| Year
after year the wines of Washington state
continue to gain recognition and are consistently
voted amongst the nation/world's best. 2005
was no different. Below is a list of Washington's
wines and how they ranked according to the
top wine periodicals, including Wine Press
Northwest, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
WINE
PRESS NORTHWEST
WINE
SPECTATOR
WINE
ENTHUSIAST
WINECOW
TOP WASHINGTON WINES
OF 2005
WINE PRESS NORTHWEST
- "Best of the Best in the Great Northwest"
Double Platinums
Vin du Lac 2003 Cabernet
Franc, Yakima Valley; $23.
We have kept a close eye on Vin du Lac (formerly
Chelan Wine Co.) for the past two years.
Led by winemaker/owner Larry Lehmbecker,
Vin du Lac has quickly made a reputation
as one of the brightest new boutique wineries
in the Northwest. This Cabernet Franc was
the top wine in this year’s Platinum
and for good reason. Its generous oak is
held in check with red fruit components
and distinctive herbal components. Moderate
tannins and bright acidity balance the beautiful
fruit flavors. Rich dark flavors and chocolate
linger on the superb finish. Medals earned:
Pacific Rim International Wine Competition
(Gold), Riverside International Wine Competition
(Gold), Washington State Wine Competition
(Gold). — 100 cases
Three Rivers Winery
2002 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon,
Columbia Valley; $39.
Winemaker Holly Turner crafts our competition’s
finest Cabernet Sauvignon from a Horse Heaven
Hills vineyard most recognize as one of
the Northwest’s best. It has a lot
to offer, beginning with undertones of toasty
oak interlaced with bold dark fruit, black
tea and black licorice. Hilton Head WineFest
(Gold). — 294 cases
Columbia Winery 2001
Merlot, Columbia Valley; $15.
David Lake and his team of winemakers have
a big winner on their hands with this large-production,
nicely priced red that shows off everything
good about Washington Merlot. It opens with
delicious aromas of bright red fruit and
hints of vanilla and oak. Its juicy, upfront
flavors are balanced with modest tannins,
good acidity and light herbal notes. San
Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (Gold).
— 21,823 cases
Thurston Wolfe Winery
2003 Burgess Vineyard Syrah, Washington;
$20.
This longtime boutique Yakima Valley winery
is on the move. Winemaker Wade Wolfe is
retired from nearby Hogue Cellars to focus
full time on Thurston Wolfe, and he and
wife Becky Yeaman are relocating their winery
in Prosser to more permanent digs than the
incubator building they are in. Now they’ve
crafted the finest Syrah in our judging
(out of 37 gold-medal Syrahs in the competition).
This complex red opens with aromas of fresh
cedar, spices, game meat, leather and traces
of black pepper, followed by rich, intense
flavors of black fruit. After a fairly lean
entry, it provides a lush midpalate that
leads to a lengthy finish. Washington State
Wine Competition (Gold/Best Syrah). —
280 cases
Download the results of the 2005 Wine Press
NW Platinum Judging, "the best of the
best in the Great Northwest." CLICK
HERE TO DOWNLOAD
WINE
SPECTATOR - "Top 100"
#33
- Columbia
Crest 2002 Walter Clore Private Reserve
(Columbia Valley); $35.
Named for Walter Clore, a university researcher
and a pioneer of the Washington wine industry,
this is a blend of 63 percent Cabernet Sauvignon
and 37 percent Merlot. Half of the grapes
come from Horse Heaven Hills and the rest
from the Wahluke Slope, both in Columbia
Valley. The 2002 growing season got off
to a late start, but warm days got the fruit
ripe and cold nights kept it balanced. Winemaker
Ray Einberger aged the wine for two years
in French oak. 5,250 cases made. (WS Score
- 93pts)
#95 -
Barnard Griffin 2003 Merlot (Columbia
Valley); $19.
Winemaker Rob Griffin and his wife, Deborah
Barnard, have operated their winery since
1983. Washington's 2003 growing season was
hot, spawning very ripe Merlot in the eastern
half of the state. Griffin chose fruit from
five different vineyards scattered throughout
Columbia Valley, blended, and aged the wine
in both French and American oak. 5,600 cases
produced. (WS Score - 90pts)
WINE
ENTHUSIAST - "Top 100 Wines"
#7 -
Château Ste. Michelle 2003 Cold
Creek Vineyard (Columbia Valley);
$22.
Winemaker Bob Bertheau lays back on the
new oak and gives this great vineyard its
due. A classic spine of juicy acid, with
ripe—but not fat—citrus and
apricot flavors. Long, balanced and tightly
focused. (WE Score - 93pts)
#10 -
Quilceda Creek 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Washington); $80.
Amazing density; the aromas billow up from
the glass and weave together sinuously,
taking you on a bit of a magic carpet ride
before the wine even hits your mouth. This
wine has the power of a monster California
Cab while retaining the subtlety of a first-growth
Bordeaux. It is just a massive blast of
dark fruit, incredible viscosity, silky
textures and soft herbs, pepper and spice.
