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Aubaine
Here are the beautiful new 2024 ‘Windfall Vineyard’ wines by Aubaine. Today we share an outstanding producer of Oregon Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Aubaine focuses on single vineyard and estate only wines. One of the great people in Oregon wine, Andy Lytle has a love of Burgundy and Champagne, as he is half of Lytle-Barnett. An iconic winemaker, Isabelle Meunier, has made a range of wines for producers across the Willamette Valley. Meunier is native of Quebec, and she studied winemaking and viticulture at the University of Dijon in Burgundy, as well as in New Zealand at Lincoln University. Following her eduction she worked at famed producers Felton Road in New Zealand, as well as Dominique Lafon of Domaine des Comtes Lafon. She has a more than impressive resume and has worked with Evening Land as well as LAVINEA. The new wines from 2024 were outstanding. I love the 2024 Aubaine ‘Windfall Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which is beautifully textured stuff with a lush mouthfeel. Learn more a
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Corison
Here are the gorgeous 2023 releases by Corison. Today we share one of Napa’s historic wineries. Cathy Corison seems to produce amazing wines in tough vintages. A California wine icon, Corison is a master’s degree graduate of the Enology program at UC Davis and has previously served as Chappellet winemaker prior to starting her own winery. For years Corison has implemented a trademark more Bordelaise, and restrained style to her Napa wines. The wines have precision, power and restraint. They age so gracefully. I am so impressed with what she achieved in 2022. Her 2023 wines are even better. I adored the 2023 Corison ’St. Helena’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 97) which is vibrant and nervy with serious power and poise. Learn more about these elegant Napa wines at https://corison.com/ Here is my review of her new Corison wines. 2023 Corison ‘St. Helena’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2023 ‘St. Helena’ comes from several undisclosed sites in this district. This shows up inky in the glass, offerin
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Sign of the Dove
Sign of the Dove is a cult Napa producer from some of the region’s most distinguished vineyards. Today we share the utterly enchanting wines of Sign of the Dove. This Napa Valley brand comes from some of the famed vineyards in the region and are made by the world-class winemaking team of Jesse Katz and Hillary Sjolund. Sign of the Dove is led by a father-and-son team behind the brand, Marc and Jake Taub. Their bottlings from Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III and Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard are some of the best wines from Napa that I have tasted in the past year. I scored all of the wines from 2022 and 2023 100 points which is nothing short of an epic achievement. This is truly cult Napa status. Learn more about these incredible wines at https://signofthedove.com/ and here are my reviews of the 2022 and 2023 Sign of the Dove wines. 2022 Sign of the Dove ‘Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Showing beautiful structure and concentration in this warm vintage, the
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Kinhaven
Here are the electric new releases by Kinhaven. Set in the backdrop of the Blue Mountains, Kinhaven is crafting some really impressive wines. Kasey and Cameron Davenport serve as Kinhaven proprietors and have been in Walla Walla for many years. Kasey and Cameron’s are originally from Northern Michigan. They both had a diverse past to get to Walla Walla. Kasey was formerly a wedding and event planner while Cameron has formerly worked as a chef on yachts, eventually becoming a captain. They were amazed by the richness of the Walla Walla Valley and their family eventually launched Kinhaven several years back. Wines are made by Cameron, who has painted a beautiful story from the warmer 2023 vintage. I was extremely impressed with the overall lineup which comes from mainly the 2023 vintage. Wines are well-structured and powerful with a beginning, middle and end. Check out the outstanding 2024 Kinhaven ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Viognier (OB, 93) which is viscous and dense with terrific flavor and
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Isenhower
Great photo of Isenhower, located in Walla Walla, Washington. It is my pleasure to share the wines from Isenhower, founded in 1999 by Denise and Brett Isenhower. As the 18th winery in Walla Walla, the winery has held fast with Denise serving as general manager while her husband has been serving as the winemaker. Isenhower Cellars is one of the few medium sized Washington wineries that is 100% husband and wife owned and operated. They built their winery in 2002 and opened the Woodinville tasting room in 2009. Currently Isenhower Cellars produces 7,500 cases a year. I really enjoyed their 2023 ‘Rara Gravis’ Grenache (OB, 92) which has really nice flavor complexity. I Learn more about this great winery at https://isenhowercellars.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Isenhower wines. 2024 Isenhower ‘Le Cadeau Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2024 ‘Le Cadeau Vineyard’ Chardonnay shows off ripe peach, starfruit, flinty accents and minerals on the palate alongside a soft mouthfeel. Juicy an
