Known for its floral aromatics and silky creaminess, Viognier is a food-friendly wine that evokes the tropics. Grown at higher elevations, the fruit thrives in the cooler climate. This is a classic Rhône-style Viognier from outstanding vineyards in Oregon’s southern Rogue Valley: Fortmiller, Lakeside and Folin.
A beautiful golden straw color in the glass, the nose delights with fragrant peach, wildflower, nutmeg, oak and a touch of black olive. The gorgeous aromatics are apparent on the palate with flavors of peach, nutmeg, sweet oak, black olive, wildflower and honey. Very round and rich, this wine coats the mid-palate and offers a lingering finish.
Winemaking Process
Fermentation was 28% in barrel and 72% in stainless steel. Aged five months sur lie with the barrel component aged in French oak.
Vintage Notes
Oregon’s string of remarkable years with ideal growing conditions continued in 2016. In the Rogue Valley, experiencing its third straight year of early and warm vintages, the watchword was “early.” The vintage started out with average bud break occurring in mid-to late March. Moderate weather through the entire summer provided even growing conditions. Unusually warm temperatures in April and May were followed by cooler weather through August, providing the opportunity for much longer hang times and allowing for richer flavors to develop. Quality was quite good to exceptional.
On the dry side, this Gewürztraminer greets the nose with hints of honeysuckle, spicy clove and wet stone along with fruit notes of honeydew, apple and mango. On the entrance additional flavors of lychee and lemon zest are revealed. Round and balanced in the mouth, the wine finishes long and dry.
The fruit had 12 hours of skin contact in the press to give the wine added varietal character. Fermentation was in 100% stainless steel tanks, then aged sur lie for six months, also in stainless steel.
2017 was a classic Willamette Valley vintage, with bud break in late March followed by bloom in mid-to late June and véraison in early to mid-August, roughly two weeks later than 2016. Fruit set was heavy, requiring judicious crop-thinning to promote grape quality. After early picking for sparkling wine and Rosé, harvest on the estate began in earnest in late September and finished mid-October. The later season combined with cool harvest weather, interrupted periodically by showers, slowed ripening and allowed for enhanced flavor development and acid retention while keeping potential alcohol levels in check.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Varietal: 100% Estate-Grown Gewürztraminer
Appellation: Willamette Valley
Alcohol: 13.5%
What’s Included
6-bottles:
2x 2016 King Estate Viognier, Rogue Valley, Oregon
4x 2017 King Estate Gewürztraminer, Willamette Valley Case:
4x 2016 King Estate Viognier, Rogue Valley, Oregon
8x 2017 King Estate Gewürztraminer, Willamette Valley
We were pilgrims to Washington. Since our first Washington harvest in 2005, we have embraced the state. In turn, the state has embraced us as kindred spirits of the Pacific Northwest.
We make wine for wine lovers, simple as that. These are artisan-crafted wines, affordable enough to enjoy every day. My family has always called this our business plan: Integrity. It works for us, and we will always work to bring you the very best.
We treat our wines with dignity and respect. We employ winemaking techniques usually reserved only for the smallest boutique wineries. We respect our vineyard partners and let the quality of the grapes speak for themselves as we craft North by Northwest.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Okay, so I was lucky enough to receive the golden ticket. I did not expect to receive two whites plus a Casemates glass. I have to admit, I am a red wine person. But if I had to drink a white wine, besides a Pinot Blanc, these would be my go to varieties. I received these bottles when my family was visiting. Short version, my twin sister and I preferred the Viognier and my husband preferred the Gewürztraminer, which is surprising. This offering happened when my family was visiting. The first night we had the Viognier with roasted chicken, spicy udon noddles, and roasted broccoli. We loved how the wine broke through the spicy noodles and left a great taste in the mouth. It was dry, but not puckering and tasted like Granny Smith apples. My twin and I loved this wine. The following night we tried then Gewurztraminer . My husband and I favorite Gewurztraminer was Sokol Blosser when they made it in the 1990s. Yes, I know, that dates me. This time we had it with pot roast and roasted veggies. My husband loved it, but my twin and I thought it was not as good as the Viognier. It was not as well integrated and was less memorable. That being said, for the price, these knock it out of the park, even if you are are red wine person. They are not overly complex, but represent their varietals very well. Thank you for the opportunities. I am available for questions. Both of these are worth more than what Casemates is offering them for.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
King Estate Mixed Whites - $30 = 23.07%
Can you go wrong with a King Estate offering especially for the QPR? I bought this the last time it was offered when it was a 2016 vintage of each. I have bought many King Estate offers when they have come up here, and I can’t remember being disappointed yet.
