I Won't Say I Told You So!

I won't say I told you so, but you read it first here in the Seattle Wine Blog. In the current issue of the Wine Spectator, Harvey Steiman reviews the current wave of Washington State red wine successes. Wine Spectator gives 2003 Quilceda Creek Cabernet a score of 95, in contrast to Robert Parker's score of 100. While I am certainly glad that a Washington state wine scored "100", I'm more inclined to agree with Steiman. When I tasted the 2003 Quilceda Cab it was wonderful and delicious, but not necessarily one of the greatest wines I've ever tasted. But enough quibbling, wine scores and ratings are basically subjective and the numbers just create a false impression of objectivity anyway.

Novelty Hill Merlot and Chardonnay were Seattle Wine Blog Wines of the Week. The Merlot garnered a "92" from Steiman. Wine of the Week Bergevin Lane's 2003 Calico Red scored "89'. I told you about Desert Wind's Ruah which rated an "86". We told you about Ben Smith's Bel Canto from Cadence a long time ago. It captured a "93". We told you about 2003 Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah last year. It scored "91". I told you that Hogue Genesis, Barnard Griffin, and Gordon Brothers wines are great values. Many of them scored in the high 80s. You can count on the Seattle Wine Blog for timely information on Washington State wines!

Enough advertising for myself! There's a nice piece in the Spectator on local winemaker and Master of Wine, Bob Betz and in the back in the Buying Guide there are lots of notes on other Washington state wines. This is much better coverage of Washington wines than the Wine Advocate offered, but there are some glaring omissions. First and foremost Mike Januik and Brian Carter. Somehow Cristophe Baron gets to be in the spotlight even though many Cayuse wines only rated in the 80s in in the Wine Advocate. Other significant omissions include Rulo, Dusted Valley, Zerba, Terra Blanca, Beresan, K Vintner, Basel Cellars, Thurston Wolfe, Amavi, and Fall Line.

With the major exception of Pepper Bridge, I think the Spectator got it pretty much right on Apex, Buty, Cadence, Columbia Crest, Cougar Crest, DeLille, Dunham, Gordon Brothers, Graeagle, Barnard Griffin, Hogue, Isenhauer, L'Ecole, Northstar, Novelty Hill, OS, Pavin & Riley, Reininger, Andrew Rich, Russel Creek, Ryan Patrick, Sagelands, Saint Laurent, Spirng Valley, Stella Maris, Syncline, Syzygy, and Walter Dacon.

My apologies for my own omissions.