100% Picpoul grown in clay & chalky soils; Typically, "De-Stemming cold pellicular maceration, pneumatic pressing, racking of the must & fermentation @ low temp (15-17°C) during 20 days with daily control of specific gravities. Fining & filtration before bottling in the domain."

N: Apples with notes of minerals, poss a salinity? Flowers with added swirling

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt adroitly counterbalanced by an acidity which subtly defines the wine into & through the LONG, balanced, tangy/swt finish with an OCCASIONAL *hint* of a very, VERY slight bitterness. Nicely done for now & into EARLY '21. 13% ABV; My VG+/EXC-. [I saw no other source with which to compare this vendor's $10.95.]

Note: 1st tasted on 5/18/19

"100% Chard, 96% Santa Barbara County, 4% Paso Robles; Clone 4 & Dijon Clones, vines between 13 & 33 yrs old, 630 -1000 ft elevation; Vertical Shoot Positioned Canopy, planted on rolling hills of sandy loam & loam soils; S/s 62° F, 3 wk fermentation, lees stirred, no malolactic fermentation; 13.8% ABV, .03 R.S., 0.64 g/100 mL TA, & 3.42 pH;"

N: Fairly attractive butter (?), sandalwood (but with at least some restraint?), lemons underneath

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish oak/frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) counterbalanced by an acidity which discretely frames the action into & through the LONG, balanced, very, VERY slightly tangy/swt finish with OCCASIONAL *glimpses* of a very, VERY slight bitterness. For now & (safely) the next 6-9 mos as I suspect it has peaked. My VG+/EXC-, the higher arguably for QPR. 90 pts Vinous (Galloni, 9/1/19). [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]

Typically Grenache 50%, Cinsault 20%, Tibouren 20%, & Syrah 10%

N: CLOSED; Earth/minerals with grapes, poss flowers, underneath?

P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt counterbalanced by an acidity as it evolves into a LONG, balanced finish with a BIT of richness, a very, VERY slight bitter/swtness, & the BAREST *hint* of an OCCASIONAL very, VERY slight bitterness. Primarily a food style for now & through '20, poss EARLY '21. My VG+/EXC-, arguably the higher for QPR for such a style from this AOC. [I saw no other source with which to compare this vendor's $13.95.]

“97% Merlot & 3% Other Red Varietals sourced from premier vyd, 100% drip irrigated sites throughout the Columbia Valley, including Horse Heaven Hills & the Wahluke Slope. Grapes were crushed & then fermented for 6-10 days on skins to extract optimum frt & textural components. Malolactic fermentation occurred in a combination of s/s tanks & oak barrels. The wine aged predominately in both FR & AM oak barrels (40% new), for ≈17 mos. A small % of the wine aged in s/s to retain freshness of fruit & varietal character. 13.5% ABV, 0.53 g/100mL T.A., & 3.77 pH;”

N: RIPE berries with DEFINITE notes of toast; Intensity lurking?

P: MF body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by a bit of astringent pucker which stays in contact with the init frt/swtness as it fairly seamlessly evolves into a LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/bitter/SWTNESS trialectic to the few, firming, innocuously dusty tannins. For now & into, probably through, '21. My EXC-, & I'd listen to an argument for EXC based upon QPR. [Check with this vendor if interested in their *very* COMPETITIVE price.]

“86% C.S., 13% Merlot, & 1% other red varietals sourced from premier vyd, 100% drip irrigated sites throughout the Columbia Valley, including Horse Heaven Hills & the Wahluke Slope. Vines are planted on S-facing slopes that provide excellent sun exposure for grape ripening, & protection from cold airflow during the winter mos. Grapes were crushed & then fermented 6-10 days on the skins. Malolactic fermentation occurred in s/s tanks & oak barrels. Blending occurred immediately after fermentation. The wine aged predominately in oak barrels, both new & old FR & AM, for ≈ 6 mos. 13.5% ABV, 0.54 g/100mL T.A., & 3.79 pH;” 520,000 cases made.

N: Slightly closed; RIPE berries, pyrazines INIT on top, with notes of toast & hints of earth

P: Med, *poss* LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by an astringent pucker which stays in contact with the init frt as it fairly seamlessly transitions into the LONG, BALANCED, poss very, VERY slightly bitterish finish with a tangy/swtness (45:55) to the dusty tannins. For now with food, may improve for another 3-6 mos, then drink into, likely through, '23. My EXC-/EXC, easily the higher for QPR! 88 pts WS (Fish, 8/'18) & 87 winealign.com (4/'18). [Check with this vendor if interested in their COMPETITIVE price.]