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Vin du Lac 2009 LEHM Pinot Gris – Wine of the Week

Not your everyday Pinot Gris. 

I have not listed a “Wine of the Week” in some months. Vin du Lac so impressed me with their 2009 LEHM Pinot Gris, that I feel it is a perfect choice for the week. My first experience with a Vin du Lac LEHM wine was at Taste Washington Seattle in 2008. I was impressed then and I'm impressed now. There's a lot going on with this wine and I love how dry, dry it is.

100% Pinot Gris from Lake Chelan Fruit.
The 2009 LEHM Pinot Gris opens with melon rind, petrol, chamomile and fresh bread. I enjoy how the pale gold color catches the light and reflects in the swirls. Good mouth feel, while it is 14% alcohol, there is no intrusive heat. Dry, tart, apricot and mineral finish. Beautiful crisp spike of flavor down the center of the mouth. This wine would be a perfect companion to oysters on the half shell, sashimi, tempura and Dungeness crab. This wine stimulated my appetite and I'm now craving the above food. I wish the local sushi restaurant delivered. Recommended.

Winemaker Larry Lehmbecker launched his "LEHM" label in 2005, for wines made exclusively with fruit from the Lake Chelan Valley. In 2010, WinePress Northwest honored Vin du Lac as "Northwest Winery of the Year." Lake Chelan is cultivating some truly premium fruit and it shows in this wine. A beautiful vacation destination east of the Cascades, Lake Chelan has become a premium wine country destination. I look forward to tasting more of Larry's superlative wines.

Release Info:
Michaela's Vineyard, Lake Chelan
Fallon Vineyard, Lake Chelan
100% Pinot Gris
RS 0.0%
ABV 14%
Bottled in 2010, Released June 2011
Sample provided by the winery.
Retail price: $19.99

Looking West across Lake Chelan to the Cascades.
My first visit to Lake Chelan was in 2006. I stayed in a condo on the lake with a stunning view of the Cascade Mountains. It was also my first occasion to visit several Lake Chelan wineries. In April 2009 the Lake Chelan AVA became the 11th AVA in Washington. Located in the north-central part of the state around Lake Chelan, the area is a sub-appellation of the greater Columbia Valley AVA. Of the 24,040 acres within the AVA's boundaries, only 260 acres were planted with wine grapes as of 2009.

Vin du Lac
Tasting Room Hours: Thursday – Sunday, Noon – 5 pm.
www.vindulac.com

Related link: Lake Chelan Wine Valley

Cheers!
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