Raves + Reviews
Wine enthusiast september 2019
2018 AGO Chardonnay: 93 POINTS “Vineyard-focused aromas of flower, talc, mineral, whole lemon and pear lead to sleek, well-balanced, acid-driven flavors. Lemony acidity brightens the palate and lengthens the finish. There's a compelling sense of purity that completely captivates. It's an exceptional example of this variety, vineyard and vintage. “ - Sean P Sullivan
2018 AGO Sparkling: 92 POINTS “A mixture of Gewürztraminer (86%) and Pinot Gris (14%), this carbonated sparkler comes from Oak Ridge and Celilo vineyards. Aromas of lemon peel, grape skin and spice lead to vibrant fruit flavors with electric, lemony acidity that commands attention and buckles the knees. Drinking it is a little like falling in love. “ - Sean P Sullivan
Wine spectator 'great Wines to discover' Jan/Feb 2017
91 COR Cabernet Franc Alder Ridge Vineyard 2013
90 COR Malbec Hogback Ridge 2013
COR CELLARS FEATURED IN PORTLAND MONTHLY
"Your adventure begins 70 minutes from Portland, where Washington Route 14 meets the barely marked turnoff at Old Highway 8." -Julie Whipple
Read the full story> Take a Fall Wine Trek through the Columbia Gorge
Vinography Selects COR Cellars’ Wines at Taste Washington 2014
White Wines With a Score Around 9
COR Cellars “Alba COR” White Blend, Columbia Gorge, Washington $20
Pink Wines With a Score Between 8.5 and 9
COR Cellars “Rosae” Rosé of Cabernet Franc, Columbia Gorge, Washington $18
Red Wines With a Score Around 9
COR Cellars “Hogback Ridge Vineyard” Malbec, Columbia Valley, Washington $28
COR Cellars “McKinley Springs Vineyard” Petit Verdot, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington, $24
View “Highlights from Taste Washington 2014” by Alder Yarrow >
COR Cellars Honored by The Seattle PI’s, Blue Collar Wine Guy as “Winery of the Year”
This year the honor goes to Cor Cellars, owned by Luke Bradford who also happens to be the wine maker and chief bottle washer (he and his assistant Dan, do just about everything in production) …
— The Blue Collar Wine Guy (a.k.a. “stanthewineman”)
Read the full story, Winery of the Year … COR Cellars (Washington State) >
COR Cellars Featured in “12 Exciting Washington Reds: New reviews of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc for under $40”
Vintners tend to blend Cabernet Franc with other Bordeaux varieties, but the grape can shine on its own here. COR founder Luke Bradford used fruit from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills for his supple Cabernet Franc.
— Augustus Weed
Read the full story about 12 Exciting Washington Reds: New reviews of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc for under $40 >
COR Cabernet Franc Horse Heaven Hills Alder Ridge Vineyard 2009 Scores 90
“Supple, generous and evocative, offering meaty flavors of blackberry, tar and coffee, lightened by hints of floral and exotic spice overtones. Lingers easily. Drink now through 2017.”
— H.S.
COR Cellars Featured in Seattle Magazine
COR Cellar's 2009 Malbec is listed as a "Must-try Columbia Gorge Wine"
— Paul Zitarelli
Read the full story about Columbia Gorge: Spend a weekend here sampling Washington’s exceptional diversity of wine >
COR Cellars Featured in The Oregonian's Roundup of Wine Tasting Excursions around Lyle, Washington
“Luke Bradford, 33, is into whitewater kayaking, ski mountaineering, mountain biking and stand-up paddleboarding. Oh, and he's also an up-and-coming vintner who trained in Tuscany and Sicily and at Syncline.”
— Katherine Cole, MIX Magazine, The Oregonian
Read the full story about Wine Tasting in Lyle, Washington >
COR Cellars Featured in the NYTimes
“Here, at last, was my first winery, Cor Cellars (151 Lyle White Salmon Road, Lyle; 509-365-2744; www.corcellars.com), opened in 2003, a year before the gorge was designated an American Viticultural Area by the Treasury Department. The grounds were spare, unused barrels stood in the gravel driveway, and the tasting room was a narrow cement-floored space warmed by a cat named Catastrophe and a signed Jasper Johns poster.”
— Matt Gross, The New York Times
Read the full story about Touring Wine Country in the Columbia River Gorge >
COR Cellars: ‘The Promise of Youth’
“Samples of Luke’s wines include cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, and pinot blanc. However, his aptly named red table wine called Momentum reflects Luke’s ‘movement, impulse, and effort’ to make great wine. Everything about Cor Cellars reflects the promise of youth: a startup winery, a recently planted vineyard adjacent to the winery, and a youthful vintner. For those who celebrate life’s pleasures (especially wine), it will be fun to watch the maturation of Cor Cellars.”
— Wine Trails NW
2007 Alba Cor
“This blend of Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer is from a relatively new winery near the town of Lyle in the Columbia Gorge. Nose offers pear, mineral, vanilla and tropical fruits. Palate offers rich flavors of apple, white peach and lychee/rose finish. A very nice wine and complementary to mussels!”
— Chuck Hill, Wines Northwest
Cor Cellars 2007 Riesling, Columbia Valley
“... a sharp, spicy, wine with sweet grassy flavors.”
— Paul Gregutt, Author of “Washington Wines and Wineries The Essential Guide”