It’s the vintage Washington winemakers have been waiting for—some of the highest-quality wines the state has produced in the last decade, fragrant with the state’s signature generous fruit, but with a core of acid and tannins lending a sense of gravitas. The 2012 vintage, which yielded most of the wines on this extraordinary list, is the result of temperatures that were decidedly—and perfectly—average. In winemaking, that’s a good thing. The year tracked almost perfectly to 20-year historical averages for heat accumulation, after a warm 2009 with an early October frost and growing seasons in 2010 and 2011 that were cool and cooler. Reds from the dazzling 2012 season are more than just fruit forward, immediately appealing wines. There’s a core of acid and tannin that gives them a sense of gravitas and also bodes well for their longevity. These are wines to open and enjoy now or tuck away in the cellar for the future. And that’s exactly what we need while waiting for the more brooding 2010s and 2011s to strut their stuff.

The 2012 vintage was also a great one for whites. Though syrah proved the year’s big star, most varieties rejoiced at the growing season. top ten wines to drink before you dieFor the first time, this year’s list contains a separate category for grenache, a fruit-rich grape variety making inroads in the state, though Bordeaux-style blends and cabernet sauvignon continue to be strengths.how much does a glass of wine cost in australia Overall, the year’s list is more selective and represents a higher level of quality than it ever has before. best wine gadgetsAnd now, a toast to this most exceptional, average year.best wine brands at target

The Top 10 Washington Wines Wines with a Sense of Place Bubbles, Dessert, and Our Methodologybest book on spanish wineThe new crop of wines on store shelves is so impressive, it’s almost overwhelming.best wine australia 2013 Most bottles on this list—our seventh annual accounting of the state’s best wines—come from the 2013 vintage. Higher temperatures and ample sun deliver wines that are often richer and have a darker fruit profile than you might associate with our state; think black cherries and blackberries rather than red cherries and blueberries. These wines are accessible on first pour but still feel like serious, ageworthy creations. And there’s more headed our way; 2013 was the first of three increasingly warmer vintages for Washington (do I hear a fourth in 2016?). From the early returns, the 2014 and 2015 wines look to be every bit as impressive.

Let’s lift our glasses to living in a wine region capable of everything from age-worthy cabernets to stunning syrahs. Best of the Best: The Top 10 Washington Wines of 2016 Washington's Best White Wines 6 Winemakers to WatchHome   >   News   > By Andy Perdue on January 1, 2016 Over the past week, we have revealed our top 100 wines from the Great Northwest. These wines were selected from more than 5,000 wines we tasted in 2015. Here is the complete list, with links to our reviews: Top 100 Wines 2015 This year, Wine Enthusiast’s tasting panel reviewed more than 19,800 wines from around the globe, spanning Old World and New World wine regions alike. In the last two issues, we celebrated wine with excellent quality-to-price ratios (Top 100 Best Buys) as well as those cellar-worthy options that need a bit of rest before they’re best enjoyed (Top 100 Cellar Selections). So now comes the show stopper: The Enthusiast 100. This yearly roundup of the best-of-the-best showcases the incredible diversity of high-scoring wines on the market.

Each was chosen for a myriad of reasons, including high quality-to-price ratios, good market availability and “buzz,” an x-factor that can’t be precisely defined. The wines span 16 countries, hitting every wine style imaginable—from dry whites and reds to sparklers, rosés and sweet wines. With an average rating of 93.84 and an average price of $38.55, this collection is sure to be your go-to list the next time you hit thewine shop. Stock up on what you can find now, since these winners will be snapped up fast. Here’s to another fabulous year of savoring the best in the glass. As 2015 drew to a close, 'the best wines of the year' lists started coming out of the woodwork. Publications like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast recently shared their Top 100 list of 2015. When I first started thinking about these "best lists", I wanted to see where Washington wine stood in the eyes of opinion leaders, because I wanted to load up my cellar and think about why these wines were so lauded.

After spending an afternoon perusing these lists and other wine cognoscenti lists, there's a lot of noise. My goal was to find the signal of Washington wine, saving my pennies so that I could add these bottles to my shelves.Wine Spectator is one of the more revered of the wine magazines and their scores hold major weight with wine nerds far and wide. When they released their Top 100 wines of 2015 list in early December, it was exciting to see that Washington wine had four wines made the Top 100, with one Washington wine coming in at #2 overall. That wine was Quilceda Creek's 2012 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Even Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are fans of this wine. Here are the four wines that made Wine Spectator's list:Wine Enthusiast is another wine magazine that holds clout and when they announced their Top 100 Wines list, six Washington wines made it with Cayuse's 2012 God Only Knows Grenache cracking the top ten at #8. For the other Washington wines making the list, they are:Examining the two lists, there isn't much commonality between the two.

Baer makes an appearance on both, but it's not for the same wine. Of the other wineries that made the list, you have a blend of some of the state's stalwart wineries (Betz, Gramercy, Cayuse, etc) and wineries that some wine drinkers probably aren't familiar with (Latta and Tenet). In the case of Tenet, they are a new project from Chateau Ste Michelle in collaboration with Rhone Valley consultants and winemakers. Latta has been around for a few years and their focus on small production wines that feature less heralded varietals from single vineyards will make them one to watch.Almost all of the wines are from the 2012 vintage that are revered, which means they'll display strong aging potential and flavor characteristics that typify their vineyards. The prices range from $25 to $140, with the bulk between $30-50. They range in AVA with the Columbia Valley region comprising most of the list. What I see from the list is that the red wines of our state lead the pack when it comes to notoriety.

We knew this ahead of time. Washington red wines are usually excellent.What would I do if I wanted to build my cellar with a few of these wines? For varietals, the bottles on the Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast are red wines, with all using grapes synonymous with France's Rhone Valley (Grenache and Syrah) or Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc). Cayuse wines are notorious for being difficult to get, even their spring release is anticipated by winos. So if I could find that bottle, I'd get that bottle. Since I'm in a scenario with play money, put me down for that Quilceda Creek. I'd be able to small talk with Chris Pratt and Anna Faris and have one of Washington's flagship wines. Quilceda Creek wines also show long aging potential, so I could sit on those. More realistically, I'd like to add the Baer 2012 Star and the Latta 2012 Upland Vineyard Grenache to my cellar. The friendlier price points are nice, but I enjoy a good Merlot and Grenache is a varietal that thrives in Washington.Congratulations to all of our local wineries that made Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 wines of 2015.