Washington and Oregon treasures

It is all too rarely that we see evidence in the UK of what goes on in vineyards and cellars in the Pacific Northwest. However, a recent generic tasting of wines from Washington and Oregon exposed British palates to a vast array of wines of a consistently high standard, especially among the reds, notably and perhaps predictably, Oregon Pinot and Washington Syrah, Cabernet and Bordeaux blends. It's just sad that we see so few of them in commercial circulation outside the US.

My enthusiastic view of Washington Cabernet was considerably influenced by a separate, impressive tasting of six Cabernet or...