As a wine drinker you’ve got to love this time of year. The weather is getting cooler, all the grapes have come in off the vine, and serious wine drinking/entertaining begins as we draw closer to the holidays. And just in time all of the wine publications begin to release their annual top 100 lists! This is a perfect chance to catch up on what you may have missed in order to put together that perfect holiday list of the world’s top wines…that is if you believe everything you read!
Starting out the season of top 100’s is Wine & Spirits (Winter 2007) with their 21st Annual Buying Guide, which includes the 100 Best Wines, 100 Best Buys, and 100 Wineries of the Year. It looks like Washington had another banner year with Chateau Ste. Michelle topping out the list with their thirteenth winery of the year nod (7th in a row), following only Penfolds with seventeen and Antinori with fifteen. L’Ecole No.41 was the only other winery to make the consistent performers list with six honors, their 6th in a row. Other honorees from Washington include:

Grower of the Year
Dick Boushey – Boushey Vineyard

Top Estate Winery of the Year
Leonetti Cellars
93 pts – 04 Walla Walla Valley Reserve ($110)
93 pts – 04 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)
92 pts – 05 Columbia Valley Merlot ($65)

American Wineries of the Year
Amavi – Artisan
93 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Syrah ($28)
90 pts – 04 Walla Walla Valley Les Collines Vineyard Syrah ($32)
89 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($24)

Betz Family – Artisan
92 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Clos de Betz ($35)
92 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon ($45)
92 pts – 04 Red Mountain La Cote Rousse Syrah ($45)

Cadence – Artisan
94 pts – 04 Red Mountain Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($40)
93 pts – 04 Red Mountain Bel Canto ($55)
91 pts – 04 Red Mountain Tapteil Vineyard ($40)

Chateau Ste. Michelle – Multiregional
92 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Ethos Merlot ($36)
91 pts – 03 Columbia Valley Ethos Cabernet Sauvignon ($36)
89 pts – 03 Columbia Valley Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)

Fidelitas – Artisan
93 pts – 03 Columbia Valley Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($55)
90 pts – Columbia Valley Optu ($40)
90 pts – 03 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)

L’Ecole No. 41 – Regional
93 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Ferguson Commemorative Reserve Red ($45)
90 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($30)
90 pts – 05 Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard Semillon ($20)

McCrea – Artisan
93 pts – 03 Red Mountain Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Syrah ($50)
92 pts – 04 Washington Syrah ($28)
92 pts – 03 Yakima Valley Boushey Grand Cote Vineyard Syrah ($50)

Tamarack Cellars – Artisan
94 pts – 05 Columbia Valley Merlot ($28)
91 pts – 05 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc ($25)
91 pts – 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)

100 Best Wines of 2007
94 pts – Cadence 04 Red Mountain Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($40)
94 pts – Tamarack Cellars 05 Columbia Valley Merlot ($28)

100 Best Buys of the Year
93 pts – Robert Karl 04 Columbia Valley Claret ($19)
92 pts – Three Rivers 04 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($19)
91 pts – Tamarack Cellars 05 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc ($25)
93 pts – Waterbrook 2005 Columbia Valley Syrah ($20)