Lake Chelan Valley would struggle to ripen other varieties. Mother Nature, vineyard manager Bal Flores and 26 Platinums across eight varieties have proved those pundits wrong.

However, four of those Platinums have been for Riesling, and this is the first with Ray Sandidge as the winemaker. It’s reminiscent of a walk through a Chelan Valley orchard, picking off pears, nectarines and Rainier cherries. Insistent acidity joins the secondary notes of honeysuckle and starfruit of this young and well-crafted expression, which held its own alongside some of the Northwest’s most famous bottlings. (321 cases, 13% alc.) Awards: Seattle Wine Awards (double gold), North Central Wine Awards (gold), Bellingham Northwest (gold)

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

Platinum 93 points Thurston Wolfe Winery 2019 Zephyr Ridge Vineyard Zinfandel, Horse Heaven Hills, $20 Half of Wade Wolfe and Becky Yeaman’s production stems from grapes at Zephyr Ridge Vineyard, an expansive site in the Horse Heaven Hills that Wolfe consulted on while employed by Hogue Cellars.

The relationship now includes 13 acres of contracted grapes for Thurston Wolfe, and he’s used Zephyr Ridge Zinfandel — and its Italian brother Primitivo — for four Platinum winners over the years. It grows to seven if counting the Dr. Wolfe’s Family Red, which features Zinfandel as about half of the annual blend. Expect aromas and flavors of cherry compote, strawberry freezer jam and baking spice amid a structure that’s juicy with dusty tannins — making this a brighter Zin than many of its California counterparts. (640 cases, 15% alc.) Awards: Seattle Wine Awards (best of class/double gold), Bellingham Northwest (double gold)

Platinum 93 points Brian Carter Cellars NV Upland Vineyard Graciano, Snipes Mountain $65 Within the Carter Collection tier, each vintage Brian Carter will focus on variety and one vineyard. This time, it was the Spanish blending grape Graciano, and the vineyard is Newhouse-owned Upland near Sunnyside, Wash. There’s an abundance of spice wrapped around boysenberry and sweetened cherries as bay leaf and green tea sit in the background. The real payoff is the mouthfeel and finish, which includes a lick of cherry pit. Carter suggests pairing it with grilled pork loin with raspberry compote. (140 cases,

14.2% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (double gold)

Platinum 93 points Cathedral Ridge Winery 2016 Reserve Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley $46 Moody Vineyard overlooks the Deschutes River as it flows into the Columbia, and it has become a stellar piece in the Bordeaux program for Robb Bell downstream in Hood River, Ore. It’s a classic example of Cab Franc from the start as fresh herbs, rose hips, earthiness and eucalyptus are joined by beautiful purple fruit and an elegant tannin structure.

A pinch of black pepper and underlying mushroom tones call for poultry dishes and roasted vegetables. (200 cases, 13.2% alc.) Award: McMinnville Wine Classic (double gold)

Platinum 93 points Cathedral Ridge Winery 2016 Winemaker’s Reserve Cuvée Supérieur Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $70 There’s a unique approach and delicious reward to this Malbec-heavy blend by Hood River vintner Robb Bell, which also gathers up Cabernet Franc (11%), Merlot (11%), Cabernet Sauvignon (11%), Petit Verdot (11%) and Petite Sirah (6%). The Malbec shows early on by hinting at Jolly Rancher grape candy, and Francophiles will applaud the Old World herbaceousness and red pepper flakes. It’s crafted in an elegant and lighter style, capped by boysenberry compote. (125 cases, 14.3% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 93 points Cathedral Ridge Winery 2017 Reserve Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $48 Fourth-generation Sonoma winemaker Michael Sebastini has been on Robb Bell’s team since the start of this Columbia Gorge brand, and the tandem displayed a delicious consistency to their Cabernet Franc program by earning Platinums for back-to-back vintages within the same judging. Tones of toasted oak with sprinkles of Herbes de Provence join red currant, boysenberry and menthol for an easy drink that finishes with bright fruit as the focus. Fortunately, they increased production by three barrels over the 2016 vintage. (275 cases, 13.5% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 93 points Chateau Ste. Michelle 2019 Indian Wells Contemporary Winemaking Series Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $17 Much like many examples of Pinot Gris from Washington, there’s also a more tropical style of Chardonnay grown in Washington when pulled from warmer sites in the Columbia Valley. David Rosenthal works with vineyards from the Wahluke Slope to Cold Creek — two of the Northwest’s hottest growing regions — for this popular style. It’s youthful and loaded with baked orchard fruit, crème fraîche, light toast and allspice, yet balanced with hints of mint, lemon verbena and fresh orange zest. Serve with salmon, crab and white meat accented by lemon and herbs. This is the second Platinum for this tier of Ste. Michelle Chardonnay. (65,000 cases, 14% alc.) Award: San Francisco Chronicle (gold) Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 51

