My partner and I just returned from a two-day trip to the Colombia River Gorge, basing ourselves in White Salmon. The purpose was to focus on some wineries out there, specifically, Hiyu, Syncline, and Analemma.
Hiyu - I passed along some thoughts about Hiyu in an update to an older thread. Adding that the wines are really distinctive, expressive, and possess a lightness and delicacy that I really appreciate. Those who voice extreme dislike of these wines are puzzling to me; perhaps, suffer from narrow-minded, binary thinking? As noted, though, price points are prohibitive and will keep me from collecting these beauties.
Syncline - wow did we enjoy the tasting experience here. Lovely garden setting with separate sitting areas creating a sense of intimacy and focus for the wines. And they were impressive across the board - a gamay noir, mouvedre, rhone blend, grenache-carignan, and syrah. Each showing their respective terroir. The '21 Cuvee Elena (rhone blend) is a real crowd pleaser; I enjoyed it but liked the mouvedre, syrah, and grenache-carignan even more. We became club members (16 bottles/year). This, and Ridge, are my only club memberships. This one makes sense, as we’ll take friends out to Syncline for tastings (we’re in PDX), and having the wine shipped to PDX saves sales taxes, if offset a bit by shipping charges.
Analemma - also worth a visit, and the explanation of the meaning of Analemma (the asymmetrical figure-eight curve that can be traced in the sky at a given place showing the position of the sun at the same standard time (usually twelve o’clock) on successive days of a year) is an apt symbol and expression of the winery’s commitment to place and biodynamism. The wines were excellent. The Godello was a bit sweet for my palate, but we picked up a bottle for a sister who will enjoy this style. The '17 Atavus Blanc de Blanc was lovely, although it would have liked a bit more of a yeasty/bready quality. Also enjoyed the Trousseau and Mencia - picked up a bottle of each. Very expressive and lovely.
For those travelling from outside the PNW who have the time, I highly recommend a trip to explore this area. Aside from the quality of the wines, the views of the Gorge and Mt. Hood are unparalled.
