AlaWine.com: Super Award Winning Wines

Audelssa Estate Winery 2007 Tephra

The Award-Winning Wine:
Audelssa Estate Winery 2007 Tephra

Reason for Reviewing:
Audelssa Estate Winery 2007 Tephra won the Best of Class Award at the Sonoma Valley Fall Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
Audelssa was Voted 'Best Sonoma Winery in Wine Country' by SFGate.com Poll. Tephra is Greek for "ash, which is a reference to the unique soils at the winery's estate vineyards.

Winery Notes:
This food-friendly, medium-bodied wine expresses characteristics reminiscent of each [blended] varietal. You can expect spicy notes, red fruit and a round, supple texture.

AlaWine Notes:
Audelssa Estate Winery 2007 Tephra is a dark ruby color in the glass. Fresh berry aromas rise to the nose through a smokey background. A dark berry medley on the palate, with blackberry flavor prevailing. Layers, leading to a moderately dry and spicy finish.

Bottom Line:
Audelssa Estate Winery 2007 Tephra, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Zinfandel, is quite accessible yet still sophisticated. Well balanced with complementary flavors and finish. A very good bistro wine. Suggested retail price is $28. Overall composite score: 94 points.

Steele Wines 2007 Viognier

The Award-Winning Wine:
Steele Wines 2007 Viognier, Lake County

Reason for Reviewing:
Steele Wines 2007 Viognier earned a Platinum Award at the recently completed first Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
Jed Steele, Owner/Winemaker, has been making wine in California for 41 years. Despite his large number of different wines, he says, "we specialize in many wines where the final bottling is less than 1,000 cases. This reflects my never ending fascination with many different varietals and vineyard locations."

Winery Notes:
Peach and apricot flavors have excellent richness and intensity, with lingering concentration and just enough lemony acidity to keep it refreshing.

AlaWine Notes:
Steele Wines 2007 Viognier pours as a pale straw yellow color. Subtle floral notes of white peach and citrus blossom waft from the glass. Apricot flavors and citrus highlights on the palate, in a creamy smooth mouth. A bright acidity frames the fruit in a refreshing finish.

Bottom Line:
Steele Wines 2007 Viognier lifts the spirits with its pleasant heady perfume. Full, mouth watering, flavors hold through a long, crisp finish. Pair with spicy Asian dishes. Suggested retail price is $16. Overall composite score: 92 points.

Clayhouse Vineyards 2006 Petite Sirah

The Award-Winning Wine:
Clayhouse Vineyards, Estate Series, 2006 Petite Sirah

Reason for Reviewing:
Clayhouse Vineyards 2006 Petite Sirah earned a Platinum Award at the recently completed first Sommelier Challenge International Wine Competition. It was also selected as the "Wine of the Year" at the Critic's Challenge Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
"The 150-year-old adobe structure -- the Clayhouse itself -- ...is [our] ideal symbol...like the adobe, our wines are created from the earth, cultivated by hand, and nurtured by family traditions. For the Middleton family, those traditions... go back more than four generations."

Winery Notes:
The wine has a solid tannin core, black pepper and blackberry pie aromas, and a hint of cranberry. The Mourvedre adds a slight gamey note, the Grenache adds some bright fruit, and the Syrah imparts a touch of floral spice.

AlaWine Notes:
Clayhouse Vineyards 2006 Petite Sirah displays as an inky purple color in the glass. Bramble berry and briar aromas radiate to the nose, in a sweet earth context. Ripe black and red berry flavors merge and fill the palate, and hold through a long finish with moderate tannins and a spicy pepper finish.

Bottom Line:
Clayhouse Vineyards 2006 Petite Sirah, blended with 4% Mourvedre, 4% Grenache and 2% Syrah to soften its profile, is a rich, flavorful wine with plenty of bright, ripe berry fruit flavors, and complementary oak in a solid finish. Pair with steaks and grilled red meats. Suggested retail price is $25. Overall composite score: 93 points.