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

Platinum 93 points

Platinum 93 points

Coventina Vineyards 2017 Pinot Noir, Southern Oregon, $35 A number of 2021 Platinum winners were crafted by the triumvirate of Brian Gruber, Herb Quady and Nichole Schulte at Barrel 42 in Medford, Ore., on behalf of their clients, and this bottling for Christine Amen’s Coventina project is from her third commercial vintage. This Pinot Noir is a drink of gorgeous red fruit akin to a walk past raspberry canes and a strawberry patch. Those are joined by hints of crushed rose petals, delicately spiced cherry and orange zest, with just a pinch of moist earth on the back. (599 cases, 14.2% alc.) Awards: 2021 East Meets West International (gold)

Gruet Winery NV Sauvage Blanc de Blancs, American, $21 Precept’s partnership in this bubblehouse began in 2014, and the Gruet family started producing sparkling wine 70 years ago in Champagne. Their first bottling of fizz in New Mexico came in 1987. These bonedry nonvintage bubbles begin with Northwest-grown Chardonnay, and the ride from baked brioche to lemongrass to Granny Smith apple and lemon juice is rewarded in an artful job with the mousse. It’s considered one of the best examples of zero-dosage methode Champenoise in the U.S., and this tier can be found via Total Wine & More. (966 cases, 12% alc.) Awards: Sunset International (gold), Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Platinum 93 points

Platinum 93 points

DeLille Cellars 2018 D2 Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $45 Five times in the history of the judging has this Woodinville icon received a Platinum for its flagship wine that pays tribute to the nickname for Medoc’s famed La Route des Vins that passes through Margaux and Pauillac. Jason Gorski takes a Right Bank-inspired approach to the blend of Merlot (67%), Cabernet Sauvignon (28%), Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from eight of the state’s premier vineyards, including DuBrul, Red Willow and historic Harrison Hill. The trick is for this to deliver now and later, which it does with bright fruitiness hinting at cassis and Bing cherry, integrated oak and refined tannins. (18,750 cases, 14.5% alc.) Awards: Seattle Wine Awards (gold), Sommelier Choice (gold) 52 | greatnorthwestwine.com

King Estate Winery 2020 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $20 For the second straight year, the rosé program at the 2021 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year has gone Platinum. Tropical notes highlighting passion fruit include raspberry and white peach, giving it a more full-bodied mouthfeel. And yet it delivers a smooth, natural acid profile to make it a skillfully crafted rosé. (1,800 cases, 13.87% alc.) Award: Critics Choice (gold)

Platinum 93 points Procedo 2015 Red Willow Vineyard Credente Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $42 The Lady Hill program, led by fifth-generation Willamette Valley farmer Jerry Owen, continues to develop fascinating subsets, and the Procedo tier includes a Super-Tuscan approach that often spotlights historic

Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley.

This blend of Sangiovese (67%) with Merlot signals the winemaking transition from Erik Brasher to Dan Duryee, who came to Lady Hill in 2016 from Italian-inspired Cana’s Feast. The Sangio shines from start to finish, bringing a stream of red currant and boysenberry with a backbone of age-worthy cherry-skin tannins. (184 cases, 14.9% alc.)

Award: San Francisco Chronicle (gold)

Platinum 93 points Maryhill Winery 2019 Proprietor’s Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $35 Tudor Hills Vineyard, a breadbasket in the Yakima Valley for Richard Batchelor, sets the stage for this reserve Chardonnay. A 10-month barrel program in 40% new French oak includes sur lie aging and accounts for the pleasing presentation of oak that merely accents the fruit-filled profile of starfruit, white peach, Golden Delicious apple and Asian pear. Great weight and some minerality add up to a Platinum, the second in three years for this Maryhill entry. (973 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: Cascadia International (gold)

Platinum 93 points Mellisoni Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Royal Slope $60 The favorite site for the Mellisons that is beyond their Lake Chelan plantings is Stillwater Creek Vineyard overlooking Royal City, Wash., and this is Mellisoni’s second Platinum for Cabernet Sauvignon in as many years. As with many of their Bordeaux red grapes, they used a nearly 50/50 program of new and once filled ICÔNE Elégance Seguin Moreau barrels. Those help impart aromas of

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

bourbon cherry and cola, backed by smoky leather, mint and tobacco. The fluid is bold, rich yet balanced with a crinkle of tannin, which leads to a trail of blackberry jam, plum sauce and sweet spices. (173 cases, 15.1% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 93 points Ryan Patrick Wines 2020 Pinot Grigio, Columbia Valley, $15 Best Buy! Considering that storied Evergreen in the acclaimed Ancient Lakes region contributed to this blend with Holmason Vineyard near Sunnyside goes a long way in explaining why this Pinot Gris is so appealing. Orange blossom, clover, lychee and caramel corn pick up white peach and papaya for a pretty and delightful drink balanced by quince and peach pit. The result is a porch-pounder that’s vivid enough for oyster shooters. (3,000 cases, 13% alc.) Award: North Central Washington (gold)

Platinum 93 points Sigillo Cellars 2018 Petit Verdot, Wahluke Slope, $40 One of Washington’s most overlooked vineyards is Rosebud, a third-generation planting spanning 400 acres near Mattawa with winery customers in three states. In previous years, they’ve grown Platinum-winning Tempranillo, and they’ve done the same for the Seal and Hussey families at Sigillo — which is seal in Italian and pronounced seeGEE-low. It’s perfumy, plummy, spicy, juicy and bold with blackberry, plum, cayenne pepper and black tea at the core. (140 cases, 14.8% alc.) Awards: Savor NW (best of class/ gold)

