Jewett Creek Vineyard, the source of grapes for this wine, is located in the misty hills overlooking the dramatic Columbia River Gorge in White Salmon, Washington. This particular spot, in the relatively new Columbia Gorge appellation, is ideal for the difficult gewürztraminer grape.

Thanks to a cool growing season, the 2010 shows beautifully restrained grapefruit and mineral notes, with none of the sometimes over-the-top fruit that gewürz often exhibits.   

Alcohol 13.9%

162-case production

100% stainless steel

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Vestry Wines for $23/bottle

The 2007 Lagrein ("la-grine") was conceived after Bill and his wife, Susan, experienced their first taste of this Alpine native on its own soil. While common in Northeast Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige region, lagrein is seldom seen elsewhere. It may be a cross between schiava and teroldego. Bill thinks his production is the largest outside of Italy.

In addition to being a bit of a stranger in a very strange land, lagrein results in wines, whether made here or there, that there is no neutrality about. Much like gewürztraminer, people either love it or loathe it. It typically has a very pungent, almost barnyardy, quality that many think is disgusting (to be honest about it), and others embrace. Regardless of which side of the fence one ends up on, the one thing that can be said about Bill's lagrein is that it would be accepted as authentic if a bottle were opened in Trento. High praise.

The ’07 Lagrein shows dusty, loamy and deep notes of blueberry, chocolate and orange peel. Its fresh acidity allows it to pair well with stews, and grilled and roasted meats.

STATS:

Alcohol 13.5%

1,040-case production

18 months neutral French oak

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California Wine Merchants for $22.99/bottle

Royal Wine Merchants for $21/bottle

Dovetail for $65/bottle

So, as promised, the '10 arrived in '11 after a long wait in between vintages (the '07 was the last edition of this wine). The 2010 Viognier is Bill’s first vintage from a new vineyard source in the Russian River Valley. The previous six editions were from Lodi. Interestingly, Bill has long thought that Sonoma County was a bit too cool for this variety. But he found a beautifully situated vineyard and pulled up his Lodi viognier roots, so to speak.

The RRV version is NOTHING like its predecessors. I loved the '07 in spite of the fact that it simply wasn't very viognier-like. I love the 2010 more because it is viognier-like. Viognier, which had its 15 minutes in California about 15 years ago, is typically treated more like chardonnay. In other words, it's permitted to get quite ripe (with a corresponding high level of alcohol from those ripe grapes) and is oaked. In its native appellations in the Northern Rhône (Condrieu and Château Grillet), it's apt to be hit by lots and lots of oak, most of it brand new. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not.

The California versions, for the most part, were Condrieu knockoffs. But the problem was that our warmer growing season meant that those wines skewed toward the less-successful French versions. Bill countered by using only stainless steel in order to retain freshness, something that is crucial because viognier doesn't have the inherent acidity of many other white grapes. He also doesn't permit malolactic fermentation to take place, ensuring that the resulting wine will remain even fresher. (If you're interested in what malolactic fermentation is, do a search on the site.)

All of this means that the 2010 is much more recognizably viognier-like than its predecessors. Fragrant notes of honeydew melon and light citrus are framed by a ripe mouth-feel. It pairs well with exotically sauced fish and chicken dishes.

Alcohol 13.7%

500-case production

100% stainless steel fermentation; no malolactic; sustainably grown

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California Wine Merchants for $20.99/bottle

Brushstroke for $42/bottle

Dovetail for $62/bottle

L'Ecole, the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute for $42/bottle