AlaWine.com: Super Award Winning Wines

Three Rivers Winery 2006 Malbec

The Award-Winning Wine:
Three Rivers Winery 2006 Malbec (Columbia Valley)

Reason for Reviewing:
Three Rivers Winery 2006 Malbec was one of three Three Rivers Winery wines that earned top-honor Gold Medals at the 2009 Grand Harvest Awards. They also won Gold for their 2005 Boushey Vineyard Syrah and their Three Rivers 2005 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine also won Gold Medal-Seattle Wine Awards 2009 and Chairman's Award (Unanimous Gold)-Riverside International Wine Competition 2009.

Noteworthy:
The name Three Rivers represents the three most prominent rivers in the appellations from which the winery sources its grapes: the Columbia, Snake, and Walla Walla Rivers.

Winery Notes:
Boysenberry pie and smoky spices embody this wine’s unique character.

AlaWine Notes:
Three Rivers Winery 2006 Malbec displays in the glass as a deep purple color. Red fruit aromas, cherry, plum, raspberry, rise to the nose. Whole plum, cherry, and raspberry carry over onto the palate and linger through a long, light leather finish.

Bottom Line:
Three Rivers Winery 2006 Malbec is a blend of Malbec 77% and Cabernet Sauvignon 23%. It is a big, fruit filled wine, full of flavor. Would pair well with smoked or spicy meats, sausages, or Bar-B-Q steaks. Suggested retail price is $29. Overall composite score: 95 points.

Best of the Amador County Fair Wine Competition

The Amador County Fair Wine Competition results are in, and the super-award winners are:
Best of Show and Best Red: Sobon Estate Primitivo 2007
Best White: Sierra Vista Winery Viognier 2008
Best Desert Wine: Chateau Routon Winery Port 2005
Best Rose: Bray Vineyards Barbara Rosato 2008
Best Amador Rhone : Karmere Winery Syrah 2007
Best Amador Red Zinfandel: Obscurity Cellars Zinfandel 2007
Best Amador Italian: Sobon Estate Primitivo 2007
Best Sauvignon Blanc: Wildrotter Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2008

More info: Amador County Fair.

Best of Show, 2009 Orange County Fair Wine Competition

Best of Show – Red Varietals
Premium
Sapphire Hill, 2007 Zinfandel,
Russian River Valley, Winberrie Vineyard
102 Year Old Vines
High
Jeff Runquist Wines, 2007 Touriga Nacional,
Lodi, Silvaspoons Vineyard
Medium
Deer Ridge Vineyards, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon,
Livermore Valley
Low
Montevina, 2006 Barbera,
Amador County

Best of Show – White Varietals
Premium
Cambiata, 2008 Albarino,
Monterey, Estate Grown
High
Saddleback Cellars, 2008 Viognier,
Clarksburg
Medium
Wildhurst Vineyards, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc
Lake County, Reserve
Low
Oak Grove, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc,
California, Reserve

Best of Show – Dessert Wines
Premium
The Historic Galleano Winery, NV Other Fortified,
Angelica, Cucamonga Valley, Ancient Old Vines
High
Rancho de Philo, NV Sherry
Triple Cream Sherry, Cucamonga Valley
Medium
Sheffield Cellars, NV Sherry,
Cream Sherry, California, Cellars Select
Low
Viano Vineyards, 2006 Vintage Port,
Contra Costa County, Old Vines, Estate, Zinfandel

Best of Show – Sparkling Wines
Premium
Laetitia, 2005 Sparkling Wine
‘Brut Coquard’, Arroyo Grande Valley, Estate
High
Mumm Napa, NV Sparkling Wine,
Brut Prestige, Napa Valley
Medium
Korbel, NV Sparkling Blanc de Noirs,
California Champagne
Low
Barefoot Bubbly, NV Sparkling Wine,
Brut Cuvee, California, Charmat Method

More information: Orange County Wine Society

Lone Star International Wine Competition Grand Star Winners

The Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association hosted the 26th annual Lone Star International Wine Competition (LSIWC) last month at the Grapevine Convention Center. Nearly 500 wines from around the world were judged in 30+ categories by a panel of restaurant owners, sommeliers and other wine experts from Texas. Twenty six gold, 81 silver and 172 bronze medals were awarded to entries from fourteen US states and several foreign countries.

The 2009 LSIWC Grand Star Winners are:
International
Fortified Wine Quady Winery Elysium 2007
Red Table Wine Eagle Eye Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005
Rose' & Blush Wine Robert Hall Winery Rose De Robles 2008
White Table Wine Bodegas Montecillo "Verdemar" Albarino 2008
Limited Production
Late Harvest, Dessert & Ice Wine Georgetown Winery Kona Reserve - Chocolate Cherry Port
Red Table Wine Red Caboose Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
White Table Wine Christian W. Klay Winery White Swan Tavern 2008
Texas
Fortified Wine Haak Vineyards & Winery Madeira Blanc du Bois 2006
Red Table Wine Driftwood Estate Winery Lone Star Cab 2006
White Table Wine Grape Creek Vineyards Viognier - Lost Draw Vineyards 2008

For more information, click here.

