10/30/07
(Tuesday) - Wine & Spirits Features Alexandria Nicole Viognier
Wine & Spirits magazine recently featured Alexandria Nicole's 2006 Columbia Valley Viognier (91 pts - $18) as their White Wine of the Month for October.
"This leads with scents of fruit blossoms, accented with a mildly leesy aroma. The reticent nose doesn't prepare you for the wine's generous flavors, redolent of ripe peaches with a seductive, succulent juicy texture. It's an indication of the potential for viognier in Washington. And it would be delicious with poached halibut and herbs" Destiny Ridge Cellars, WA -Patrick J. Comisky
And even though the description included several words I didn't know or couldn't understand, such as "leesy" (what's that?), "reticent", and "redolent", I would recommend this as a must have on any table this holiday season.
-MP
10/25/07
(Thursday) - Seattle Magazine Power List - Tim Hightower
Seattle magazine recently unveiled their Power List for 2007 – Seattle’s movers and shakers who have shaped the city this year. Tim Hightower, winemaker of Hightower Cellars, earned a mention for business as an advocate for the state’s wine industry.
"A lawyer by training, Hightower, who has worked as corporate counsel fro Columbia Winery and is director of operations for their Covey Run and Hogue brands, was president of the Washington Wine Institute (washingtonwineinstitute.org) when the all-volunteer industry lobbying body began pushing for the rights of member wineries. He was instrumental in getting legislation passed in 2006 to allow small wineries to deliver their own wines to restaurants and shops, rather than going through a distributor (which lowers their profits) – a coup for local winemakers."
-MP
10/23/07
(Tuesday) - Wine & Spirits - 21st Annual Buying Guide Results
As a wine drinker you’ve got to love this time of year. The weather is getting cooler, all the grapes have come in off the vine, and serious wine drinking/entertaining begins as we draw closer to the holidays. And just in time all of the wine publications begin to release their annual top 100 lists! This is a perfect chance to catch up on what you may have missed in order to put together that perfect holiday list of the world’s top wines…that is if you believe everything you read!
Starting out the season of top 100’s is Wine & Spirits (Winter 2007) with their 21st Annual Buying Guide, which includes the 100 Best Wines, 100 Best Buys, and 100 Wineries of the Year. It looks like Washington had another banner year with Chateau Ste. Michelle topping out the list with their thirteenth winery of the year nod (7th in a row), following only Penfolds with seventeen and Antinori with fifteen. L’Ecole No.41 was the only other winery to make the consistent performers list with six honors, their 6th in a row. Other honorees from Washington include:
Grower of the Year
Dick Boushey – Boushey Vineyard
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)
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)
100 Best Wines of 2007
94 pts – Cadence 04 Red Mountain Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($40)
94 pts – Tamarack Cellars 05 Columbia Valley Merlot ($28)
100 Best Buys of the Year
93 pts – Robert Karl 04 Columbia Valley Claret ($19)
92 pts – Three Rivers 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($19)
91 pts – Tamarack Cellars 05 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc ($25)
93 pts – Waterbrook 2005 Columbia Valley Syrah ($20)
-MP
10/06/07
(Saturday) - New Wine Enthusiast Scores - November 1st, 2007
A lot of wines rated 90 points or better in this issue:
Cabernet & Blends:
97 points – Leonetti Cellar 2004 Reserve, Walla Walla ($110)
94 points – Leonetti Cellar 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla ($75)
92 points – Isenhower Cellars 2004 Bachelor’s Button Cabernet, Columbia Valley ($32)
91 points – Canoe Ridge 2004 Block 1 Reserve Cabernet, Columbia Valley ($45)
90 points – Bunnell Family Cellar 2005 Stonetree Vineyard a pic, Wahluke Slope ($28)
90 points – Isenhower Cellars 2005 Wild Thyme, Columbia Valley ($22)
Syrah:
93 points – Bunnell Family Cellar 2005 Boushey-McPherson Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley ($38)
91 points – Bunnell Family Cellar 2005 Clifton Hill Vineyard Syrah, Wahluke Slope ($38)
91 points – Forgeron 2003 Syrah, Columbia Valley ($30)
91 points – Januik Winery 2004 Lewis Vineyard Syrah, Columbia Valley ($30)
90 points – Chatter Creek 2004 Clifton Hill Vineyard Syrah, Wahluke Slope ($30)
90 points – Cuillin Hills 2005 Syrah, Walla Walla ($32)
90 points – Isenhower Cellars 2005 Wild Alfalfa Syrah, Columbia Valley ($28)
Other Reds:
95 points – Leonetti Cellar 2005 Merlot, Columbia Valley ($65)
91 points – Bunnell Family Cellar 2005 Northridge Vineyard Mourvedre, Wahluke Slope ($38)
91 points – Leonetti Cellar 2005 Sangiovese, Walla Walla ($55) Chardonnay
93 points – Novelty Hill 2005 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley ($20)
90 points – Forgeron 2005 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley ($25)
90 points – Januik Winery 2005 Cold Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley ($30)
Other Whites:
91 points – Isenhower Cellars 2006 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Roussanne, Red Mountain ($22)
90 points – Ash Hollow 2006 Gewurztraminer, Columbia Valley ($19)
90 points – Canoe Ridge 2006 Snipes Vineyard Gewurztraminer, Columbia Valley ($16)
90 points – Chatter Creek 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley ($24)
90 points – Kestrel 2005 Estate Viognier, Yakima Valley ($20)
-MP
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