Great Northwest Wine: Alexandria Nicole Cellars wows judges at Great Northwest Invite

HOOD RIVER, Oregon – Perhaps no wine judging in the Pacific Northwest requires as much of its judges as the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition, but many of the region’s most influential wine buyers return each year to taste at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon.

The Invite, in this its seventh year from Oct. 2-3, will be remembered for the domination of the Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2018 Shepherds Mark White Wine, a beautiful and fascinating blend of roussanne, marsanne and viognier. Of the 17 judges in the best-of-show round, all but one raised a hand for the wine produced with grape varieties native to France’s Rhône Valley.

“Sixteen out of 17 – make sure you put that in your story!” quipped winemaker Jarrod Boyle, who owns Alexandria Nicole Cellars with his wife Alexandria, aka Ali. This year’s judging recruited sommeliers, wine merchants and buyers for some of the Northwest’s largest and best-known restaurants and retailers.

Each judge nominates 100-plus entries, most of them made by top wineries, that they would like to evaluate under blind conditions. The judges only know the style of wine and that it was made with fruit from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho. A record number of 756 wines were entered in the event organized by Great Northwest Wine and the Columbia Gorge Hotel.

The 2018 Shepherds Mark is a wine that Boyle has been producing for 15 years, and it has ranked as his flagship white for much of that time. His deft touch with blending allows him to adjust the percentage of the three varieties based on vintage, and his masterstroke earned the wine a double gold medal in the competition.

His work with his 267-acre Destiny Ridge Vineyard overlooking the Columbia River east of Paterson also served as another example of the prowess of Horse Heaven Hills. Last spring, the Coyote Canyon Winery 2015 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Sangiovese from Horse Heaven Hills won best of show at the 2019 Cascadia International Wine Competition in Richland.

The ANC 2018 Shepherds Mark nosed out the Coyote Canyon 2018 Albariño for the title of Best White Wine at the Invite. Here are the top five wines from the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition. Find a complete list of winners at the Invite at greatnorthwestwine.com. Ask for these wines at your favorite wine merchant or contact the wineries directly.

Best of show - Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2018 Destiny Ridge Vineyard Estate Shepherds Mark, Horse Heaven Hills, $28: Boyle used estate-grown fruit to craft his blend of Rhône varieties using roussanne, marsanne and viognier. It leads off with a touch of spice, then a panoply of orchard fruit with a dash of orange and lime.

In the mouth are apple, pear, orange and a tropical note backed by a satisfyingly crisp finish. At nearly 1,000 cases of production, it can be found at select Seattle-area restaurants, grocers east of the Cascades and at the ANC tasting rooms in Woodinville and Prosser.

Best Red Wine - Orenda Winery 2016 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $37: A rich, robust version of cabernet franc, it was sourced from Stillwater Creek Vineyard in the Columbia Basin and crafted by winemaker Marc Bosso on a century farm 30 minutes east of Bellevue. The nose is plum, citrus peel and dark chocolate with a touch of varietal green pepper.

It boasts a full-bodied palate with stark, ever-present tannins. It’s an impressive example of the power of Washington-grown cab franc in the hands of a young winery. Only 100 cases were produced, the equivalent of four barrels of wine, and half of those bottles have already been reserved.

Best Sparkling Wine - Gray Monk Estate Winery 2017 Odyssey White Brut, Okanagan Valley, $24: One of British Columbia’s oldest, most respected and friendliest wineries created what was voted as the best bottle of sparkling wine. Roger Wong arrived at this stunning property north of Kelowna in 2005 to spearhead the Heiss family’s bubble program.

He presents an alluring blend of pinot blanc, riesling, chardonnay and musque that begins with Meyer lemon, mint, honeysuckle, marcona almonds and a touch of petrol from the riesling. The scrubbin’ bubbles of the palate are plentiful and textured featuring lemony-citrus intricacies along the finish. There’s a lingering mineral impression.

Best Rosé - Elk Cove Vineyards 2018 Estate Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, $18: The two-generation Campbell family won best of show two years ago with a gorgeous pinot gris under its young Pike Road Wine label, so their showing with the best rosé made from pinot noir they grow came as no surprise. It strikes a balance of savory, sweet, acidity and smoothness.

White peach and melon are immediately apparent on the nose and palate along with the savory quality owed to whole-cluster pressing of the grapes. This is a crisp, slightly floral wine that can be enjoyed in any season and with that holiday bird. Production of this wine from last year’s harvest reached 4,000 cases, so it shouldn’t be difficult to track down.

Best Sweet Wine - Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen 2014 Eroica Ice Wine, Horse Heaven Hills, $60: Decadent, voluptuous and classic start the discussion about this nectar from the talented Bob Bertheau, whose team received a double gold medal. Golden raisins, honey, apricots and almonds all make an appearance to the senses.

Made in partnership with Dr. Ernst Loosen from Germany and fruit from Horse Heaven Hills, this wine is sweet without being cloying, intriguing but not overwhelming. It’s an ideal way to end a meal. The 2014 vintage made for a bountiful harvest and beautiful ice wine, which explains how so much of this ageless beauty was created, nearly 10,000 bottles.