TOP WASHINGTON WINES
OF 2007
WINE.COM
- "Top 100 Wines "
Wine.com is a new entry to our annual Top Washington Wines feature. Given that they are the #1 online retailer of wine we figured their assesment was just as valid as anyone elses because it represents the wines that consumers all over the country are actually buying. Below is a description of their list:
Announcing the Wine.com 100, the industry's first top 100 list based entirely on customer preferences. The ranking reflects the top 2% of wines sold nationally on Wine.com during 2007, based on unit volume. While many publications rank wines based on the opinions of their wine critics, we wanted our customers to be the judge, voting with their wallets to determine the Wine.com 100. You'll see customer reviews on 91 of these wines and independent professional ratings of at least 90 points on 84 of them.
#1 – Hogue Genesis 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($14)
#8 – Columbia Crest 2004 Grand Estates Merlot, Columbia Valley ($11)
Blend: 96% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 0.5% Cabernet Franc. This complex artisan wine is produced using various barrel types and varietals to offer classic Merlot spice, ripe cherry fruit, and cocoa aromatics which persist on the palate. The balance of wood and black fruits creates a velvety, seductive finish.
#43 – Columbia Winery 2005 Gewurztraminer, Columbia Valley ($11)
#66 – Columbia Crest 2002 Grand Estates Shiraz, Columbia Valley ($11)
#73 – Columbia Crest 2002 Two Vines Merlot, Columbia Valley ($8)
#80 – Ch. Ste. Michelle 2005 Indian Wells Riesling, Columbia Valley ($11)
This is the debut of our Indian Wells Riesling. At Chateau Ste. Michelle we are passionate about Riesling and are pleased to add this tropical style of Riesling to our diverse Riesling line up. The 2005 Indian Wells Riesling exhibits fruit-driven aromas of ripe, juicy pineapple, peach and mango and is rich and unctuous, while maintaining a crisp, well-balanced style that is typical of Washington state Riesling.
#81 – Columbia Crest 2003 Grand Estates Merlot, Columbia Valley ($11)
#93 – Ch. Ste. Michelle 2004 Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($17)
#96 – Red Diamond 2002 Shiraz, Columbia Valley ($13)
Aromas of raspberry, jam, leather and pepper mingle with a bit of floral spice on the nose. Spicy floral notes carry through the fruit-packed, medium-bodied palate, finishing with a touch of honey.
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 WINE
SPECTATOR - "The Top 100 Year's Most Exciting Wines"
#28 – Quilceda Creek 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley (95 points - $100)
Velvety and generous. A supple, insinuating style, with coffee and bittersweet chocolate accents around a beautifully contained core of ripe currant, plum and cherry fruit. Has great presence, balance and harmony. The finish expands impressively against a veil of firm tannins and well-integrated oak flavors. Best from 2010 through 2020. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 3,400 cases made.
#69 – Owen Roe 2005 Ex Umbris Syrah, Columbia Valley (91 points - $24)
Supple, generous and beautifully focused to display its cherry, blackberry and dusky spice flavors. Not a big, blatant red, but a wine that shows finesse and refinement without losing any of its ripe flavors. Drink now through 2015. 3,100 cases made.
#70 – DeLille 2004 D2, Columbia Valley (92 points - $36)
Ripe, firm and beautifully focused, a complex mouthful of currant, plum, cedar and autumn leaf flavors that glow enticingly through the long, long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2012. 2,600 cases made.
#71 – Columbia Crest 2004 Grand Estates Merlot, Columbia Valley (90 points - $11)
Bursting with blueberry and currant fruit, this zips across the palate with a racy texture and refined tannins. Lingers enticingly with a hint of mocha on the finish. Drink now through 2009. 140,000 cases made.
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WINE
SPECTATOR - Great Values of 2007 (Outstanding wines for $15 or less)
Ryan Patrick 2005 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley (91 points - $15)
Shows remarkable balance, offering bright pear, green melon, mineral and cream flavors in equal parts, hinting at tangerine peel and nutmeg as the finish rolls on nicely. Drink now through 2012. 1,200 cases made.