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L'Angolo Estate
Great new releases by winemaker Chase Renton and his L’Angolo Estate wines. It is my pleasure to write about the wines of L’Angolo Estate which is a stalwart producer located in the Dundee Hills. L’Angolo Estate was founded by proprietors Holdings and Lou Renton, who purchased a 20 acre property in the Dundee Hills several years back. The estate vineyard is planted to 6 acres of Pinot Noir and 4 acres of Chardonnay, which were planted in two successive years. Vines are set in a combination of Jory and Nekia soils, as the site has four clones of Pinot Noir and two clones of Chardonnay across 13 clone-specific vineyard blocks. The last two releases of wines from this site have appeared as nicely concentrated and loaded with red and black fruit flavors, with great flinty and stony undertones. Winemaker Chase Renton has a background in wine sales and also studied at Apicius Wine Studies in 2011. He has led L’Angelo since 2012 and has formerly worked harvests in California and Burgundy befo
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Chehalem and Stoller
Great photo of Oregon wine icon, Bill Stoller, who graciously spent time with me for an interview before his passing last year. Today we share the Rose wines of Chehalem and Stoller. I wanted to give my heartfelt remembrances to Oregon wine icon, Bill Stoller who I chatted with last year. Stoller dates back to 1993 when Bill Stoller acquired a family property from his cousin. Immediately Stoller saw potential to grow world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Two years after the acquisition he planted 10 acres each of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and fast forward to today the vineyard is now the largest contiguous vineyard in Oregon's Dundee Hills. The property spans 400 acres, with 225 acres focused on growing vines at elevations ranging from 220 to 640 feet. Ten varietals are planted in this vineyard, including Viognier, Pinot Meunier and even Aligote. The new wines were awesome and Chehalem winemaker Katie Santora has created another outstanding Rose. I really enjoyed the 2025 Chehal
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LucidWild Estate
LucidWild is now clearly one of the premier players in Oregon wine. Today we share wines from one of the most impressive new wineries that I have tasted from anywhere in the past year. Located in the Dundee Hills, the story of LucidWild began in January 2021 with Blair and L.J. Nicholas who helped transform the former Bella Vida vineyard into an immersive, design-forward estate featuring 28-year-old dry-farmed vines, a 15,000-square-foot facility with WineCaves, and a focus on small-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This is my first chance to professionally review these wines and I was honesty blown away with the overall quality. The incredible 2024 LucidWild ‘Hidden’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) is a total stunner and filled with texture with rocky/salty nuance. The best wine I tasted was the total masterclass 2024 LucidWild ‘Chosen’ Pinot Noir (OB, 97). This is now cheap treat at over 300 bucks — but you are going to be amazed with its precision, its poise, richness and flavor density. It
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Virtue Cellars
Here are the great new 2023 Virtue releases. Today we share the wines of Virtue Cellars— a Seattle-area winery that was founded in 2013 by Kevin and Kathryn Mueller. Virtue are pulling from some of the most acclaimed locations in Eastern Washington and produce roughly 1,000 cases of Bordeaux and Rhone style wines each year. The wines are well-priced from some awesome vineyards. They did an excellent job navigating 2022. The wines from 2023 are even better. Check out the 2023 Virtue Cellars ‘Unity’ Red Wine (OB, 93) which has really outstanding flavor complexity. Learn more about these wines at https://www.virtuecellars.com Here are the great new releases by Virtue Cellars. 2023 Virtue Cellars ‘Enthusiasm’ Grenache- The 2023 ‘Enthusiasm’ was sourced from the acclaimed Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Red Mountain. Ripe red fruits collide with shades of orange peel, wet rocks and loads of salty minerals with red rose water accents. Drink 2026-2033- 92 2023 Virtue Cellars ‘Unity’ Re
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Knudsen Vineyards
Great new lineup by Knudsen Vineyards. Today we share the wines of Oregon wine pioneers Cal and Julia Lee Knudsen who began their wine journey in 1971. Located centrally in the Dundee Hills AVA, the Knudsen family has grown grapes at this location for 45 years. For years I have loved the Argyle wines sourced from this great vineyard as these grapes have helped produce some of the top sparkling wines made in North America. After the passing of Cal Knudsen in 2009, his children, each of whom had followed individual pursuits in business and finance, were compelled to return to the vineyard and then start Knudsen Vineyards winery in 2014 with the help of Argyle winemaker Nate Klostermann, and with the assistance of Rollin Soles. The new wines are world-class. Check out the amazing 2023 Knudsen Vineyards ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir (OB, 92) which offers fabulous QPR. Learn more about these fantastic wines at http://knudsenvineyards.com Here are the fantastic new Pinot Noir release by Knudsen
