My parents have to good fortune of living in the heart of Washington's wine country. And it shouldn't be surprising that I get my love for wine from them. So we couldn't have been more pleased when they shipped us two bottles of white from Cayote Canyon signed by winemaker, John Gabriel at a recent tasting event. Mike Andrews, owner and winemaker of Cayote Canyon and his team have a pretty amazing Albariño.
THE STATS:Vineyard: Coyote Canyon
Vintage: 2009
Region: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington
Kind: White
Varietal: Albariño 100%
Price: $18
THE BOUQUET:
This particular wine has the distinction of being the only Albarino grown and bottled in Washington. The nose is bountifully fruity, with peach, pear and honeydew finishing with a touch of lime and limestone.
THE PALETTE:
Mouth-feel is a dream. Silky soft and honeydew. Finish is strong with citric acids and a touch of slate.
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Shellfish. We paired a cold shrimp scampi cocktail and bacon wrapped scallops. Think Manchego cheese.
THE STATS:Vineyard: Coyote Canyon
Vintage: 2008
Region: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington
Kind: White
Varietal: Viognier 100%
Price: $15
THE BOUQUET:
Peaches and Bananas. Very old-world style. This wine evokes classic Cote-du-Rhone with its subtle tropical fruit and earthy backdrop.
THE PALETTE:
Vanilla and nectarine swirled around that old world stoniness. Vibrant lemon zest. A touch of mandarin orange surfaced for me as it warmed.
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
See above! We drank this after the Albarino and added some smoked cheddar.
Cold shrimp scampi cocktail paired with my homemade cocktail sauce.
