Year's best Washington wine? Here's my top 100
Wine Adviser/Paul Gregutt The Seattle Times
Two of the most eagerly-awaited "Best of" lists are the year's top 100 wines as profiled in the Wine Spectator and the Wine Enthusiast. Thousands of wines from around the globe are reviewed by these publications each year, so to place any wines at all on these lists is a coup. Washington does quite well, especially considering how truly small our wine industry is. But it occurs to me, why not do a top 100 Washington wine list?
In 2006 I tasted more new releases than ever. I was intent on experiencing the full range of what this state has to offer, from the Olympic Peninsula to the Columbia Gorge, from Walla Walla to Spokane and all points within that vast circle. Many of the wines on this list may have been made in very limited quantities, and quite a few are now sold out. Some wineries sell only to mailing-list customers. However, the more widely-available, less expensive wines listed here are just as important, because these are the everyday, affordable wines that best promote the quality of Washington vineyards and vintners.
With one or two exceptions, I have elected to list just one wine per winery, although many producers named here have delivered a full lineup of outstanding wines. The wine listed is the one that I felt was the best.
This ranking is not done strictly by the numbers, although these are all wines that score very well on the 100-point scale. However, I firmly believe that both quality and cost are factors in overall excellence. If a winery charges $80 or $100 for a wine, it darn well better be good! But if the wine costs $8 or $10 and delivers quality flavor, it is every bit as valuable as the pricey juice.
Congratulations to everyone whose work is recognized below. I very much look forward to chronicling your continued success in 2007.
21. Syncline 2004 Milbrandt Vineyards Syrah
25. Syncline 2004 Cuvée Elena Grenache-Mourvèdre-Syrah
Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines."
His column appears weekly in the Wine section.
He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.