Wine By Nine

White Wine by Ch. Ste. Michelle from Columbia Valley, Washington. Eroica is the result of a special partnership of German and American winemakers to craft an extraordinary Riesling from Washington State grapes. This is more than a blend of two estates, Dr. Loosen from the Mosel and Chateau Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley: It's an intermingling of Old World and New World philosophy and technique. Eroica reflects not only its variety and site, but also its heritage: bold and forward from its Washington roots, elegant and refined from German inspiration. Named for Beethoven's Third Symphony, Eroica is truly a concert of Old World and New World Riesling. The 2006 Eroica delivers fresh mandarin orange and lime aromas and flavors with subtle mineral and slate notes. This Eroica shows the warm vintage through its slightly richer, bolder style than the previous vintage. Although slightly more fruit forward, the 2006 Eroica still achieves complexity from the diverse mix of vineyards we source from - including higher elevation vineyards on the fringes of the Columbia Valley, as well as the more traditional older vines from the Yakima Valley. - Bob Bertheau, Winemaker

White Wine by Poet's Leap from Columbia Valley, Washington. Inspired by the greatest wines of Germany and crafted by Armin Diel, proprietor of the renowned Schlossgut Diel. Balanced and focused, the 2006 Poet's Leap is a fresh, inviting wine offering heady aromatics of ripe pear, melon and honey. Crisp and flavorful on the palate, the vibrant acidity is balanced by a delicate sweetness that lingers across a long, clean finish.

White Wine by Poet's Leap from Columbia Valley, Washington. Armin Diel, of Schlossgut Diel and wine writing fame, is at the helm of Poet's Leap, a Long Shadows consortium winery. The 2004 Riesling is an excellent off-dry (19.3 grams of residual sugar per liter) white with lovely linden blossom and spice aromas. Sweet minerals, slight notes of honey, melon, and pear are found in this spicy effort's core. Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 89 Points

White Wine by Poet's Leap from Columbia Valley, Washington. The only white wine in the portfolio is the 2005 Poet's Leap Riesling made by Armin Diel of the renowned Schlossgut Diel in the Nahe River Valley of Germany. This splendid Riesling is light straw-colored with green highlights. It delivers a complex perfume of slate, mineral, a hint of petrol, spring flowers, honey, and green apple. Made in a Spatlese style, with just a touch of sweetness, the wine offers mouth-filling fruit, crisp acidity, and a long, pure finish. Drink it over the next several years with Asian cuisine or as an aperitif. Poet's Leap has no track record for longevity but this wine could well evolve in the manner of its German role model for those willing to set aside a few bottles. Long Shadows is a winery begun by Alan Shoup, the long-time CEO of Stimson Lane and Chateau Ste.-Michelle. It is a consortium of seven different brands (labels), each with its own star winemaker who has a 25% share in the brand. The concept is that each ?is dedicated to producing a single Columbia Valley wine representing a 'best of type' that reflects the winemaker's signature style.

White Wine by Hogue from Columbia Valley, Washington. Every year some of The Hogue Cellars' finest Riesling vineyards stand head and shoulders above the rest. They chose several of these vineyard blocks, earmarked them for Genesis and picked them at the optimal ripeness. What resulted is a beautifully balanced, intense Riesling. Rich and crisp, the wine has aromas and flavors of orange, grapefruit zest, peach and lush pineapple. The balance between its racy acidity and moderate sweetness makes the Genesis Riesling wonderful as an aperitif or a delicious complement to spicy Southeast Asian dishes such as chicken satay.

White Wine by Ch. Ste. Michelle from Columbia Valley, Washington. This is our ripe, tropical style of Riesling, which comes from the warm Wahluke Slope region of eastern Washington. The 2006 Indian Wells Riesling exhibits fruit-driven aromas of juicy pineapple and mango. The wine is rich and unctuous, while maintaining a fresh, elegant style that is typical of Washington state Riesling. - Bob Bertheau, Winemaker Food pairings: Crab, fresh fruit, poultry, mild cheeses, Asian dishes

White Wine by Pacific Rim from Washington. The wine is crisp, dry and lush with flavors of citrus, jasmine and minerals. This Dry Riesling is a superb accompaniment to a wide variety of seafood, cheeses and cold meats. A blend of 20% German Riesling wine, selected by our dear friend Johannes Selbach in the famous Mosel region, and 80% of our Washington state Riesling. The German Riesling lends great depth and acidity as well as low alcohol. No oak and no malolactic on this wine - it's as pure and unmanipulated as it gets.

White Wine by Seven Hills from Columbia Valley, Washington. Brilliant, light straw color. Graceful, balanced Riesling with moderate alcohol. Fermented at cool temperatures to maximize aromas and flavors. Shows abundant ripe apple, citrus and floral notes, with undercurrents of natural vanillin and mineral. Follows Seven Hills' traditional style of a light sweetness with a clean, crisp finish. While it can be held for up to 2 years to gain bottle character, this is a white wine made to be enjoyed young.

White Wine by Columbia Winery from Columbia Valley, Washington. Floral aroma with hints of peach, quince, lime and clove. Rich and full-flavored fruit on the palate is balanced by refreshing, crisp acidity.