Alphonse de Klerk of Rolling Bay Winery has a natural gift for crafting solid red and white wines. It could be said he is the foremost ambassador for Upland Vineyards, the largest family vineyard operation in the Snipes Mountain AVA, a subset of the Yakima Valley appellation. Alphonse has been producing classically styled wines with grapes grown at Upland Vineyards for many, many years and is especially well known for his Syrah, red blends and Burgundian-style Chardonnay. In fact, the first wine he ever made however happened to be a 1989 Chardonnay from grapes he handpicked himself in the Yakima Valley.
We recently reviewed two white wines from this Bainbridge Island-based winery, both made with fruit culled from Upland Vineyards—a 100% Pinot Gris, and a blend of Pinot Gris with Chardonnay.
The island tasting room offers rural respite from the busy world in a bucolic setting over in the Rollingbay neighborhood at 11272 Sunrise Dr NE, Bainbridge Island. Or find them online at www.rollingbaywinery.com
Rolling Bay Winery 2020 Pinot Gris
92 pts.
Handpicked from the top of Snipes Mountain and aged six months on the lees, this elegant white wine is well rounded, displaying aromas and flavors of honeycrisp apple, pear and melon corralled by citrus notes of lemon and lime blossom. Mineral and gentle lees resonate on the finish. $19
Rolling Bay Winery 2018 Fusion2
92 pts.
An exciting blend of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay that exhibits sensational tension and appealing weight, due to a combination of cellar techniques whereby Pinot Gris underwent barrel fermentation and barrel aging, and Chardonnay and Pinot Gris were aged solely in stainless steel tanks. Expressions of luscious peach, heirloom apple, pear and melon rind coalesce with orange blossom, lime and walnut notes on the smoothly textured mouthfeel. There’s a richness to the body that finishes crisp with mineral intonements, giving it stellar length. $22