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Laurent-Perrier
Here is the absolutely mesmerizing 27. iteration of ‘Grand Siecle’ by Laurent-Perrier. Today it is my pleasure to share renowned champagne producer, Laurent-Perrier which was established in 1812. Located in the heart of Champagne, in Tours-sur-Marne, vines are set on limestone soil, highly chalky and showing the distinctiveness of the region. The chalk subsoil holds sufficient water, during dry spells and due its porous nature also provides good drainage when it is wet to prevent roots of becoming water logged, acting a bit like a sponge. Laurent-Perrier produces a beautiful range of champagnes including one of the world’s most popular Rose champagnes. I adored the new NV Laurent-Perrier Brut Rose Champagne (OB, 93) which is so delicious to enjoy now. One with good aging potential is the 2015 Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne (OB, 94) which is dense and delicious stuff with serious weight from this slightly warmer vintage. Chef du cave Michel Fauconnet Laurent-Perrier in August 1973 doing
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Robert Biale
Here is the sensational new lineup of 2024 Zins by Robert Biale. It is my pleasure to bring you one of California Zinfandel producers. The story of Robert Biale is an inspired history that utilizes some of the oldest Zinfandel sites in the area, producing wines with good ripeness but overall a focus on poise, flavor and aromatic range. These are wines that are well-structured and bring a great sense of place. At the helm is David Natali. A New York native, David graduated from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and developed a passion for winemaking after bottling at a friend’s small winery. He formerly served as cellar hand at Clos Pegase Winery and later studied at the University of Montpellier in France, where he received his master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. After two and a half years of living and studying abroad in Montpellier, France, and Udine, Italy, David returned to California. He became the Assistant Winemaker for La Rochelle Winery, later taking the Assistant
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King Estate
Here is the brilliant new 2021 ‘Brut’ by King Estate. Today we share the outstanding wins of King Estate. For years this winery has been making some of the best Pinot Gris in the Willamette Valley. King Estate director of winemaking Brent Stone has a longstanding history in the industry and makes a really terrific range of wines. It was many years ago that Oregon wine legend Ed King realized that the southern portion of the Willamette Valley was a perfect spot to grow Pinot Gris. They now make several hundred thousand cases of their ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris that you can find in wine shops and supermarkets across America. Brent Stone has now been at the helm since 2011. He has been doing a fantastic job with the wines that range in SKUs from Sauvignon Blanc and Rose to Sparkling Wines and inky Syrah. King Estate is arguably Oregon’s most beautiful winery with sweeping views of the valley and its vineyards. I love the new 2021 King Estate ‘Brut’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 93) which
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Ken Wright Cellars
Here are the beautiful new wines by Ken Wright Cellars. It is my pleasure to share the wines from one of Oregon’s historic wineries. The wine dream began in the 1980s as Ken Wright worked as a waiter in Kentucky. At the restaurant Ken was exposed to the great wines of the world. After spending eight years winemaking in California for Ventana Vineyards and Talbott Vineyards, Ken was finally convinced to move to the Willamette Valley in 1986. He then started Panther Creek cellars and then founded his namesake winery in 1994. In 2001 he added Tyrus Evan, a Syrah based winery, to his portfolio. The wines have been consistently great over the past ten years. Check out the outstanding 2024 Wright Cellars ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is a gorgeous bottling for the price. Even better is the 2024 Ken Wright ‘Shea Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which shows off this incredible site with loads of tension and salty nuances.. Learn more about these fantastic wines at http://www
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Davis Estates