Columbia Crest 2004 Grand Estates Merlot, Columbia Valley (90 points - $11)
Bursting with blueberry and currant fruit, this zips across the palate with a racy texture and refined tannins. Lingers enticingly with a hint of mocha on the finish. Drink now through 2009. 140,000 cases made.
L 'Ecole No. 41 2005 Semillon, Columbia Valley (90 points - $15)
Supple, spicy and generous with its caramel-accented fig and pear flavors that linger nicely on the round finish, balanced with just enough acidity. Drink now through 2008. 4,047 cases made.
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WINE
ENTHUSIAST - "The Enthusiast 100"
#14 – DeLille Cellars 2005 Chaleur Estate Blanc, Columbia Valley (94 pts - $33)
A rich, golden, toasty, hedonistic wine. Ripe and loaded with gorgeous fruit: sweet citrus, pineapple, grapefruit, peach and stone fruit. As it moves through the palate it’s laced with smoke and toast, while the fruit core expands into marmalade and tupelo honey, and the wine grows unctuous and creamy. Doesn’t taste like a young wine, but it certainly will continue to round out and develop further in the bottle.
#19 – Poet’s Leap 2005 Riesling, Columbia Valley (93 pts - $20)
Poet’s Leap was the first wine to be released under the Long Shadows portfolio, and this 2005 is clearly its best yet. Old-vine Riesling from Dionysus and Weinbau form the core of the wine, which is immaculate, rich and generous. The fruits sound like a county fair in summer—melon, stone fruits, citrus, honey—and the mix of residual sugar (about 1.6%) and racy acids is thrillingly on target.
#37 – Cayuse 2003 Armada Syrah, Walla Walla (97 pts - $65)
A truly stunning wine of amazing complexity. It has layers of depth rarely found in any Washington wines, beginning with dense black fruits, black licorice, smoke, pepper and charcoal. The trademark Cayuse herbal/green tea elements are there also, more as hints than as layers. The aging in big neutral barriques has buffed it out; as it breathes in the glass the wine opens beautifully, gaining flesh and density. A genuine tour de force, deeply aromatic and fascinating.
#43 – Cadence 2004 Camerata Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain (95 pts - $50)
This is a special wine, a beautiful rendition of pure Cab from a single Red Mountain vineyard—Tapteil. It shows the power of the grape, the structural verticality, the austerity, but it is also ripe enough to stand alone and shine all by itself. This is a perfectly sculpted wine, elegant and fine, sleek and muscular. It needs time, no doubt, but it’s delicious right now as well. I just love pure Cabernet. It’s like a zen wine.
#63 – Leonetti Cellars 2005 Merlot, Columbia Valley (95 pts - $65)
Bright, saturated, and deeply colored, this poster child Merlot proves that there is no other place in the world that can do Merlot in this style. Magnificent in color, aroma, depth and texture; it is polished, elegant, firm and confident. Blossom, fruit, herb and barrel aromas are beautifully interwoven. The tightly packed fruit has it all, from red, blue and black berries on to cherry and cassis. The mid-palate, though quite full, is fleshy and tight. The acids are firm but not sour, the tannins fine and smooth and ripe. The finish, still young and compact, hints at an almost existential longevity.
#65 – Chateau Ste. Michelle 2005 Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Hills (91 pts - $20)
A smashing success, this exceptional value is loaded with the typical fruit flavors of cut green apple, pineapple and melon. The fruit is set in a creamy frame and finished with beautifully restrained oak accents that support it without burying it.
WINE ENTHUSIAST - "Top 50 Cellar Selections of 2007"
#5 – Betz Family Winery 2004 La Cote Rousse Syrah, Red Mountain (94 pts - $45)
This Côte Rousse has really pulled itself together. It’s a subtle wine but offers perfectly ripened, silky, beautifully proportioned flavors of mixed fruits, highlighted with Rhône-like notes of mineral, forest floor, truffle and smoke. This is the good funk—the exotic nuances that come only from the most sensitive winemaking. A vin de garde, this should evolve over the next decade or more.
