3 Delicious Penner-Ash Releases Worth Hunting Dow Wow, this is an interesting Viognier with layers of orange blossom, citrus and honeysuckle notes. Its medium-bodied weightiness caries through to the clean, tangerine and honey flavored finish. This would make a perfect aperitif or it would pair well with Thai dishes or seafood accompanied with fruity compotes like apricots and peaches. Delicious!

White of the Week, 17.4/20 points Our tasters: Missed a unanimous recommendation by one-tenth of a point but received six scores of 9. "Floral, well-textured." My score: 9. "Bright, crisp flavors. Honeysuckle."

Outstanding and Wine of the Week Pioneering winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash long has favored Southern Oregon for her Viognier program, and sites such as Crater View (61%) and RoxyAnn (25%) have allowed her to more than triple production of this white Rhône variety since 2010. Her work with the 2016 vintage ranks among Oregon’s largest and alongside the Northwest’s most expressive and balanced examples. Aromas of Pink Lady apple, white peach, anise and blanched almond lead to flavors of pineapple, dried apricot and cantaloupe. In the background is a fascinating pulse of lime acidity that allows this to standout from a crowd of Viognier, a grape that easily can lead to flabbiness. Enjoy with steamed mussels, roasted chicken, pork chops, turkey or springtime salads.

The Wines of Oregon and Washington are Poised for Greatness on the World In Oregon, a similar sense of vinous diversity is manifesting itself. Indeed, the state may be best known for its world-class Pinot Noir, but its Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, and more are also making strides in both familiarity and prestige. (Check out the Penner-Ash Viognier 2016—SRP $30—for a delicious example: White-blossomed flowers, nectarine, fennel bulb, and honey mingle in this vibrantly fresh white.)

A well-crafted viognier, this particular wine has an attractive bouquet with notes of honeysuckle and jasmine coming from the glass.

The Great State of Oregon Wine This beautiful wine has aromas of flowers, peach and spice. There is really bright acidity, and it is clean and fresh. This wine goes great with salad and fish dishes.

3 Delicious Penner-Ash Releases Worth Hunting Down A dry old vine Riesling that offers delicious nectarine, white flowers and floral notes. It finishes strong with apple and a hint of peach. Culinary pairings are endless, from Indian curry and spicy Asian foods to seafood and mustard-based dishes. Excellent.

By the way, don’t miss the Penner-Ash Hyland Vineyard Old Vine Riesling 2015, McMinnville, a true classic of a pale, dry riesling that makes a powerful expression of petrol, heather, peaches, lime peel and intense aromas of jasmine and gardenia, its lithe texture wrapped in vibrant and vigorous acidity and a scintillating limestone element. Excellent.

I skipped out on family vacation a day early to fly to Portland for the International Pinot Noir Celebration. But, the first item of business was a comparative Riesling tasting in the barrel room at Trisaetum. Winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash compared three vintages of a single vineyard and the just off-dry 2012 was incredible with a tropical nose of pineapple and kumquats followed by ripe pear on the palate. Unfortunately, vintages 2012-2014 are sold out, but the 2015 is currently available.

This wine is redolent with stone fruit (think apricots and white peaches) and ripe Bartlett pear notes, shot through with snappy acidity and crackling minerality. Delicious.

We have been long-time fans of Syrah, and we believe that, despite its fits and starts in the market over the last decade, it is an important variety in California and will only grow more so over time. Not only can it produce wines of striking richness and depth, those wines are often undervalued, and no better examples of just that can be found than in a quartet of exceptionally fine efforts that fully deserve second mention...the rich and enormously fruity **NOVY Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 2014...

...and the very rich, fully extracted **NOVY Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 2014 is sure to bring smiles to every devotee of the variety.

Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of smoked meats, wet dirt, and white pepper layered over cassis and blackberry, In the mouth, rich blackberry and cassis fruit is draped in peanut-butter-thick tannins that linger for a long time in the finish. Excellent acidity keeps the wine leaning towards the fresh side of the spectrum, but there's no doubt that this is a massive hunk of fruit in the mouth.

Vibrant red cranberry and cherry fruit coupled with bright acid. A palatable price and a crowd pleaser. Smart.

Being a native Californian and a local in northern California wine country, I find myself drinking a lot of California wine. And when Robert Parker's annual Northern California reports are published, I'm always eager to see which wines receive the most praise. As autumn sets in and the vineyards becomes a rainbow of colors, I find myself reaching for hearty reds like Zinfandel. So, in honor of Robert Parker's Part One of his Northern California reports, I've compiled a list of 15 Zinfandels scoring 90 points or higher in Issue 227. These top-scoring Zinfandels come from appellations across Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

Just in time for the holidays, we’ve selected twenty great value wines from our latest Wine Advocate issue – Issue 227. Each of these wines usually retails for US$25 or less and all of them represent “outstanding” quality, meaning they have been rated by our experts at 90 points or above. So, whether you’re in the mood for a sparkling, white, rosé, red, sweet or fortified wine, we’ve got you covered this Holiday Season at the Wine Advocate.

Complex, integrated and soft, this wine from fellow winemaker Mike Officer’s historic site is lightly spiced in cinnamon and pepper. Dollops of vanilla and blackberry make themselves felt on the palate amid the zest.

This zin is vibrant. It has bright, concentrated fruit, coupled with crisp acidity. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, cherry, clove and cracked black pepper. A generous zin that manages to be balanced. A smart pick.

Grippy, somewhat subdued and tightly wound, this wine is all black: in color and profile. Blackberry and black licorice open the proceedings, before powerful hits of black pepper. Leather and game are in the mix, too, giving the wine a wild edge.

A snappy zinfandel with a great concentration of fruit. Layered herbs and cracked black pepper in the mix. What makes this zin a standout is its bright fruit coupled with crisp acid. Many zins fail to achieve balance. This zin is generous yet shows restraint, which makes it a tasty food zin.

Our Wine of the Week, Novy Family Winery 2013 Russian River Valley Zinfandel, is a kick-up-your-heels sort of quaffer, with exuberant acidity, its signal quality. Sip after sip, the wine’s natural brightness ferries its flavor over your palate, with bursts of red raspberry, black raspberry, black plum, ripe cherries and licorice root. Hints of sage, dried wild thyme and black pepper punctuate the fruit with an alluring spiciness that lingers on the wine’s long, silky finish.

The Papera Ranch vineyard was planted in 1934, the year after Prohibition's repeal. This interpretation from Adam and Dianna Lee, who also make the Siduri wines, shows Sonoma Zinfandel's finessed side. It's extremely aromatic, wafting lavender and herbs, moving to red berries and red meat on the palate. For its not-inconsiderable alcohol and structure, it remains light on its feet.

Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of blackberry and cherry fruit backed with some cinnamon and cloves. in the mouth the wine has an aggressive acidity that lifts the blackberry and cherry flavors to the front of the mouth, and makes for an airy finish.

This is a refreshing sauvignon blanc with crisp acid, herbs and citrus notes. Round. Bright and lively. Impressive.

Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of pears and apple and a hint of citrus. In the mouth bright apple and grapefruit flavors are mouthwatering and delicious. Not amazing complex, but very juicy and delicious, especially for the money. A blend of Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris.