CS: June 2023
Beguiling Blancs: Try these enjoyable summer sippers
PANEL PICK -- Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards 2022 Estate Selection Viognier, Umpqua Valley
Magnolia blossoms and hay sweetened with honeydew and nectarine aromatics. Full-bodied, yet silky textured magnolia and honeydew meet vanilla and a hint of lime. Melon rind creates a mouthwatering conclusion. $35
Maryhill Winery 2021 Roza HIlls Vineyard Proprietor’s Reserve Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley
Springtime scents of white clover flowers and fresh grass mingle with pear and slate. Simultaneously mouth coating and mouthwatering with rich, fleshy melon, pineapple and tangerine, tempered by minerally limestone. $29
Season Cellars 2022 Viognier, Southern Oregon
Welcome to your hot tub and lounge chair summer wine with a classy splash. Peach pie aromas— peach nectar, honey butter— and sweet floral jasmine. Slightly off-dry with ambrosia-like, voluptuous flavors. Peach pie repeats, along with a balance of jasmine and honeysuckle toward the end. $24
Et Fille 2022 Viognier, Deux Vert Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton
The subtler side of Viognier— distant lilac on the breeze, white peach and light pineapple. Refreshingly bright with a repeat of peach, sweet grapefruit, limestone, salinity and tart fruit. Don’t serve too cold; allow flavors to emerge. $34
Quady North 2021 Pistoleta White Table Wine, Rogue Valley
This blend of Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc contains aromas of honeysuckle, pear, powdery minerality and sweet hay. Bright and full bodied, melon flavors of honeydew deepen to just-ripe cantaloupe, joined by Meyer lemon, honey and buttery notes. An undertone of granola carries through a very long finish. $20
Andante Vineyard 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Van Duzer Corridor
Sweetly inviting with scents of peach, honeysuckle and buttery graham cracker crust. Expansive, round and satisfying on the palate. Honeyed peach and lemon curd add smooth texture with balanced freshness. $26
Division Winemaking Company 2022 Division Villages L’Isle Verte Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley
A blend of tender herbs: thyme, cilantro, Italian parsley, tarragon, sweetened with honeydew and aromas of coconut water. Crisp and clean with prickly acidity. Herbaceous notes continue on the palate with Key lime zest, salinity and lemongrass. $26
La Randonnée 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Yamhill-Carlton
Floral and fruity aromas of wildflowers, honeysuckle and clover with light apricot and white peach. An expansive palate with dialed-in acidity and full-bodied floral flavors enlivened by juicy, yellow apple and lemon curd. $27
Zerba Cellars 2021 Estate Cockburn Vineyard Roussanne, Walla Walla Valley
Interesting aroma layers of walnut, lemon/lime, yellow apple, browned butter and warm fresh ginger spice. Full bodied and mouth coating, the lemon/lime and ginger reappear, along with toasted, buttery walnuts. Vanilla adds richness and grapefruit pith balances. $25
Maryhill Winery 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley
Fresh grassiness, minerality, early quince and floral carnation mingle on the nose. Flavors of honey and nectarine create a sweet tart profile balanced by green apple acidity and a pithy undertone. Finish is long, with a fleshy, juicy mouthfeel. $21
Chris James Cellars 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Columbia Valley
Such a complex nose— yellow apple baked in toasted butter, honey, tarragon and loamy soil. A flavor punched palate integrating the aromatics on a rich, full bodied presentation that remains mouthwatering and clean. $30
Abacela 2022 Viognier, Umpqua Valley
Crisp apple, petrichor, meadow grass and clover get a sweet kick of taffy. Dense and creamy with perfumed gardenia, sweet hay and a tangerine brightness that stretches across the palate into a prolonged, flavor-filled finale. $28
Iterum Wines 2021 “Old Friend Oak Grove Vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc, Willamette Valley
Summertime aromas of honeysuckle, white lilacs, tropical pineapple and melon. Bright, prickly acidity with layers of peach, citrus, white grapefruit and fresh mineral notes extend into a long resolution. $50
Dobbes Family Estate 2021 Grenache Blanc, Crater View Vineyard, Rogue Valley
Honey-toasted cereal and a bit of mango create an interesting aroma profile. Mango meets peach on a full-flavored, yet high-toned, palate, with a hint of petrol and honey-rich finish. $35