The oak—all new, all French—is
unobtrusive and perfectly integrated. (WE
Score - 97pts)
#23 -
L’Ecole No. 41 2003 Fries Vineyard
Semillon (Washington); $20.
Another classic edition of L’Ecole’s
best Sémillon. Big, fresh, and bursting
with ripe and delicious fruit. Green apples
and pears and bright, toasty tropical flavors
are perfectly meshed, and the wine fills
out in the mid-palate; then sails into a
thoroughly satisfying, lingering finish.
(WE Score - 93pts)
#45 -
Matthews 2002 Red Wine (Columbia
Valley); $50. This young, dense, saturated,
complex and extremely tight wine is sappy
and packed with myriad berries and red/blue
fruits. It is wrapped in stiff, hard, thick,
dark tannins that add tight layers of moist
earth, black tea, roots and bitter chocolate.
This baby needs time. (WE Score - 94pts)
#99 -
Fielding Hills 2003 Merlot (Columbia
Valley); $28.
A phenomenally brilliant effort from this
emerging superstar winery. The Merlot is
enhanced with 17% Cabernet, 5% Syrah and
2% Cab Franc. You won’t find Merlot
from anywhere else in the country that shows
so much supple power and structure. Vibrant
fruit is polished to a fine luster with
perfectly applied oak “seasoning”
that adds toast, butter, coconut, cedar
and smoke, lifted with scents of tobacco,
citrus and leaf. You run out of superlatives
for this wine. (WE Score - 95pts)
WINE ENTHUSIAST
- "Top 100 Best Buys"
#3 -
Covey Run 2004 Gewürztraminer
(Columbia Valley); $7.
Yet another standout effort from this value
producer. Clean, penetrating and varietal
with layered, spicy fruit—lemon, lime,
mint, anise, stone and earth in a marvelously
complex array of flavors. 20,500 cases made.
(WE Score - 90pts)
#28 -
Columbia Crest 2002 Grand Estates Chardonnay
(Columbia Valley); $11.
Bigger, with more obvious oak than the CC
“regular,” this gets special
treatment (hand-stirred for nine months
once a week) and 25% new oak. It’s
nicely integrated, big and buttery, with
pleasing layers of caramelized sugar and
baked apple. A home run. (WE Score - 90pts)
#29 -
Snoqualmie 2004 Winemaker’s Select
Riesling (Columbia Valley); $7.
Sweet and penetrating, with surprisingly
deep and protracted flavors of candied orange
peel, lemon peel and grapefruit. Very nice.
(WE Score - 88pts)
#74 -
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2003 Sauvignon Blanc
(Columbia Valley); $10.
More stainless steel fermentation than in
previous vintages brings out the bright,
round, fruity character. Winemaker Bob Bertheau
shows his California palate, shying away
from the grassy, pungent side of the grape,
building instead a crisp, fragrant and lightly
spiced white wine with popular appeal. (WE
Score - 88pts)
WINECOW
- "What we drank in 2005"
Because WineCOW was only around the last
couple months of 2005 we don't have a "Top
Wines" list, but one will definitely
be in the works for 2006. Instead, we chose
to share with you some of the Washington
wines that we (personally) drank in 2005.
These are not necessarily our choices for
top wines of the year, but even so there
was something about them that caused us
to put up the cash, buy a bottle and drink
it. Enjoy.
Patit Creek Cellars
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley
Terra Blanca
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain
Fort Walla Wall Cellars
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley
Dussek Family Cellars
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain
DeLille Cellars
2003 Chaleur Estate Blanc, Columbia Valley
Barrister 2003
Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley
Cougar Crest Winery
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley
Stevens Winery
2004 Stevens Legs Sauvignon Blanc, Yakima
Valley
Whitman Cellars
2003 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley
Gorman Winery
2003 Evil Twin (Cab/Syrah), Red Mountain
Mark Ryan Winery
2003 Gun Metal Red Wine, Conner Lee Vineyard
Mark Ryan Winery
2002 Long Haul Red Wine, Ciel du Cheval
Dunham Cellars
2003 Three Legged Dog Red Wine, Columbia
Valley
Hoodsport 2003
Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Leonetti Cellars
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley
Columbia Winery
2003 Zinfandel, Alder Ridge Vineyard
Saintpaulia Vintners
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain
O-S Winery
2003 BSH (cab/merlot/cab franc)
Mount Baker Vineyards
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Yakima
Valley
Dunham Cellars
2001 Trutina (cab/merlot/cab franc), Columbia
Valley
Stevens Winery
2003 Black Tongue Syrah, Yakima Valley
Januik 2003
Chardonnay, Cold Creek Vineyard
Fort Walla Walla Cellars
2001 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley
Betz Family Winery
2003 Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon,
Columbia Valley
Darighe 2000
Proprietor's Blend Red Wine, Columbia Valley
(listed in no particular order)
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