Platinum 93 points

Platinum 93 points

Skagit Crest Vineyard & Winery 2018 Estate Bottled Pinot Noir, Puget Sound, $27

Vino Vasai Wines 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $42 Bill Sanchez, who has devoted his career to the study of nutritional sciences, and his wife, Sandy, are a decade into their ownership of what served as the estate planting for Laura Volkman Vineyards in Newberg, Ore. While they’ve rebranded it Potter’s Vineyard, Sanchez earned the first Platinum under his Vino Vasai brand for this work with old vines at Konnowac Vineyard in Washington’s Yakima Valley. His entry-level Cab is deep, dark and intensely flavored with black currant, black cherry and baking spices. (144 cases, 13.9% alc.) Award: McMinnville Wine Classic (gold)

For the second straight year, Chuck Jackson proves that his work with Pinot Noir off his site near the town of Sedro-Woolley deserves to be in the discussion among the Northwest’s best. It’s properly Pinot with a slightly Burgundian approach via its restrained yet bright fruit akin to Montmorency cherry and chokecherry, lovely tannins and ground cumin. “I’d drink it in large quantities and not feel bad about it,” one judge quipped.

(72 cases, 13.7% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Platinum 93 points Spoiled Dog Winery 2018 Deception Red Wine, Yakima Valley $30 Founding winemaker Karen Krug recently brought her son, Jake, into the cellar and they’ve woven together a remarkable Right Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend from Crawford Vineyard in Prosser. It leads with Merlot (56%) and receives plenty of support from herbaceous Cabernet Franc (37%) and juicy Malbec. Named for the strait between Whidbey and Fidalgo islands, it’s a deceivingly priced red because it shows expense, capturing aromas and flavors of black cherry, cassis, French roast coffee and tobacco leaf within a weighty structure of beveled tannins and blackberry acidity. (119 cases, 13.9% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 93 points Westport Winery 2018 Red Willow Vineyard Message in a Bottle Rosé of Sangiovese, Yakima Valley, $30 This Italian grape continues to grow its audience throughout the Northwest as a serious rosé, and the Roberts family shows that it does deliciously well with a bit of bottle age. Fanciful aromas of cantaloupe, dusty peach, marshmallow, dried orange peel make their way to the palate with a bright and brisk approach that’s capped by tangerine pith. Enjoy with the Triple Fish Tacos or Wild Garlic Grilled Cheese sandwich at Westport’s Sea Glass Grill. (120 cases, 13% alc.) Award: East Meets West (double gold)

Platinum 92 points Lagana Cellars 2018 Eritage Vineyard Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $38 A decade ago, Jason Fox left Indiana and moved to Walla Walla for the College Cellars Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 53

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

winemaking program. He and Todd Bernave, a former assistant winemaker at Walla Walla Vintners, reached into this Bergevin Springs Road planting and ultimately crafted one of the Northwest’s most decorated expressions of Malbec. It’s a perfumy and dark purple drink that’s balanced with fruit and earthiness as Bing cherry, black currant and elderberry splash onto a cushioned palate capped by rose petals and baking spice. This year marks Lagana Cellars’s first multi-Platinum performance. Consider pairing this Malbec with their take on rack of pork. (123 cases, 15.1% alc.) Awards: San Francisco Chronicle (gold), Savor NW (gold), Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Platinum 91 points Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2019 Carménère, Washington, $32 A decade ago, Karl and Coco Umiker produced their first Platinum when the 2011 Carménère from Phinny Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills shined during our 2013 judging. Since then, the 2015 vintage of Carm was the only bottling to miss out on going Platinum — but Clearwater Canyon has held firm on its price point for this wine since 2016. While this doesn’t carry the same big pinch of pepper in the nose, dried herbs and tobacco make up for it. The presentation of fruit is big and round with dark berry sauce, chocolate and savory black olive in the finish.

(459 cases, 14.5% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/double gold)

Platinum 91 points Coyote Canyon Winery 2020 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Roussanne, Horse Heaven Hills, $21 Here’s another example of the versatili54 | greatnorthwestwine.com

ty of the Horse Heaven Hills as a growing region, the birthplace of not only some of the Northwest’s most famous Cabs but also white Rhône varieties that win awards. Five years ago, Justin Michaud won a Platinum with Roussanne for Mike Andrews. This time, he blends in Marsanne (15%) for complexity.

Aromas of an orange grove, poached pear and cinnamon lead to a bite of juicy Bartlett pear and white peach, joined by a nuance of sweetness. (112 cases, 12.8% alc.) Awards: Cascadia International (double gold), Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 94 points King Estate Winery 2018 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $29 One of the Oregon wine industry’s leading ambassadors is Ed King’s stylish example of Pinot Noir with ample production and distribution. Here’s another classic with fresh raspberry, huckleberry and allspice notes, a pinch of violet and a structure that’s smooth and supple. Cranberry juice and a vanilla wafer keep you coming back for another sip.