Gold Medal Winners 2009 San Antonio Wine Competition

Critics Gold Medal Winners
* Alexander Valley Alexander Valley Cyrus 2005
* Austin Hope Paso Robles Syrah 2005
* Barefoot Bubbly California White Zinfandel
* Bohemian Highway California Merlot
* Grigich Hill Fumé Blanc Estate Grown Napa Valley 2008
* J Lohr Arroyo Vista Vineyards Chardonnay 2007
* Kendall Jackson Vinters RSV Chardonnay 2008
* LaFond Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2007
* Matanzas Bennett Valley Sonoma Pinot Noir 2007
* Pacific Rim Washington Framboise
* Pacific Rim Washington Vin De Glacier 2007
* Williamette Valley Oregon Pinot Grigio
For more medal winners and information, click here.

Gold from 2009 American Wine Society Wine Competition

The results have been released from last month's American Wine Society 2009 Commercial Wine Competition. Eighty-six wineries participated, with 476 wines entered. This year, only AWS certified judges made up the judging panels. A select list of 10 top-honor Gold Medal award-winning wines includes:

Antelope Valley Winery
2006 Tempranillo

Clarbec
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Domenico Wines
2005 Miscela, Napa Valley

Harmony Cellars
2007 Zinfandel

Kiona Vineyards Winery
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled, Red Mountain
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot

Merritt Estate Winery
Bella Ice
Bella Rosa

Norman Vineyards
2005 No Nonsense Meritage

Silkwood Wines
2007 Petite Sirah

For more information and more medal winners, click here.

Super Awards from 2009 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Wine Competition

The Wine Competition Critics Winners
Grand Champion Red J. Lohr South Ridge Arroyo Seco Syrah 2007
Reserve Champion Red Terre D’Oro Amandor County Zinfandel 2006
Grand Champion White Korbel Sonoma Sparkling Rosé
Reserve Champion White Meridian California Chardonnay
“Best of Herd” Winery (Texas Only) Messina Hof Winery
Top All-Around Winery J. Lohr Winery

For more medal winners and information, click here.

Big Fish Wines 2006 Zinfandel

The Award-Winning Wine:
Big Fish Wines 2006 Zinfandel

Reason for Reviewing:
Big Fish Wines 2006 Zinfandel earned a top-honor Gold Medal at the 2009 Denver International Wine Festival wine competition.

Noteworthy:
The name 'Big Fish' came about in part for the winemaker's love of deep-sea fishing. It also is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the slang term for an important influential person, VIP, or high-roller.

Winery Notes:
The grapes come from Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, the home of California Zins. It’s big and bold, and like the Barracuda has some teeth.

AlaWine Notes:
Big Fish Wines 2006 Zinfandel pours in the glass as a medium garnet color. Rich aromas of bramble berry radiate to the nose. Lots of big fruit flavors in the mouth, ripe red berries, plum, briar, leading to spicy pepper and oak in a long satisfying finish.

Bottom Line:
Big Fish Wines 2006 Zinfandel is a medium-bodied, Zin with complementary layered flavors. It's an elegant and well integrated wine which can be enjoyed on its own, or would pair well with grilled meats. Suggested retail price is $42. Overall composite score: 94 points.

Top Wines, Sonoma Valley Fall Wine Competition

Nearly 100 wines were entered in the Sonoma Valley Fall Wine Competition held at The Lodge at Sonoma on Monday. Now, the results are in, and the super-award winning wines are:

Sweepstakes
* Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards 1998 Carneros Cuvee, Carneros
* Nicholson Ranch 2007 Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley
* Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery 2007 Syrah, Sonoma Valley

Best of Class
* Audelssa Estate Winery 2007 Tephra, Sonoma Valley
* Emery Estate Winery 2006 Unbridled Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley
* Jacuzzi Family Vineyards 2006 Rosso de Sette Fratelli, Estate, Sonoma Valley
* Kunde Family Estate 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley
* Kunde Family Estate 2006 Vallee de la Lune, Sonoma Valley
* Nicholson Ranch 2007 Reserve Estate Pinot Noir, Cactus Hill, Sonoma Valley
* Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley
* Viansa Winery & Marketplace 2005 Samuele

Double Gold
* Highway 12 Winery & Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon 34%, Cabernet Franc 33%, 33% Merlot, Serres Ranch, Sonoma Valley
* Mulas Family Vineyards 2005 Syrah, Carneros
* Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery 2007 Pinot Noir, Carneros
* Viansa Winery & Marketplace 2005 Ossidiana

For more medal winners, click here (pdf).

