Wine Spectator's top 100 for 2008 - Seghesio Zin in top 10

Over the past couple of weeks Wine Spectator has been posting the top 10 wines from 2008 and this week they posted the entire list. The rankings are based a combination of quality (based on the tasting scores), value, availability (cases produced or imported), and "excitement". This year the top American wine on the list is Seghesio's 2007 Sonoma Zinfandel at #10. At $24 it's also by far the least expensive wine in the top 10 (1-9 cost $40-$100).



Yup, it's the same wine I blogged about earlier... a good bet for this year's Thanksgiving table! You may want to step up grabbing it though. While there's plenty made and in distribution, placing high on WS's top 100 means lots of people will be picking up bottles in wine shops and grocery stores. http://bcurlblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/two-nw-wines-and-favorite-zin-in-dec-15.html


The wine of the year - Casa Lapostolle
Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005, Chile
96 points / $75

Also in the top 10 is one of my favorite wines - Mollydooker's, Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2007. 95 points / $90, 2,596 cases made, Australia. Granted, at $90 you could get nearly 4 bottles of the Seghesio...

The highest ranked (#17) Northwest wine is probably the best sparkling wine made in the US - Argyle Extended Tirage Willamette Valley, OR 1998, $50. (it's also in the 11/6 post) Other Northwest wines in the top 100 are:

#25 94pts $58 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills 2005
#42 92pts $25 Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 2005
#48 93pts $37 DeLille Doyenne Aix Red Columbia Valley, 2005
#61 93pts $30 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 2005
#68 93pts $58 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Evenstad Reserve 2005

For those in the Seattle area, DeLille and Januik are located in Woodinville. DeLille is closed to the public, but Januik shares a tasting room with Novelty Hill (Mike Januik is the winemaker for both wineries) and is open to the public 11-5 daily.