Two years ago, the 2017 vintage of this wine also went Platinum. (10,027 cases, 13.22% alc.) Awards: Cascadia International (gold), Critics Choice (gold)

Platinum 94 points Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2018 Heart of the Hill Vineyard Carménère, Red Mountain, $40 It often takes winemakers some time to learn how to manage the herbaceousness and tannin structure of Carménère, but Mark Lathrop has proven to be a remarkably quick study — particularly with Red Mountain reds. He’s earned a gold medal for his Carm the past two years from Sunset magazine’s

international judging. This year, he added a Platinum even before he released it to his wine club. It’s what many Carm lovers look for — a wine with dark red fruit, well-structured tannins and a blend of crushed herbs, ripe red bell pepper and salsa verde. (120 cases, 14.5% alc.) Awards: Sunset International (gold), Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 94 points Malaga Springs Winery 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $35 The popularity around the Wenatchee Valley for Allen Matthews’s winemaking prompted him to go beyond his 6-acre vineyard overlooking Rock Island Dam and bring in Cab from Red Mountain. It’s an investment that’s paid off with his sixth career Platinum and third in the past two years. Those half-dozen years beyond vintage and the tannin management by this commercial fisherman-turned-winemaker have this drinking beautifully as it exudes black currant, black cherry and dark chocolate in an expressive structure that allows for subtle accents of earthiness and tobacco. (150 cases, 14.9% alc.) Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 94 points Maryhill Winery 2018 McKinley Springs Vineyard Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills, $48 Of the Leutholds’s 95 career Platinums, 10 of those have been vineyard designates of McKinley Springs, owned and operated

by Rob Andrews and brother-in-law Doug Rowell. It’s a fetching example with layers of black raspberry and blueberry compote, backed by spice box notes, rewarding tannins and a pinch of mint. (334 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Awards: Cascadia International (gold), Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

Platinum 93 points Five Star Cellars 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $42 One of the first products of Walla Walla Community College’s Institute of Viticulture and Enology, second-generation winemaker Matt Huse used craftsmanship to return his third career Platinum — each for Cabernet Sauvignon. The erstwhile carpenter displays a restrained use of oak in order to showcase the plummy and cherry-laden profile that also makes room for dried sage and a finish of bright blueberry. “It expresses the best of what a good Washington Cab can be,” one judge noted. This was among four entries from the 2016 vintage to achieve Platinum.

(480 cases, 14.7% alc.) Award: Great Northwest Invitational (gold)

Jerry Milbrandt’s Wahluke Wine Co. resulted in a Platinum with the 2017 Clifton Hill Cabernet Sauvignon for Butch Milbrandt. The same formula worked again for the 2018 Clifton Hill Cab. It opens with elegant aromas of cassis with hints of eucalyptus, tobacco, tar and mint. Next come rich red and black fruits on the palate with a dusting of graphite backed by pleasing tannins and a crunch of black peppercorns. (350 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/double gold)

Platinum 93 points

Coyote Canyon Winery 2018 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Primitivo, Horse Heaven Hills, $29 Justin Michaud never worked with this Italian grape until taking over the winemaking at Coyote Canyon in 2013. Here’s his first Platinum with Primitivo, which has no problem ripening for the Andrews family.

To build structure, there’s some Merlot (8%) and Barbera (2%). Aromas of sizzling bacon, dried cherry and hickory lead to flavors of stewed cherry, plum and tobacco. Michaud enjoys this Primitivo with tacos. (120 cases, 15.6% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Westport Winery Garden Resort 2018 True Blue Malbec, Rattlesnake Hills, $35 The Roberts family hadn’t produced a standalone Malbec until the 2017 vintage, so here’s just their second bottling of the Bordeaux variety from Joe Hattrup’s Sugarloaf Vineyard above the Yakima Valley.

Earlier in the winery’s history, True Blue was the proprietary name used for a blueberry-flavored wine. It seems to be no coincidence.

Blueberry pie was a common descriptor among the judges, who also noted thoughts of strawberry Pop-Tart, squid ink, sagebrush and crushed basalt. Among the 30 career Platinums won by the Roberts family, five have been for work with red Bordeaux varieties.

A portion of proceeds from the sales of True Blue benefits North Beach PAWS, an organization dedicated to saving homeless domestic animals. (202 cases, 15% alc.) Awards: Savor NW (best of class/gold)

Platinum 93 points

Platinum 93 points

Milbrandt Vineyards 2018 Clifton Hill Vineyard Single Vineyard Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $42 Kendall Mix’s first vintage working at

Westport Winery Garden Resort 2019 Maritime Carbonated Riesling, Rattlesnake Hills, $29 In the history of our judging, there have

Platinum 93 points

been 10 vineyard-designated wines from Elephant Mountain to win Platinum. The acclaimed planting by Joe Hattrup is not known for Riesling, but the Roberts family chooses it for this bottling of bubbles. And it’s a knockout. There’s a sense of freshly baked bread and stone fruitiness of peach and apricot to spoon across the top. Lovely mousse fills the mouth, and that sweet stone fruit is enjoyably checked by a blend of lemon and lime juice in the finish. It’s an ideal bottle to open on Saturday morning to pair with a cheesy egg dish and a slice of toast. (120 cases, 11% alc.)