#15 – Sineann 2005 Block One Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley (95 pts - $36)
Fermented to a plus-size 15.4% alcohol, this rare wine from one of Washington’s oldest and best Cabernet vineyards shows what a gifted winemaker can do with great fruit. The play of flavors, mixing red and purple fruits, toasted nuts, mocha, caramel, bark and earth, is exceptional. The detail is extraordinary for a wine with such high alcohol. The acids and tannins are seamless and fine, and the flavors extend into an unusual finish that suggests menthol and eucalyptus —not generally a character found in Champoux fruit. All in all it’s a wonderful voyage, and one of a handful of essential Washington wines.
 WINE ENTHUSIAST
- "Top 100 Best Buys of 2007"
#2 – Snoqualmie 2006 Winemaker’s Select Riesling, Columbia Valley (91 pts - $8)
With full ripeness, density and concentration, this keeps its superb balance at just 10.8% alcohol and 5% residual sugar. The dynamic tension plays out beautifully, and doesn’t veer into any sort of sugary slackness. This has the sort of weight and complexity you would expect in a $30 wine.
#10 – Pine & Post 2005 Chardonnay, Washington (87 pts - $6)
Don’t look for richness at this price, but you will find a clean, straightforward wine, with supple, ripe fruit flavors and surprising midpalate weight. There’s nothing flabby, watery, thin or fake about it.
#14 – Barnard Griffin 2005 Fume Blanc, Columbia Valley (90 pts - $9)
Dry, sauvage and nicely detailed, this bright, tart, citrusy wine has a truly great mouthfeel. Done entirely in stainless steel, it is packed with flavors of fresh fruit skins, lingering with crisp and textural spice. Just 12.6% alcohol puts it squarely into the Sancerre range.
#16 – Covey Run 2005 Quail Series Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley (88 pts - $8)
Not too many wineries bother with Chenin any more; a shame, since it grows so well in Washington’s desert climate. Covey’s off-dry version retains the honeyed floral characteristics of Loire Valley versions, but beefs up the fruit with juicy flavors of melon, sweet pear and honeysuckle.
#40 – Gordon Brothers 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley (90 pts - $13)
Firm and detailed, this light-on-its-feet Sauvignon Blanc has a wonderful spiciness, as if it’s been dappled with sweet pepper. The fruit is just ripe enough to capture the grassy sweetness of the grape, and it holds itself together well into a long and satisfying finish. Elegant and beautifully proportioned, this is a real pleasure to sip.
#45 – J. Bookwalter 2006 Riesling, Columbia Valley (91 pts - $15)
This moderately off-dry (1% residual sugar) Columbia Valley Riesling explodes from the glass with big, round aromas suggestive of ripe melon, tropical fruits and citrus. The balance is perfect, with plenty of natural acidity. The winemaker notes, with unusual aplomb, that “With bottle aging the fermentation aromatics of Bazooka bubblegum will develop into classic, and very subtle petroleum aromas.” Who’s going to argue with that?
#53 – Maryhill 2005 Winemaker’s Blend, Columbia Valley (88 pts - $10)
For my money, this is the most authentic wine that Maryhill makes. It has not been softened, oaked, sweetened and vanilla’d up—it just shows the great fruit and the verticality of nicely ripened grapes. Composed of 40% Merlot, 32% Cabernet, 22% Syrah, 6% Cab Franc and 13.9% alcohol.
#54 – Columbia Crest 2004 Two Vines Shiraz, Columbia Valley (87 pts - $8)
A good effort, with plenty of snap and sizzle for an eight dollar wine. You get juicy berry fruit, some clean spice and suggestions of white pepper, fine acids and decent length. It says Shiraz but it’s less of an Aussie style and more of a snappy, acid-driven Washington take.
#77 – Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley (89 pts - $13)
This is very fresh and crisp, mingling light citrus and green apple fruit with interesting herbal enticements of white pepper and tarragon. Just a touch (6%) of Viognier in the blend adds to the citrus and floral highlights. It seems as if a distinct Washington Pinot Gris style, quite different from Oregon, is beginning to emerge.