2009 International Eastern Wine Competition Results

Best White Wine
Tierce, 2006 Tierce, Finger Lakes, $30
Best Sparkling Wine
Goose Watch Winery, NV Pinot Noir Rose - Brut, Finger Lakes, $18
Best Red Wine
Michael~David Winery, 2006 Petite Petit, Lodi, $18
Best Fruit Wine
Flickerwood Wine Cellars, 2006 Flickerberry Dew, New York State, $16.95
Best Dessert Wine
Ripken Vineyards & Winery, 2006 Late Harvest Viognier, Lodi, $20

Riesling Championship, Best of Class Winners
Riesling Champion
Tierce, 2006 Tierce, Finger Lakes, $30
Best Sweet Riesling
Navarro Vineyards, 2007 Late Harvest Riesling, Anderson Valley, $35
Best Semi-Sweet Riesling
Penguin Bay Winery, 2008 Riesling, Finger Lakes, $15
Best Semi-Dry Riesling
Jekel Vineyards, 2007 Riesling, Monterey, $11.99
Best Dry Riesling
Tierce, 2006 Tierce, Finger Lakes, $30

More winners and info here.

2009 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition Winners

Forty one oyster-loving food and wine writers, restaurateurs, retailers and oyster growers convened at the Water Grill in Los Angeles, Sutro’s at the Cliff House in San Francisco, and Anthony’s HomePort at Shilshole Bay in Seattle to select five crisp sauvignon blancs, four lively, refreshing pinot gris and one oyster-friendly blend as equal winners of the month-long 2009 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition...

The 2009 Oyster Award winners (listed alphabetically)
Airfield Estates 08 Thunderbolt Sauvignon Blanc (WA)
Anne Amie Vineyards Cuvee A Amrita 07 White Wine (OR)
Cedergreen Cellars 07 Sauvignon Blanc (WA)
Chateau Ste. Michelle 08 Pinot Gris (WA)**
Covey Run Winery 07 Pinot Grigio (WA)*
Hogue Cellars 08 Pinot Grigio (WA)
Kenwood Vineyards  07 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (CA)
Robledo Family Winery  "Seven Brothers" 07 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)**
Rutherford Ranch 07 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)
Sweet Cheeks Winery 08 Pinot Gris (OR)*
(* Prior Oyster Award Winner|** Multiple prior Oyster Awards)

Adobe Road Winery 2005 Bavarian Lion Cabernet Sauvignon

The Award-Winning Wine:
Adobe Road Winery 2005 Bavarian Lion Cabernet Sauvignon

Reason for Reviewing:
The Adobe Road Winery 2005 Bavarian Lion Cabernet Sauvignon was one of two Adobe Road Wines that earned a Double Gold Medal award at the 2009 Florida International Wine Competition. The other wine was their 2006 Sonoma Pinot Noir. Adobe Road Winery also holds the distinction of being just one of two wineries (with Airfield Estates in Washington) to win two Double Golds in this competition.

Noteworthy:
Adobe Road Winery is owned by renowned sportscar racer and entrepreneur Kevin Buckler and his wife, Debra. Kevin’s accomplishments as a driver include class wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (2002) and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans (2002), an overall win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (2003), and the title of Porsche World Cup Champion in 2002.

Winery Notes:
There is cassis, blackberry, caramel, expresso, and light notes of cedar which lead to a deliciously round mouth feel of cranberry, chocolate and vanilla.

AlaWine Notes:
Adobe Road Winery 2005 Bavarian Lion Cabernet Sauvignon pours into the glass as a very dark ruby-garnet color. Fragrant aromas of dark berries lift to the nose. Ripe blackberry and black currant flavors open on the palate in a smooth mouth and linger through a moderately dry finish with a light leather highlight.

Bottom Line:
Adobe Road Winery 2005 Bavarian Lion Cabernet Sauvignon is a very quaffable and delicious wine, balanced and well integrated, with juicy fruit and interesting layers of complementary flavor complexities. Suggested retail price is $45. Overall composite score: 97 points.

"Best of Show" San Francisco International Wine Competition

The largest and most prestigious competition in America delivers awards after examining wines from around the world in three days. Forty-five wine industry professionals from throughout the United States convened June 19th, 20th and 21st to taste, score and rank 4,274 wines from 1,195 wineries during the San Francisco International Wine Competition held at San Francisco’s Hotel Nikko. In its 29th year, the San Francisco International Wine Competition examined wines from 26 states and 21 countries.

The medal count included 148 Double Gold (a wine is elevated to Double Gold status when all judges on a particular panel agree that a wine deserves a Gold medal), 245 Gold, 1,150 Silver and 1,514 Bronze. “Best of Show” awards went to: Bürgerspital Weingut 2008 Gewürztraminer, Spätlese trocken, Franken, Germany, $34, for Best White Wine; Storrs Winery & Vineyards 2007 Grenache, Central Coast, $26, for Best Red Wine; Moët & Chandon 1995 Vintage Brut, Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque, Épernay, France, $350, for Best Sparkling Wine; and Pullus 2008 Late Harvest Riesling, Stajerska, Slovenia, $35, for Best Dessert Wine.