Award: Savor NW (double gold)

Platinum 92 points Aluel Cellars 2016 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $32 It’s easy to see why the red program for this Seattle-based boutique label has prompted its owners to make plans for satellite tasting rooms in both Ballard and on the South Puget Sound’s Key Peninsula. The seventh career Platinum in four years for vintners Alex Oh and Samuel Hilbert is this dark, weighty and hedonistic Merlot wrapped in sweet cherries, vanilla bean, cocoa powder and black licorice. (69 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Award: Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum 92 points Chris James Cellars 2020 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Yamhill-Carlton, $28 Sauvignon Blanc is the only Bordeaux variety at the estate vineyard Christopher Barnes planted in 2013 for what’s now a 3,000-case brand near Carlton, Ore. It also resulted in his first Platinum with a white wine. The wide-ranging aromas include yellow grapefruit and sliced Bartlett pear with honey and allspice. There’s a tropical and rich Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 55

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

approach to the palate as mango and pineapple pick up juicy hints of Ruby Red grapefruit and quince for delicious balance to serve with fresh pesto and angel hair pasta, oven-baked sole, clams in a garlic butter sauce or a burrata and prosciutto salad. Barnes also pours his wines at his young satellite tasting room in downtown McMinnville along Third Street.

(94 cases, 13.9% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/double gold)

Platinum 92 points Iris Vineyards 2018 Areté Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley, $34 Aaron Lieberman’s emerging sparkling program from Pommard clone Pinot Noir off Chalice Estate Vineyard in the Lorane Valley led to the third Platinum in the past two years for proprietor Pamela Frye. In the flute, the orange/salmon wardrobe carries a brilliant mousse that allows for a stream of Rainier cherry, boysenberry and cranberry in a mouthwatering finish. (126 cases, 12% alc.)

Award: San Francisco Chronicle (gold)

Platinum 91 points Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2019 Estate Syrah, Lewis-Clark Valley, $32 One of the early indicators that Karl and Coco Umiker were on the right track with their vines in the Lewiston Orchards arrived when their 2014 Umiker Vineyard Estate Syrah was awarded a Platinum in 2016. Five years later, here they are with another Platinum for their estate Syrah. Aromas of cassis syrup, huckleberry jam and black tea lead to flavors of sweet black plum and Marionberry with sweet cedar in the background as the structure is bright rather than ponderous, a pleasing example of cool-climate Syrah. (233 cases, 13.6% alc.)

Award: Cascadia International (double gold) 56 | greatnorthwestwine.com

Platinum 91 points Palencia Wine Co. 2017 Vino la Monarcha Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $22 When Victor “Kid Platinum” Palencia swirled this Cab into the bottle, the Royal Slope had not yet been recognized by the federal government as an American Viticultural Area. That changed a year ago, so future bottlings of the Monarcha Cab from Frenchman Hills Vineyard can carry that appellation on the label. There’s remarkable complexity in this Cab, which is loaded with blackberry cobbler, clove, tomato vine, mint and toffee notes. Its long and spicy finish brings along a pinch of earth. (392 cases, 14.8% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (double gold)

Platinum 91 points Warr-King Wines 2017 Weinbau Vineyard Merlot, Wahluke Slope, $40 This Woodinville Warehouse District producer is on the rise, having won four Platinums in the past four years and the product of Washington State University’s certificate program turned these two barrels of Merlot from historic Weinbau Vineyard into Platinum. The fanciful nose of cherry Fruit Stripe gum, plum and Tea Rose eau de toilette transcend into a plummy palate with black currant, mint and white pepper ahead of the Marionberry juice that imparts a clean finish. (46 cases, 14.3% alc.) Awards: Sunset International (best of class/gold)

Platinum 96 points Chateau Ste. Michelle 2020 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9 Best Buy! David Rosenthal’s succulent execution of the vision for the acclaimed Eroica

project is evident in this now decade-old tier for Ste. Michelle’s Riesling program. On International Riesling Foundation’s Taste Profile Scale, this checks in as “medium sweet/ sweet,” and the tropical profile of the aromas is irresistible, but there’s also honeysuckle, peach and pear inside. It’s unctuous, round and quite enjoyable, keyed by the acidity akin to the fresh-squeezed orange juice found in Mexico. Underlying notes of minerality and citrus pith add to the remarkable balance for a Riesling carrying 5% residual sugar. Pair with Dungeness crab, Asian fare or an offering of fresh fruit and mild cheeses. (215,000 cases, 10.5% alc.) Award: Rodeo Uncorked (gold)

Platinum 96 points Palencia Wine Co. 2018 El Viñador Syrah, Red Mountain $40 The first Platinum awarded to Victor Palencia came in our 2009 judging, and it was for the 2006 Syrah he made for Jones of Washington with Columbia Basin fruit.

