About this Year’s Lists


This year, I have put the four wines scoring 20/20 points at the top, followed by The Next Top Twenty-One, which consists of all wines scoring 19.5 points. The following list consists of outstanding wines that are highly recommended. Some wines may be sold out at the winery, but are worth looking for at retail stores. These wines are listed in the order in which they were reviewed, from January to December 2011. Omissions from this list do not necessarily mean that certain wines lack merit. There is not enough space to list all of them here, or in my Review of Washington Wines. Also, with the hundreds of wineries now in operation in this state, it is not possible to cover all of them. And I have intentionally left out wines, which are allocated, or unavailable in the general market.


The Four Top Wines of the Year


2009 Maison Bleue “Liberte” Syrah, Yakima Valley, Boushey Vineyard (September) - $45

2008 Rasa Vineyards “Creative Impulse” Red, Yakima Valley, DuBrul Vineyard (November) - $95

The following two wines will be reviewed in the January 2012 issue, but since they were released and tasted in 2011, they are included here.

2007 Tero Estates Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, Windrow Vineyard (January 2012) - $90

2003 Reininger “Desiderata” Red Blend, Walla Walla Valley (January 2012) - $120


The Next Top Twenty-One – 19.5/20 Points


2009 Reynvaan Family Vineyards “The Contender” Syrah, Walla Walla Valley (March) - $65

2009 Reynvaan Family Vineyards “Stonessence” Syrah, Walla Walla Valley (March) – sold out (possible 20/20 points)

2008 Sleight of Hand “The Archimage” Red, Columbia Valley (March) - $45

2008 Adams Bench “Reckoning” Red, Columbia Valley (March) - $39

2009 Maison Bleue “Graviere” Red, Snipes Mountain, Upland Vineyard (April) - $39

2008 Buty “Rediviva of the Stones” Red, Walla Walla Valley (April) – sold out

2008 Adams Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, Red Willow Vineyard (May) - $60

2008 DeLille Cellars Harrison Hill Red, Yakima Valley (May) - $70

2009 Betz Family “Clos Patriarche” Red, Yakima Valley, Red Willow Vineyard (May) - $60

2008 Andrew Will “Sorella” Red, Horse Heaven Hills (May) - $70

2008 Woodward Canyon “Dedication Series” Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley (June) - $79

2006 Corliss Estates Syrah, Columbia Valley (June) - $55

2007 Northstar Merlot, Walla Walla Valley (June) - $50

2010 Maison Bleue “Petite Joie” Marsanne, Yakima Valley, Boushey Vineyard (September) - $35

2009 Maison Bleue “Le Midi” Grenache, Yakima Valley, Boushey Vineyard (September) - $35

2008 Adams Bench “the V” Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley (September) - $49

2008 Adams Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, Mays Discovery Vineyard (September) -$52

2009 Kerloo Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla Valley (October) - $34

2006 Corliss Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley (November) - $75

2008 Long Shadows “Sequel” Syrah, Columbia Valley (December) - $50

2009 Obelisco Estate “Electrum” Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain (December) - $60


Forty Memorable 19/20 Points Wines


2005 Reininger “Cima” Red, Walla Walla Valley (January) - $51

2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope (February) - $42

2008 Sleight of Hand “The Illusionist” Red Blend, Columbia Valley (March) - $45

2006 McKinley Springs Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills (April) - $30

2008 Brian Carter Cellars “One” Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, Stone Creek Vineyard (May) - $48

2009 Betz Family “Besoleil” Grenache, Yakima Valley (May) - $50

2009 K Vintners “The Boy” Grenache, Walla Walla Valley (June) - $50

2008 Woodward Canyon “Charbonneau” Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley (June) - $69

2007 Forgeron Cellars “Vinfinity” Red, Columbia Valley (June) - $46

2008 Stephenson Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, Patina Vineyard (June) - $45

2007 Tero Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, Windrow Vineyard (June) - $55

2008 Rasa Vineyards QED Red, Walla Walla Valley (July) - $50

2010 Waters “Prelude” White, Columbia Valley (July) - $30

2009 Waters “Capella” Red Blend, Walla Walla Valley (July) - $40

2009 Hedges “Descendents Liegois Dupont, Cuvee Marcel Dupont” Syrah, Red Mountain (July) - $25

2008 Efeste “Big Papa” Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley (August) - $49

2008 Spring Valley “Uriah” Red Blend, Walla Walla Valley (August) - $50

2010 Dowsett Family Gewurztraminer, Columbia Gorge, Celilo Vineyard (August) - $22

2007 Long Shadows Chester-Kidder Red, Columbia Valley (August) - $50

2008 Upland Estates “Teunis” Red Blend, Snipes Mountain, Upland Vineyard (September) - $45

2008 El Corazon “Tiger’s Blood” Reserve Carmenere, Walla Walla Valley (September) - $35

2009 Rotie Cellars Northern Blend, Columbia Valley (September) - $40

2009 El Corazon/Rotie Cellars “Swordfight” Syrah, Columbia Valley (September) - $50

2007 Bergevin Lane “Intuition” Reserve Red, Columbia Valley (September) - $59

2010 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc, Columbia Valley (October) - $34

2008 Barrage Cellars “Eclipse” Syrah, Yakima Valley, Vignes de Marcoux (October) - $40

2008 Tero Estates Windrow Red, Walla Walla Valley, Windrow Vineyard (October) - $45

2009 Kerloo Cellars Tempranillo, Columbia Valley (October) - $34

2008 Domaine Pouillon Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Gorge, McDuffee Vineyard (October) - $35

2008 :Nota Bene Cellars Ciel du Cheval Red Blend, Red Mountain (October) - $35

2008 Nefarious Cellars Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Rocky Mother Vineyard (Nov.) - $42

2008 Hard Row to Hoe Syrah, Lake Chelan (November) - $30

2008 Flying Trout “Mary’s Block” Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, Windrow Vineyard (November) - $35

2009 Gramercy Cellars “The Third Man” Red, Columbia Valley (November) - $45

2007 Forgeron Cellars Zinfandel, Columbia Valley (November) - $30

2006 Corliss Estates Red Blend, Columbia Valley (November) - $65

2008 Buty Columbia Rediviva, Estate Grown, Horse Heaven Hills, Phinny Hill Vineyard (December) - $48

2009 Lullaby Viognier, Walla Walla Valley (December) - $35

2007 Robert Karl Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, Gunselman Bench Vineyard (Dec.) - $35

2098 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley (December) - $42


Next Week: Best Buys for $25 or Less, Predictions for 2012, Wineries to Watch

The January issue of the Review of Washington Wines also on Line December 30