Great photo of the Davis family of Davis Estates. It was back in 2011 that the Davis family purchased the century-old estate winery and began their ambitious restoration project to create a distinguished winery. Mike Davis has a long and fond association with the Napa Valley. Growing up in San Mateo County just south of San Francisco, his family spent summer vacations at the Napa Valley Ranch Club. Davis Estates is the culmination of a life long dream. Davis Estates is a family owned and operated estate located in Calistoga. Winemaker Walter Leiva is a Napa native with a degree in Viticulture and Enology from Napa Valley College, Walter took a non-traditional path into winemaking, driven more by curiosity and a love of science than a lifelong dream. He has formerly worked at Gloria Ferrer, Andretti Winery, Odette, and Laird Family Estate, gaining experience with everything from sparkling wine to Italian varietals to cult Cabernets. His new wines were beautiful across the board. I love
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Sullivan Rutherford Estate
Here are the amazing new wines by Sullivan Rutherford Estate. Today we share the wines of Sullivan Rutherford Estate which began back in 1972. Jim Sullivan’s interest in wine was formed in the 1950s with a simple grape arbor given to him and his new bride as a wedding gift and he began to make wine at home before moving his family to Rutherford and establishing Sullivan in 1972. New owners took over in 2018 which involved investing in vineyard programs and plans are underway to build a state-of-the-art winery and hospitality facilities which was all led by entrepreneur Juan Pablo Torres-Padilla. I love the new wines from the 2023 vintage. Check out the stunning 2023 Sullivan Rutherford Estate ‘J.O. Sullivan Founders Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 97) is a world-class Napa Cab with some serious potential. Learn more at https://sullivanwine.com and here are my reviews of the new 2023 wines by Sullivan Rutherford Estate. 2023 Sullivan Rutherford Estates ‘Coeur de Vigne’ Cabernet Sauvign
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R|A Family Wines
Here is the stunning inaugural 2023 R\A Family Wines Syrah. The R/A Family Wines is all about a family partnership between the Reynvaan and Andrews families. Sourced from a newer planted site in the Rocks District, the wine is 100% Syrah from this cobblestone-laden location outside the town of Milton-Freewater. The J. David Vineyard is the source of R|A Family Wines and was named after J. David, the founder’s father. After identifying the site, they removed the original vines and replanted from the ground up, focusing on a Syrah program. The new wine was a total stunner. The 2023 R/A Family Wines Syrah (OB, 97) is a total masterclass of texture, richness and stony essence. Matt Reynvaan did an incredible job with his Reyyvaan ‘23s and this wine shows the attention to detail that he afforded in this warm vintage. Learn more at https://rafamilywines.com/ and here is my review of the inaugural release by R|A Family Wines. 2023 R|A Family Wines Syrah- Sourced from this estate vineyard in t
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Interview with CJ and Dr. Elise McCollum of McCollum Heritage 91 Wines
Great photo of CJ and Dr. Elise McCollum. We have an electric interview with you today. One of the most exciting newer wine brands out of Oregon, McCollum Heritage 91is the brainchild of CJ and Dr. Elise McCollum. CJ is a former Portland Blazer legend and Dr. Elise is a dentist who have started this brand together. It is an exciting development that they have purchased a a 318-acre vineyard property in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. All wines are made by Gina Hennen, the talented winemaker at Adelsheim. I think you will really enjoy hearing CJ and Dr. Elise’s story in wine. Here is my exclusive interview with CJ and Dr. Elise McCollum of McCollum Heritage 91 OB: Can you talk about how you both met and how wine has impacted both of your lives? CJ and E: Elise and I met in college through a mutual friend and have been together for almost half of our lives. We’ve been fortunate enough to explore the food and beverage industry all across the United States – from restaurants to wineries, this ind
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HALL and WALT White Wines and Rose
Here are some outstanding new releasees by HALL and WALT. You might know HALL for their Cabernets. But they make a killer range of wines outside of their world-class Cabernets. For years they have been producing one of the best Sauvignon Blanc wines for the price in the valley. HALL was founded in 1992 by visionaries Katheryn and Craig Hall, and over time they built one of Napa’s most beautiful, state of the art, wineries that is quite simply a must visit for any serious Napa enophile. This is one of the most fun, electric and beautiful spots to taste in the Napa Valley. HALL also have two outstanding separate lines, WALT (focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and BACA (focusing on Zinfandel) that are seriously good in their own right. These brands have performed remarkably well since their inception. I adore the new 2025 WALT Rose (OB, 92) which is fresh, viscous and shows a glorious range of red fruits. One of the most consistent wines in the HALL lineup has been the HALL 2025 ‘Napa
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Approachment