He’s moved onto Red Mountain for the Syrah program under his reserve tier, and this is an elevated expression. There’s the deep color and rich feel of an Aussie Shiraz, bringing along smooth tones of blackberry jam and a fistful of Bing cherries, as well as peach and straw notes to keep it from becoming ponderous. It carries some weight, yet there’s panache, too. (96 cases, 14.9% alc.) Award: Bellingham Northwest (gold)

Platinum 94 points Basalt Cellars 2017 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $36 Considering its long ride of success with GSM, it was no surprise to learn that this Washington state producer just south of the Snake River in Clarkston produced a Plati-

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

num for Syrah, especially when its bottling from the 2016 vintage also won a Platinum.

Longtime pharmacist Rick Wasem has longterm contracts with Sagemoor’s historic Bacchus Vineyard and Willard Farms in the Yakima Valley for Syrah, and then there’s Wasem Estate. The nose of Bing cherry, vanilla, light toast and brownie mix leads to a delicious drink of cherry and dried strawberry within a juicy structure that offers ample grip.

(99 cases, 14.6% alc.) Award: San Francisco Chronicle (gold)

Platinum 94 points D’Anu Wines 2016 Seven Hills Vineyard Sangiovese, Walla Walla Valley, $25 Much of the fruit for the big reds crafted by Willamette Valley winemaker Joe Williams comes from storied Seven Hills Vineyard, and he was one of two producers of a Sangiovese to receive a Platinum in 2021. Back at his young wine bar in the Portland suburb of Hillsboro is this yummy expression of Sangio that’s soft and refined with a steady pulse of fruit along the lines of black raspberry, cherry and strawberry. (140 cases, 13.5% alc.) Awards: Savor NW (best of class/gold), Newport Seafood and Wine Festival (gold)

Platinum 93 points Belle Fiore Winery 2017 Estate Montepulciano, Rogue Valley, $38 This vintage marked the second of two harvests former Gallo winemaker Heather Nenow spent at this Southern Oregon showpiece, and her effort with owner Ed Kerwin’s vineyard has resulted in just the fourth Platinum in the judging’s 22-year history awarded to this robust Tuscan grape. There’s an Old World feel to the layers of earthiness and gaminess that are joined by Bing cherry,

black pepper and plum-skin tannins. A rack of lamb, osso buco and Beef Bolognese would be ideal dinner companions. (211 cases, 13.2% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 93 points Belle Fiore Estate Winery 2017 Pinot Noir, Rogue Valley, $34 Rob Folin, who spent seven years in the cellar at famed Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills, arrived at Belle Fiore in spring 2018 and took these eight barrels of reserve Pinot Noir across the finish line for this winery’s fourth Platinum in the past three years.

Its bold nose of red fruit and spice gets a rub of pine pitch, and the melange of blackberry, cherry and chai components blossom on the palate. Rewarding tannins, a pinch of moist earth and a pop of Rainier cherry provide luminosity to the finish. (309 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Award: Denver International (gold)

Platinum 93 points Benson Vineyards Estate Winery NV Ruby Syrah Red Dessert Wine, Lake Chelan, $29 The Benson family farms 30 picturesque acres of vines overlooking the north shore of Lake Chelan and Syrah has been a focus among the 11 varieties they established in 2002. The winemaking reins have been handed to Jared McGuffin, and his work led to a pair of Platinums in 2021, including this sumptuous fortified Syrah that’s redolent of rich plum sauce and blackberry, along with clove, nutmeg, earthiness and a finale of burnt caramel. (350 cases, 18.5% alc.)

Awards: North Central Washington (best of class/gold)

Platinum 93 points Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen 2019 Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley, $20 Ernst Loosen and Bob Bertheau went back-to-back at the Platinum with their Eroica program, and this is the eighth time in the 22-year-history of the judging for their flagship work. (They’ve won a combined four more Platinums under the ice wine and Gold tiers.) Five vineyards factored into this one — primarily famed Evergreen (48%) and obscure Viewcrest Ranch (43%) — and it settles between dry/medium dry on the International Riesling Foundation Taste Profile because the 1.6% residual sugar gets checked by a wealth of lemon/lime juice. Atop that acidity are notes of white peach and apricot, while underneath is river rock and minerality. It’s bright, fun and yet sophisticated. Bertheau wouldn’t appear at a winemaker dinner if the restaurant didn’t have this on its list, and no serious wine consumer should be caught without a bottle in their cellar. (11,500 cases, 12% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold), San Francisco Chronicle (best of class/double gold), Seattle Wine Awards (best of class/double gold), Savor NW (best of class/double gold), Sommeliers Choice (double gold)

Platinum 91 points Ste. Chapelle Winery 2020 Panoramic Chardonnay, Snake River Valley, $26 Despite what the A-B-C (Anything but Chardonnay) crowd says, Idaho’s largest winery has doubled production since launching this within their reserve tier in 2014. Boise native Meredith Smith’s long-held fascination for the grape — she received a bottle of Ste. Chapelle Chardonnay when she graduated Winter 2022 • Great Northwest Wine | 57

TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum from high school — is apparent as she crafts this in a fresh, fruity and easy-drinking style.