Andetti Winery Montona 2006 Chardonnay Reserve

The Award-Winning Wine:
Andetti Winery Montona 2006 Chardonnay

Reason for Reviewing:
Andetti Winery Montona 2006 Chardonnay won the top-honor Gold Medal at the 2009 Denver International Wine Festival wine competition.

Noteworthy:
Yes, that Andretti; Mario Andretti, car racing for five decades and winning just about everything, is Vice Chairman of the Napa Valley winery.

Winery Notes:
Rich and medium-bodied, the nose immediately senses the artistically balanced flavors of apples, pineapples, spice and toasted oak. A sensation for the palate, the wine displays good acidity for a long, smooth finish with hints of creamy vanilla.

AlaWine Notes:
Andetti Winery Montona 2006 Chardonnay graces the glass with a lovely light yellow color. Fresh apple and citrus aromas arise from the glass. Apple and lemon flavors lead in a creamy mouth, adding spice, oak, and a flint highlight in a long finish.

Bottom Line:
Andetti Winery Montona 2006 Chardonnay is a bright and crisp Chardonnay, well integrated, with interesting complexities of flavor and a fresh complementary finish. Food friendly with fish, fowl, even oysters and clams. Suggested retail price is $45. Overall composite score: 94 points.

2009 Tri-Cities Wine Fest Super Award Winners

Super Award Winning Wines from last weekend's 31st annual Tri-Cities Wine Festival in Washington, out of 387 judged over three days in the competition, are:

Gold Best of Class
Coyote Canyon Winery 2008 Life is a Rose, Wy'East Vineyards 2008 Blue Chip Pinot Noir.

Double Gold
Abacela 2006 Estate Tempranillo
Basel Cellars Estate Winery 2006 Inspired
CAVU Cellars 2006 Horizon Red
Claar Cellars 2008 Ice Wine
Coyote Canyon Winery 2007 Big John Cabernet Reserve
Domaine Ste. Michelle NV Blanc de Noirs
Hedges Family Estate 2006 Three Vineyards
Hedges Family Estate 2008 CMS Red
Kiona Vineyards and Winery 2008 Late Harvest Riesling
Le Chateau Winery 2006 Masterpiece Red #1
Milbrandt Vineyards 2008 Traditions Riesling
Northwest Wine Academy 2007 Syrah
Pend d'Oreille Winery 2007 Bistro Rouge
Rock Meadow Cellars 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Russell Creek Winery 2007 Tributary
San Juan Vineyards 2006 Merlot
San Juan Vineyards 2006 Syrah
Tasawik Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Tsillan Cellars 2008 Estate Reserve Gewurztraminer

Quady Winery Elysium 2007 Black Muscat

The Award-Winning Wine:
Quady Winery Elysium 2007 Black Muscat

Reason for Reviewing:
Quady Winery Elysium 2007 Black Muscat has won numerous medals, including most recently, a top-honor Gold Medal at the 2009 Denver International Wine Festival wine competition.

Noteworthy:
From the winery: Andrew and Laurel Quady left crowded southern California and their jobs in pyrotechnics and merchandising to pursue their dream: a non-urban way of life making wine. Andrew graduated with a Masters in Food Science-Enology from UC Davis.

Winery Notes:
Black Muscat is known in Europe as a table grape variety, Muscat Hamburg, one of the very few black skinned muscats. If ripened to about 25 brix, it attains a rose-like aroma and litchi like flavor. This rose-like aroma led us to name the wine Elysium, Greek for heaven.

AlaWine Notes:
Quady Winery Elysium 2007 Black Muscat pours as a bright ruby color. Rose aromas waft to the the nose. It fills the mouth with sweet ripe fruit, including plum, prune, and ripe dark cherry. Drying some across the palate, Elysium finishes with lingering nutty, walnut, and caramel flavors and a tangy highlight.

Bottom Line:
The Quady Winery 2007 Elysium Black Muscat is a rich, sweet and delicious dessert wine. It can pair with chocolate, or as an alternative, with similar fresh red fruits or serve as dessert on its own. Suggested retail price is $20 for 750ml ($13.75 375ml). Overall composite score: 96 points.