It’s always a pleasure to get the email that you are going to be a rat. It’s double the fun when you get 2 wines in the same box. You know what they say… 2 wines are better than 1.
This deal contains a 2016 Viognier & a 2018 2017 Gewurztraminer. That was the first thing that struck me about the offer - 2 whites with a bit of time on them. Viognier is a grape I go for from time to time; Gewurz is one where you get a broad range of tastes and I typically only go for it if the wine is on the dry end of the spectrum. We were fortunate to have enough time to taste on separate days as to not comingle the flavors.
Let’s start with the Viognier. In the glass, a light straw color. Nose is green apple all the way and with a big sniff, the aroma slides down your throat and softens by the time it makes it to the belly. I would have guessed unoaked, so it makes sense that it was 28% oak - this is subtle both in appearance and flavor. On the first sip, it’s a classic Viognier with some bite and tartness to it. We paired with Greek, including spicy feta dip. With the spicy feta, the floral notes really popped. The creamy spice was a rather wonderful pair for this wine. My wife had similar thoughts on the wine with the addition of: sweet on nose, dry on tongue.
Now to the Gewurz. First impression was that the foil top was super high quality (not something I would typically comment on but it was noteworthy). You know how some foils pull right off? This thing was anchored and required a proper cutting to access the cork, which revealed itself to be synthetic. In the glass, the wine was golden. Nose was a bit hot at first before you got to the softer, fruitier notes below - guessing this one can lay in the cellar if you please. Our impression was that this was a sweeter wine (though description disagrees with us). My wife’s notes were: white grape juice & flat - she didn’t love it (but also doesn’t love this varietal in general). I can see potential in the wine, but think it would benefit from a year or two more time in bottle. The joys of the living nature of wine! I found the wine to be smooth in the mouth with a full body. It was not a juice bomb for me (despite my wife’s description), but also not dry. Ironically, like the other rat, we too had pot roast with this wine and it was a good pair. I put some sriracha on the roast and it stood up really nicely to the heat. I would not sip this wine solo, but as a food wine it performs.
@albish7 I thought I had an ‘18 Gewurz downstairs but it’s a 2015, and there’s two! I think it’s time to move those to the top of the “drink now” list.
The Viognier reminds me of whac-a-mole…keeps popping up. Was offered here and here
The Enthusiast had a sip of the Gewürztraminer, saying:
87 Points. Finished dry, this lightly ripened wine displays little of the standard varietal character, and drinks more like a Sauvignon Blanc. It’s grassy and puts the emphasis on grapefruit, with plenty of backing acidity. A pleasant, simple wine, it can be subbed in for any number of tart whites. — PG 10/1/2019
I am a huge fan of King Estate!
Don’t let the 6-7 year age on a white varietal put you off (it did for me at first!) - these are showing and drinking just fine - no discoloration or off taste. King knows how to do it! Best QPR out there.
@Kraxberger agreed! Even the 2015 Gewürztraminer I opened last night was drinking nicely. It paired well with the ham and cheese late night appetizer and even better with Moose Tracks ice cream!
I believe it could go at least a couple more years.
2016 King Estate Viognier, Rogue Valley, Oregon
Tasting Notes
Winemaking Process
Vintage Notes
Specs
2017 King Estate Gewürztraminer, Willamette Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$336.00/Case for 4x 2016 King Estate Viognier, Rogue Valley, Oregon + 8x 2017 King Estate Gewürztraminer, Willamette Valley at King Estate Winery
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 13 - Thursday, Nov 16
King Estate Mixed Whites
6 bottles for $64.99 $10.83/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $99.99 $8.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 King Estate Viognier
2017 King Estate Gewürztraminer
Okay, so I was lucky enough to receive the golden ticket. I did not expect to receive two whites plus a Casemates glass. I have to admit, I am a red wine person. But if I had to drink a white wine, besides a Pinot Blanc, these would be my go to varieties. I received these bottles when my family was visiting. Short version, my twin sister and I preferred the Viognier and my husband preferred the Gewürztraminer, which is surprising. This offering happened when my family was visiting. The first night we had the Viognier with roasted chicken, spicy udon noddles, and roasted broccoli. We loved how the wine broke through the spicy noodles and left a great taste in the mouth. It was dry, but not puckering and tasted like Granny Smith apples. My twin and I loved this wine. The following night we tried then Gewurztraminer . My husband and I favorite Gewurztraminer was Sokol Blosser when they made it in the 1990s. Yes, I know, that dates me. This time we had it with pot roast and roasted veggies. My husband loved it, but my twin and I thought it was not as good as the Viognier. It was not as well integrated and was less memorable. That being said, for the price, these knock it out of the park, even if you are are red wine person. They are not overly complex, but represent their varietals very well. Thank you for the opportunities. I am available for questions. Both of these are worth more than what Casemates is offering them for.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
King Estate Mixed Whites - $30 = 23.07%
Note that this is another uneven split. You get twice as many Gewurtz as Viognier.