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WINE & SPIRITS - "Grower of the Year "
Dick Boushey - Boushey Vineyard
WINE & SPIRITS - "Top Estate Winery of the Year"
Leonetti Cellars
93 pts – 04 Walla Walla Valley Reserve ($110)
93 pts – 04 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)
92 pts – 05 Columbia Valley Merlot ($65)
WINE & SPIRITS - "American Wineries of the Year"
Amavi – Artisan
93 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Syrah ($28)
90 pts – 04 Walla Walla Valley Les Collines Vineyard Syrah ($32)
89 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($24)
Betz Family – Artisan
92 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Clos de Betz ($35)
92 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon ($45)
92 pts – 04 Red Mountain La Cote Rousse Syrah ($45)
Cadence – Artisan
94 pts – 04 Red Mountain Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($40)
93 pts – 04 Red Mountain Bel Canto ($55)
91 pts – 04 Red Mountain Tapteil Vineyard ($40)
Chateau Ste. Michelle – Multiregional
92 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Ethos Merlot ($36)
91 pts – 03 Columbia Valley Ethos Cabernet Sauvignon ($36)
89 pts – 03 Columbia Valley Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)
Fidelitas – Artisan
93 pts – 03 Columbia Valley Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($55)
90 pts – Columbia Valley Optu ($40)
90 pts – 03 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
L’Ecole No. 41 – Regional
93 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Ferguson Commemorative Reserve Red ($45)
90 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($30)
90 pts – 05 Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard Semillon ($20)
McCrea – Artisan
93 pts – 03 Red Mountain Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Syrah ($50)
92 pts – 04 Washington Syrah ($28)
92 pts – 03 Yakima Valley Boushey Grand Cote Vineyard Syrah ($50)
Tamarack Cellars – Artisan
94 pts – 05 Columbia Valley Merlot ($28)
91 pts – 05 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc ($25)
91 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)
WINE & SPIRITS - "100 Best Wines of 2007"
Cadence 2004 Red Mountain Ciel du Cheval Vineyard (94 points - $40)
Tamarack Cellars 2005 Columbia Valley Merlot (94 points - $28)
WINE & SPIRITS - "100 Best Buys of the Year"
Robert Karl 2004 Columbia Valley Claret (93 points - $19)
Three Rivers 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (92 points - $19)
Tamarack Cellars 05 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc (91 points - $25)
Waterbrook 2005 Columbia Valley Syrah (93 points - $20)
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WINE PRESS NORTHWEST
- "Best of the Best in the Great Northwest"
Best of the Best
Dunham Cellars 2004 Syrah, Columbia Valley ($45)
Maryhill Winery 2006 Rose of Sangiovese, Columbia Winery ($14)
Otis Kenyon Wine 2005 Seven Hills Vineyard Reserve Merlot, Walla Walla Valley ($40)
San Juan Vineyard 2006 Siegerrebe, Puget Sound ($15)
Double Platinum
Barnard Griffin 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($17)
Saviah Cellars 2005 Syrah, Red Mountain ($30)
Platinum
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley ($12)
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Indian Wells Riesling, Columbia Valley ($14)
Covey Run Winery 2005 Reserve Semillon Ice Wine, Yakima Valley ($22)
Saviah Cellars 2004 Une Vallee, Walla Walla Valley ($32)
Barnard Griffin 2005 Merlot, Columbia Valley ($17)
Gamache Vintners 2004 Syrah, Columbia Valley ($28)
Merry Cellars 2005 Carmenere, Walla Walla Valley ($32)
Vin du Lac Winery 2005 Barrel Select Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley ($30)
Whidbey Island Winery 2003 Composition, Yakima Valley ($22)
Domaine Ste. Michelle NV Blanc de Noirs, Columbia Valley ($12)
Kiona Vineyards Winery 2006 Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley ($10)
Thurston Wolfe 2005 Dr. Wolfe’s Family Red, Washington ($15)
Maryhill Winery 2004 Proprietor’s Reserve Zinfandel, Columbia Valley ($36)
Portteus Winery 2005 Petite Sirah, Rattlesnake Hills ($24)
Thurston Wolfe 2004 Destiny Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington ($25)
Helix by Reininger 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($22)
L’Ecole No 41 2004 Syrah, Columbia Valley ($24)
Tamarack Cellars 2005 Firehouse Red, Columbia Valley ($20)
Download the results of the 2007 Wine Press NW Platinum Judging, "the best of the best in the Great Northwest." DOWNLOAD THE RESULTS HERE
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