The blend of ripe Bosc pear and Granny Smith apple goes a long way toward describing its blend of ripe orchard fruit and beautiful acidity, making for a long finish.

A purchase will require a trip to the Sunnyslope because sales are limited to the tasting room. (320 cases, 13.14% alc.) Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (best of class/gold), Idaho Wine Competition (gold)

Platinum 96 points Eternal Wines 2016 Eternal Echo Syrah, Columbia Valley, $59 The single-vineyard project of erstwhile Empire State sommelier Brad Binko zeroed in on Gamache Vineyard for an Oct. 3 pick during a vintage that wasn’t an easy one for Syrah to attain ripeness in some corners of the Northwest. And yet, there’s profound intensity and depth to the dark blue fruit profile. Velvety, fine-grained tannins don’t distract from the subtle minerality, and the late injection of boysenberry extends the lengthy finish. (82 cases, 15% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold)

Platinum 94 points Cellardoor Winery 2017 Aurora Red Wine, American, $32 Two sites on Red Mountain, including acclaimed Shaw Vineyard — pour the foundation for this blend of Rhône and Bordeaux varieties by Maine winemaker Aaron Peet.

Syrah (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petite Sirah combine for whiffs of black and blue fruit with mint and sage. The fruit turns purple and flows over the top of remarkably smooth tannins, moving from blackberry and plum to blueberry and boysenberry. This signals the third straight vintage of Peet’s Aurora program to earn Platinum. (458 cases, 15% alc.)

Award: San Francisco Chronicle (gold)

Platinum 93 points Basalt Cellars 2018 G•S•M Grenache • Syrah • Mourvèdre, Columbia Valley, $36 Clarkston pharmacist Rick Wasem spotlights underrated Willard Farms Vineyard in the Yakima Valley within his GSM program, which routinely ranks among the Northwest’s best, vintage after vintage — evidenced by now having earned three Platinums in the past five years. All of the Grenache (50%) of the blend, and some of the Syrah (30%) come from Willard, as Bacchus Vineyard in the newly established White Bluffs appella58 | greatnorthwestwine.com

tion contributes half of the Syrah. However, Wasem’s own vineyard overlooking the Snake River also carries a role. Toast and chocolate from the French oak swirl behind the cured meat, black cherry, boysenberry and earthiness as it’s fun to get a sense for each of the Rhône varieties in play here. Despite all of the awards, this bottling is still early in its release. (348 cases, 15.2% alc.) Awards: San Francisco Chronicle (double gold), Wine Press Northwest (Unanimously Outstanding!), Winemaker Challenge (gold)

Platinum 93 points Zerba Cellars 2018 Cockburn Vineyard Estate Dolcetto, Walla Walla Valley, $40 This Milton-Freewater, Ore., producer ranks fifth all-time on the Platinum tote board. Five of its 41 winners have been with Italian varieties, and here’s the second in their history for Dolcetto. This grape is notoriously tart and tannic, even in its native Piedmont, but not in the hands of Washington State University product Brent Roberts. There’s a pleasing level of barrel influence, but not enough to get in the way of the floral and berry approach as huckleberry and black currant gather amid gracious tannins that lead to a long and soft landing with creamy cherries.

(274 cases, 14.5% alc.) Award: San Francisco Chronicle (double gold)

Platinum 93 points Tulpen Cellars 2016 Coalescence Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $45 Tiny yet historic Tokar Vineyard produced one of the Walla Walla Valley’s top examples of Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2016 vintage — it ranked No. 5 on The Seattle Times list of top Northwest wines in 2020. Here, longtime vineyard manager/winemaker Ken Hart blends Cab (68%) and Merlot (32%) from Yellow Bird and Tokar vineyards under his own brand for a deliciously constructed red.

Its garnet hue is spot-on for where it is in its life, and inside are layers of cassis and boysenberry. Accents of minerality and crushed brick are nicely tucked in behind plum-skin tannins and lingering elderberry acidity, a structure that delivered Hart his second career Platinum. (150 cases, 14.6% alc.) Award: Savor NW (gold) et Franc (35%), Malbec (35%) and Merlot off the Wahluke Slope carries a theme of cherries, bittersweet chocolate, toast and Big Hunk nougat. Presented in a bright style, it leaves plenty of room for a long finish of cherry juice. (125 cases, 13.6% alc.)

Awards: Great Northwest Invitational (double gold), Seattle Wine Awards (gold)

Platinum First Timers First-time Platinum recipients in 2021 There were 18 new recipients of a Platinum in 2021, and they combined for 29 Platinum Awards, led by winemaker Mark Lathrop’s astounding seven Platinum performance — all but one with Red Mountain fruit — on behalf of his Liberty Lake Wine Cellars program east of Spokane, Wash.

Above The Curve Vineyard, Prosser, Wash.

Coventina Vineyards (2), Merlin, Ore. Gruet Winery, Albuquerque, N.M. D’Anu Wines (2), Hillsboro, Ore. Elephant Seven Wines, Walla Walla, Wash.

Liberty Lake Wine Cellars (7), Liberty Lake, Wash.

