Month: October 2020

A Worthy List of Cellar Worthy Wines

 Bravo Oldtimer Wine Pub

The Wine Enthusiast magazine, an oldie for sure, just released its list of the Top 100 Cellar Worthy wines. A great timely list to help re-stock your cellars.

https://www.winemag.com

These are my top ten reasons why this list is a must read for today’s non-snobby, open-minded wine drinker.

  1. The list is fascinating in its choices because the wines are not the usual predictable big names. And it is not pimping (too much) to advertisers. Only the top ranked Antinori was predictable along with Biondi-Santi Brunello and, yes, Dominus. The La Jota mention may be a bone thrown to the Jackson Family.
  2. It gets you out of the cult Cabernet rut. The number 2 most cellar worthy wine is a Syrah, not Cabernet or Bordeaux. And it was Terre Rouge’s Ascent from Sierra Foothills which, BTW, I’ve been praising for years.  Betz Family Syrah is also an excellent choice.

3. Not based on price: The list includes many nicely priced wines, about half priced below $75.

4. It reminds us white wines can age:  The selections include the Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc, a Copain Anderson Valley Chardonnay, a German Riesling, and a Pinot Gris from Alsace. Another Bravo for that daring choice.

5. It lists quite a few wines from Oregon and Washington. Kudos for including a Merlot from Walla Walla, home to some of the best Merlot around. Intriguing mention of Horsepower Syrah from Walla Walla which I’ll try to find.

6. Not Napa Valley driven: It lists very few Napa wines, but does have the Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet and a Mayacamas Chardonnay.

7. A few wines are downright discoveries and bargains such as the Buty Semillon-Sauvignon from Washington for $25 and a 2017 Cahors for $24. Biggest discovery of all may be the Halcon “Esquisto” Red Yorkville Highlands.

8. Great choices of Pinot Noir from Central Otago, Alsace, and Oregon. There’s even a German Pinot Noir.

9. Sparkling wines as age-worthy? Of course, but great to see Roederer’s Hermitage from Mendocino getting full recognition along with Bollinger and Cliquot.

10. Excellent choices of 2017 Bordeaux: the Chateau Carbonnieux is the 4th best and priced at $45. Right, no Petrus, no chateau Margaux. No hyping of the latest vintage for another bravo.

Wine of the Week: A Rare Walla Walla Double Double

2016 Amavi Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla

93 points

Washington State continues to impress with so many best value red wines. Chateau Ste. Michelle remains a leader and its line of “14 Hands” seems to get better and better each vintage.

But there’s more to Washington State red wines than Ste. Michelle’s extended family which includes Columbia Crest. 

My ongoing search for an excellent Syrah priced below $20 uncovered one from Columbia Valley, the 2016 Appaloosa Syrah. They do love their horses in the Northwest but they are not horsing arounds when it comes to value. This one displays spot-on Syrah varietal character in an easy to drink style.

Yet Washington really beats the competition when it comes to great value Cabernet Sauvignon. That was reinforced when tasting the 2016 Amavi Cellars. This is not just a value.  It is a serious Cab, beautifully balanced and structured to age well. With a splash of Merlot for smoothness and a touch of oak for complexity, it is classic Cabernet. 

Walla Walla has a well-deserved reputation for big-time Cabernet, thanks to pioneering vintages from Leonetti, L’Ecole #41 and Cayuse. All three are cult wines. I’m also a big fan of Pepper Bridge Winery’s Cabernets which sell for around $60.

Amavi is owned by the same three families behind Pepper Bridge.

 best news: the 2016 Amavi Walla Walla Cabernet from the family-owned estate vineyards is also a super value, selling most places for under $30. 

I found it for $14 at www.lastbottlewines.com  Another reason to follow my posts.