2020 Chester Kidder Red Blend Columbia Valley

2020 Chester Kidder Red Blend Columbia Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Columbia ValleyKevin VogtProprietary RedUSAWashington State

Chester Kidder

Red Blend 2020
Columbia Valley

2020 Chester Kidder Red Blend Columbia Valley

Drawn from three of Washington’s most distinguished vineyard sites, Summit View, Candy Mountain, and Dionysus, the 2020 Chester-Kidder Columbia Valley Red speaks with a confidence rooted firmly in place. It is a wine shaped by contrast and harmony, where structure, richness, and finesse align in a composition that feels both deliberate and deeply satisfying.

Chester-Kidder is a masterful blend, balancing Cabernet Sauvignon’s authority with the generous depth of Syrah and the refined lift of Petit Verdot. Each variety plays a distinct role, contributing structure, texture, and aromatic complexity without ever competing for attention. The harmony achieved speaks to vineyard selection and an instinctive understanding of how these elements come together.

Extended élevage brings the wine fully into focus. Thirty months in French oak add nuance rather than dominance, weaving notes of cocoa, espresso, and warm spice into a concentrated dark-fruit core. The integration is seamless, the texture polished, and the finish long and resonant. It is a wine that unfolds with patience and composure, revealing its depth gradually with poise.

Chester Kidder
Red Blend 2020
Columbia Valley
Retails at: $70

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“Very perfumed with aromas ranging from lavender, graphite and sandalwood to purple plum, blueberry and black pepper. Firm and compact on the palate, with a full body and dense, chewy tannins. Toasty but not opulent. Needs a couple of years to soften. 57% cabernet sauvignon, 33% syrah and 10% petit verdot. Try from 2026.”

93 Points

2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley

2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSAWillamette Valley

ARCHERY SUMMIT

2018 PINOT NOIR
DUNDEE HILLS
WILLAMETTE VALLEY

2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley
Pinot Noir is like a blank canvas, and more than any other grape I can think of, wherever it’s planted, it begins to reflect and channel the vineyard, land, and other environmental factors straight to the grapes, then to the glass. Pinot Noir from Oregon tends to have a distinct lushness of fruit and earthy characteristics that make it truly special. Archery Summit’s 2018 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir is a picture-perfect example, and it absolutely should be in the lineup for any Pinot lover. 
 
The 2018 Dundee Hills bottling is a compilation of fruit from Red Hills, Arcus, Summit View, Renegade Ridge, and Archer’s Edge Vineyard that offers a unique glimpse into Dundee Hills terroir, as well as the dynamic 2018 vintage. The winery was the brainchild of veteran winemaker Gary Andrus, who founded Pine Ridge in 1978.
 
The winemaking team fermented the 2018 vintage in a combination of oak barrels, concrete, and stainless steel open-top tanks, which contributed to the layered mouthfeel. On the palate, this release is rich with ripe red fruits, plum, and chocolate. Bullseye.
 
ARCHERY SUMMIT
2018 PINOT NOIR
DUNDEE HILLS
WILLAMETTE VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $48
 
“This cuvée is the first to be released from each new vintage, and the most widely available. The 2018 marks the debut (from harvest to bottling) of winemaker Ian Burch, and it’s a promising one. Full bodied and open, this mixes ripe red and purple fruits, especially plums and cherries, with a touch of lightly minty chocolate. Delicious and ready for near-term enjoyment.” 91 Points
 
“Aromatically, the wine is boisterous and full of harmony, drawing on every fetching fragrance from the volcanic Red Hills. Equal parts rhubarb, clove, graham cracker, bay leaf, rose water, and carnation sync to provide a layered nose. On the palate, the wine shows fine, cocoa-like tannins with deep, marinated black currant flavors and a savory, dramatic finish. Flexing robust flavor while still offering restraint, this wine is a telling glimpse of a remarkable 2018 vintage.”