Oak Knoll Winery, Hillsboro, Ore. Passing Time Winery, Woodinville, Wash.

Pomeroy Cellars (2), Yacolt, Wash.

Quiddity Wines, Redmond, Wash.

Rellik Winery, Central Point, Ore. Rolling Hills Vineyard, Eagle, Idaho Schooler Nolan Winery, Richland, Wash.

T2 Cellar, Seattle; Tulip Valley Winery, Camano Island, Wash.

Tulpen Cellars (2), Walla Walla, Wash.

VanArnam Vineyards (2), Zillah, Wash.

Vino Vasai Wines, Newberg, Ore.

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TASTING RESULTS l Best of the Best Judging – Platinum

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Platinum Awards all-time leaderboard

aryhill Winery in Goldendale, Wash., moved atop the all-time leaderboard for the Platinum Awards after judges in 2021 elevated seven of its gold medal bottlings to the next level, providing Craig and Vicki Leuthold with 95 career Platinums.

When the Leutholds recruited New Zealand-born winemaker Richard Batchelor to the Pacific Northwest from Napa giant Duckhorn Wine Co., ahead of the 2009 harvest, Maryhill had won nine Platinums since the judging began in 2000. The Leutholds launched their brand in 1999, and now

operate four tasting rooms with bistros across Washington state.

As a result of the pandemic and the closed border, Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery south of Oliver, British Columbia, did not enter wines for the 2021 judging and moved into second with 92 Platinums.

Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyard remains in third place ahead of Chateau Ste. Michelle after each brand earned five Platinums in 2021.

Coco Umiker at Clearwater Canyon Cellars in Lewiston, Idaho, used the year’s strongest showing with nine Platinums — one more

Maryhill Winery, Goldendale, Wash. — 95 Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, Oliver, British Columbia — 92 Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, Roseburg, Ore — 48 Château Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, Wash. — 45 Zerba Cellars, Milton-Freewater, Ore. — 41 Clearwater Canyon Cellars, Lewiston, Idaho — 34 Thurston Wolfe, Prosser, Wash. — 30 Westport Winery Garden Resort, Aberdeen, Wash. — 30 Coyote Canyon Winery/H/H Estates, Prosser, Wash. — 28 Palencia Wine Co./Vino la Monarcha, Kennewick, Wash. — 28 Brian Carter Cellars, Woodinville, Wash. — 26 Tsillan Cellars, Chelan, Wash. — 26 Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate, Oliver, British Columbia — 25 Barnard Griffin Winery, Richland, Wash. — 23 La Frenz Winery, Penticton, British Columbia — 23 Jones of Washington, Quincy, Wash. — 20 Kiona Vineyards and Winery, Benton City, Wash. — 20 Spangler Vineyards, Roseburg, Ore. — 20 Basalt Cellars, Clarkston, Wash. — 19 Wild Goose Vineyards, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia —19 The Bunnell Family Cellar, Prosser, Wash. — 18 Walla Walla Vintners, Walla Walla, Wash. — 18 Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Paterson, Wash. — 17 Cave B Estate Winery, Quincy, Wash. — 17 * — New to leaderboard 60 | greatnorthwestwine.com

than last year as the Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year — to earn the title of “Empress of the Platinum” and vault into sixth place on the all-time list with 34 career Platinums.

Below is the list of wineries that have won 10 or more Platinums during the competition’s 22 years. Newcomers are King Estate Winery — the reigning Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year — Spoiled Dog Winery and Mt. Hood Winery.

Editor’s note: Cellardoor Winery is in the state of Maine, but all of their Platinum winners have been produced with grapes from the Pacific Northwest.

Cellardoor Winery, Lincolnville, Maine — 17 Smasne Cellars, Kennewick, Wash. — 17 Mellisoni Vineyards, Chelan, Wash. — 16 Milbrandt Vineyards, Prosser, Wash. —16 Abacela, Roseburg, Ore. — 15 Domaine Ste. Michelle, Paterson, Wash. — 14 Dusted Valley Vintners, Walla Walla, Wash. — 14 Northwest Cellars, Kirkland, Wash. — 14 Saviah Cellars, Walla Walla, Wash. — 14 Brandborg Vineyard & Winery, Elkton, Ore. — 13 * King Estate Winery, Lorane, Ore. — 13 L’Ecole No. 41, Lowden, Wash. — 13 Watermill Winery, Milton-Freewater, Ore. — 13 14 Hands Winery, Prosser, Wash. — 12 Cardwell Cellars, Philomath, Ore. — 12 Schmidt Family Cellars, Grants Pass, Ore. — 12 * Spoiled Dog Winery, Langley, Wash. — 12 * Mt. Hood Winery, Hood River, Ore. — 11 Reininger/Helix by Reininger, Walla Walla, Wash. — 11 Dunham Cellars, Walla Walla, Wash. — 10

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ENTHUSIAST An ardent fan and supporter; someone passionately interested.

“Thank you to our Enthusiast Club Members near and far. Your support made it possible for us to earn the distinction of 2020 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year. Our best wines are yet to come!”

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