Top Wines, 2009 Tri-Cities Wine Festival

Best of Show
Upland Winery 2007 Malbec

Double Gold - Best of Class
Airfield Estates 2008 Bombshell Red
Barnard Griffin Winery 2007 Merlot
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2008 Eroica Riesling
Coyote Canyon Winery 2008 Downtown White
Coyote Canyon Winery 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Jones of Washington 2008 Wahluke Slope Estate Vineyards Chardonnay
Mercer Estates 2008 Pinot Gris
Skylite Cellars 2008 Viognier
Smasne Cellars 2007 Block 3 Lawrence Vineyard Syrah
Steppe Cellars 2006 Artemisia
Three Rivers Winery 2007 Weinbau Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Sunset Magazine 2009 Wine Awards

Good Values ($16 to $30)
White: Geyser Peak “Block Collection” River Ranches Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Russian River Valley; $19)
Red: Hahn Meritage 2007 (Central Coast; $16)

Special occasion bottles ($31 to $50)
White: Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 2005 (North Coast; $36)
Red: Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Columbia Valley; $42)

Deep Pocket Wines (More than $50)
White: Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay 2006 (Santa Cruz Mountains; $60)
Red: Continuum Cabernet Sauvignon blend 2006 (Oakville, Napa Valley; $134)

For more information, click here.

Michael David Winery 2005 Earthquake Syrah

The Award-Winning Wine:
Michael David Winery 2005 Earthquake Syrah

Reason for Reviewing:
Michael David Winery 2005 Earthquake Syrah won the top-honor Gold Medal at the Denver International Wine Competition.

Noteworthy:
In 1850, amid the Gold Rush, Captain Charles Weber, founder of Stockton, California, brought grape cuttings to the Lodi, California area. Michael and David Phillips represent the fifth generation of growers there. The Phillips family has been farming since their Great Great Grandfather Andrew Harshner and his wife Lucille homesteaded 160 acres near the town of Lodi, following the Civil War in the 1860's.

Winery Notes:
Earth-shattering Syrah fruit trembles throughout the nose with dried cranberry and subtle hints of green tea. Bing cherry and dried plum round out the bold tannins, leaving just a hint of cedar with a warm lasting finish.

AlaWine Notes:
Michael David Winery 2005 Earthquake Syrah fills the glass with a dark garnet color. Lots of berry aromas on the nose. Red cherry and blackberry flavors fill the palate and hold through a long finish.

Bottom Line:
Michael David Winery 2005 Earthquake Syrah is a big, juicy Syrah with lots of fruit, nicely bright and sharp, without a cloying sense of overripeness. A great wine for steaks and grilling. Tannins mellow well over half hour (if you can pace this delicious wine). Suggested retail price is $30. Overall composite score: 95 points.

Sunset Wine Awards 2009

And, the Critics’ Choice Awards for the Best wines of the West go to:
* White: J. Rochioli Rachael’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 (Russian River Valley; $70; limited release)
* Red: Evening Land "Celebration" Gamay Noir 2007 (Eola-Amity Hills; $20)

For more information, click here.

DFV Wines 2007 337 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Award-Winning Wine:
DFV Wines 2007 337 Cabernet Sauvignon

Reason for Reviewing:
DFV Wines 2007 337 Cabernet Sauvignon won a top-honor Gold Medal at the 2009 Denver International Wine Festival.

Noteworthy:
This wine is named for the French vine clone, 337.

Winery Notes:
The 337 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits enticing aromas of Toffee, black cherry and currant. Balanced tannins underscore core flavors of black cherry, blackberry and currant, interlaced with roasted coffee bean and hints of black pepper

AlaWine Notes:
DFV Wines 2007 337 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark garnet color in the glass. A big, enchanting nose is rich and inviting. Dark cherry and blackberry flavors predominate on the palate. Oak and moderate tannins on the finish.

Bottom Line:
DFV Wines 2007 337 Cabernet Sauvignon is a quaffable medium-bodied Cab, a good cafe or bistro wine. Pair with hamburgers, veal or pasta dishes. Suggested retail price is $12.99. Overall composite score: 87 points.