Great photo here of the Approachment founders. It is my pleasure to share the wines of Approachment, founded byJessica and Paden West who have been in the industry for many years. Jessica started her wine path working in wine shops and tasting rooms. After learning the sales portion of the business, Jessica acquired an internship in 2013 at Bethel Heights Vineyard working directly with Winemaker Ben Casteel and viticulture master Mimi Casteel. Jessica then entered the NW Wine Studies program to earn her degree in Winemaking. Paden is originally from the Willamette Valley and began his path in wine just as Jessica did -by working in wine shops and tasting rooms. In 2010, Paden was offered an internship at Penner-Ash, managed by Winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash and Assistant Winemaker Brian Irvine. Paden serves as Benza head winemaker while Jessica makes the Approachment wines that show great poise and texture. I love the new 2024 Approachment ‘Oregon’ Pinot Noir (OB, 92) which is soft and appr
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Corollary
Corollary is making some of the finest sparkling wines on the West Coast. It is my pleasure to share one of the hottest Oregon Sparkling Wine brands on the scene. Corollary began with the 2017 vintage and has been an immediate success. They have new land in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA where they have now Oregon’s first privately-owned property dedicated exclusively to sparkling wines. This is a spectacular, dramatic and very windswept location to visit and taste wine. The wines are geeky and made with intension. I think that this is the first lineup yet. The 2021 Corollary ‘X-Omni Vineyard Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 96) shows off the beautiful richness of the vintage and has immense power, flavor range, finesse and sterling tension. It is one of the great Oregon sparkling wines that I have tasted in the past year. Learn more about these beautiful wines at https://corollarywines.com/ and here are my reviews of the new wines by Corollary. 2021 Corollary ‘X-Omni Vineyard Blan
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Review: The Somm Hotel: Fresh New 4.5 Star Hotel in Woodinville
It was a fabulous stay at the brand new Somm Hotel, located in the heart of Woodinville. This hotel has been now open for several months but this was my first chance to do a thorough review. Let’s just say that my visit did not disappoint. The stay left little doubt that this is the best hotel in Woodinville. We checked in and then made our way to our room, located on the 3rd floor. The room faced north and had a little view. I love the motif of the check-in area with bottle punts everywhere as an ingenious light feature. This is exactly the kind of thing that you would like to see in Woodinville Wine Country. The room itself was a spacious corner suite with a pull-out bed that was perfect for our 3 year old. This room would be a great option of you are traveling with one or two kids. The main living room space leads into the bathroom and then the bedroom. I loved the comfort of the bed. I slept like a baby and my wife did as well. The room design makes sense for maximizing space. The
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Iterum
Great photo of Joe Dobbes, founder of Iterum. Today we share the wines ofJoe Dobbes who has a longstanding history in the Oregon wine industry. Dobbes has a new brand that focuses on wines from his at his Orchard House estate the Eola-Amity Hills AVA as well as several other vineyards. The Orchard House estate was purchased in 2018 and the site has Sauvignon Blanc which was first planted in 2021. The wines were seriously good across the board. I adored the new 2022 ‘Eola Bench’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which is dense and fleshy stuff that is drinking marvelously right now. Learn more about this outstanding house at https://iterumwines.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Iterum wines. 2022 Iterum ‘Orchard House Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Rich and layered, the 2022 ‘Orchard House Vineyard’ Chardonnay offers pie crust, baking spices and peaches on the palate alongside a refined mouthfeel. Full-boided with terrific flavor density, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2026-2034 - 93 202
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De Lancellotti
Great photo of the De Lancellotti family. For years I have admired the wines by De Lancellotti. This is an outstanding, remarkably consistent house that is producing pretty, beautifully textured Pinot Noir. Paul and Kendall de Lancellotti founded their own winery nearly two decades ago. They chose to plant their own vineyard in 2001 which was 16 acre Chehalem Mountain parcel focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It was 2005 when this house started, utilizing the winemaking talents of Robert Brittan who serves as consulting winemaker and works with Paul to craft the wines together. The new wines come from the warmer 2024 vintage. They are round, generous and remarkably consistent. I love the 2024 De Lancellotti ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which has tons of cellaring potential and comes of pretty, round and generous. Learn more about these great wines at http://www.delancellottifamilyvineyards.com/ Here are the great new wines by de Lancellotti. 2024 De Lancellotti ‘Famiglia’&nbs