@TimW
Good catch. At least the ratio stays the same between the smaller and larger allotments.
Can you go wrong with a King Estate offering especially for the QPR? I bought this the last time it was offered when it was a 2016 vintage of each. I have bought many King Estate offers when they have come up here, and I can’t remember being disappointed yet.
It’s always a pleasure to get the email that you are going to be a rat. It’s double the fun when you get 2 wines in the same box. You know what they say… 2 wines are better than 1.
This deal contains a 2016 Viognier & a
20182017 Gewurztraminer. That was the first thing that struck me about the offer - 2 whites with a bit of time on them. Viognier is a grape I go for from time to time; Gewurz is one where you get a broad range of tastes and I typically only go for it if the wine is on the dry end of the spectrum. We were fortunate to have enough time to taste on separate days as to not comingle the flavors.Let’s start with the Viognier. In the glass, a light straw color. Nose is green apple all the way and with a big sniff, the aroma slides down your throat and softens by the time it makes it to the belly. I would have guessed unoaked, so it makes sense that it was 28% oak - this is subtle both in appearance and flavor. On the first sip, it’s a classic Viognier with some bite and tartness to it. We paired with Greek, including spicy feta dip. With the spicy feta, the floral notes really popped. The creamy spice was a rather wonderful pair for this wine. My wife had similar thoughts on the wine with the addition of: sweet on nose, dry on tongue.
Now to the Gewurz. First impression was that the foil top was super high quality (not something I would typically comment on but it was noteworthy). You know how some foils pull right off? This thing was anchored and required a proper cutting to access the cork, which revealed itself to be synthetic. In the glass, the wine was golden. Nose was a bit hot at first before you got to the softer, fruitier notes below - guessing this one can lay in the cellar if you please. Our impression was that this was a sweeter wine (though description disagrees with us). My wife’s notes were: white grape juice & flat - she didn’t love it (but also doesn’t love this varietal in general). I can see potential in the wine, but think it would benefit from a year or two more time in bottle. The joys of the living nature of wine! I found the wine to be smooth in the mouth with a full body. It was not a juice bomb for me (despite my wife’s description), but also not dry. Ironically, like the other rat, we too had pot roast with this wine and it was a good pair. I put some sriracha on the roast and it stood up really nicely to the heat. I would not sip this wine solo, but as a food wine it performs.
@albish7 did you mean to say 2017 Gewürztraminer?
@ttboy23
Yes, can’t type
@albish7 I thought I had an ‘18 Gewurz downstairs but it’s a 2015, and there’s two! I think it’s time to move those to the top of the “drink now” list.
FWIW, Gewürztraminer is the absolute best varietal name to say out loud.
The Viognier reminds me of whac-a-mole…keeps popping up. Was offered here and here
The Enthusiast had a sip of the Gewürztraminer, saying:
87 Points. Finished dry, this lightly ripened wine displays little of the standard varietal character, and drinks more like a Sauvignon Blanc. It’s grassy and puts the emphasis on grapefruit, with plenty of backing acidity. A pleasant, simple wine, it can be subbed in for any number of tart whites. — PG 10/1/2019
fwiw
/giphy overwhelming-lapping-gambler
I am a huge fan of King Estate!
Don’t let the 6-7 year age on a white varietal put you off (it did for me at first!) - these are showing and drinking just fine - no discoloration or off taste. King knows how to do it! Best QPR out there.
@Kraxberger agreed! Even the 2015 Gewürztraminer I opened last night was drinking nicely. It paired well with the ham and cheese late night appetizer and even better with Moose Tracks ice cream!
I believe it could go at least a couple more years.
/giphy /giphy everlasting-mossy-locket
Great rattage and casements comments! You convinced me. I’m in for a half case.
My wife’s favorite estate for whites. Can’t pass it up, especially when I usually pay more for it. In for a case.
/giphy bipedal-negligent-guitar
