November 19, 2008
Tanzer Int'l Wine Cellar Issue #141

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - November/December 2008 - Issue 141
'Competition is becoming fiercer in the Santa Rita Hills-now officially called 'Sta. Rita Hills' due to a challenge by Chile's Vina Santa Rita. Thanks to an expanding number of open-minded, forward-thinking growers and producers I would count this region as one of the three or four best in the New World for pinot noir… I believe that the Central Coast is offering some of the best high-end wine value in California." ~ Stephen Tanzer

California's Central Coast &  Washington 

Booker Vineyards
2006 Vertigo Syrah/Grenache Paso Robles - 92 points
2006 Fracture Syrah Paso Robles - 93 points
2006 Alchemist Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon - 91 points
Brewer-Clifton
2007 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills - 90 points
2007 Chardonnay Sea Smoke Sta. Rita Hills - 92 points (Sold out)
2007 Chardonnay Mount Carmel Sta. Rita Hills - 93 points (Sold out)
2007 Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon Sta. Rita Hills - 92 points (Sold out)
2006 Piont Noir Rancho Santa Rosa Sta. Rita Hills - 91 points (Sold out)
2006 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Sta. Rita Hills - 91 points (Sold out)
2006 Pinot Noir Mount Carmetl Sta. Rita Hills - 92 points (Sold out)
2006 Pinot Noir Melville Sta. Rita Hills - 93 points (Sold out)
Diatom
2007 Chardonnay Clos Pepe Sta. Rita Hills - 93 points
2007 Chardonnay Huber Sta. Rita Hills - 93 points
Linne Calodo
2006 Nemesis (S/M/G) Paso Robles - 91 points
2006 Sticks & Stones (G/M/S) Paso Robles - 91 points  (Sold out)
2006 Rising Tides (G/S/M) Paso Robles (G/S/M) - 92 points  (Sold out)
2006 Slacker (S/G/M) Paso Robles - 92 points (Sold out)
2006 Cherry Red (Z/M/S) Paso Robles - 92 points (Sold out)
2006 Problem Child (Z/S/M) Paso Robles - 91 points (Sold out)
2006 Outsider (Z/S/M) Paso Robles - 93 points (Sold out)
Melville Vineyards & Winery
2007 Viognier Verna's Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills - 91 points (Sold out)
2007 Chardonnay Clone 76 Inox Sta. Rita Hills - 91 points
2007 Chardonnay Estate Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills - 90 points
2006 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills - 91 points
2006 Pinot Noir Terraces Sta. Rita Hills - 92 points
2006 Pinot Noir Carrie's Sta. Rita Hills - 91 points
2006 Syrah Verna's Estate Sta. Rita Hills - 91 points (2005 currently in stock)
2006 Syrah Donna's Estate Sta. Rtia Hills - 92 points
Palmina
2007 Tocai Friulano Honea Vineyard santa Ynez Valley - 90 points (2006 currently in stock)
2007 Dolcetto Santa Barbara County - 90 points (2006 currently in stock)
2004 Nebbiolo Stolpman Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley - 91 points
Robert Talbott Vineyards
2005 Chardonnay Diamond T Estate Monterey County - 91 points
2005 Chardonnay Cuvee Carlotta Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Monterey County - 91 points
2005 Chardonnay Cuvee Audrey Diamond T Estate Monterey County - 92 points
Saxum Vineyards
2006 James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles (S/G/M) - 93 points
2006 Broken Stones Paso Robles (S/G/M) - 94 points

The Best new Wines from Washington State
Andrew Rich
2007 Roussane Columbia Valley - 88 points (coming soon)
2007 Tablua Rasa Red Columbia Valley - 87 points (coming soon)
2006 Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley - 90 points (coming soon)
2006 Mesalliance Red Wine Columbia Valley -  91 points (coming soon)
2006 Syrah Columbia Valley - 89 points (coming soon)
2006 Syrah les Vignes en Face Columbia Valley - 92 points (coming soon)
Betz Family Winery
2006 La Serenne Syrah Columbia Valley - 92 points
2006 la Cote Rousse Syrah Red Mountain - 92 points
L'Ecole No. 41
2007 Semillon Columbia Valley - 89 points
2007 Luminesce White Wine Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla - 90 points
2007 Chardonnay Columbia Valley - 89 points
2005 Merlot Columbia Valley - 88 points
2006 Merlot Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley - 90 points (2005 currently in stock)
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley - 87 points
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley - 89 points
2005 Perigee Red Wine Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley - 91 points
2005 Apogee Red Wine Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley - 89 points
2005 Syrah Columbia Valley - 88 points
2006 Syrah Seven Hills Vineyard Wall Walla Valley - 89 points (2005 currently in stock)
Owen Roe
2006 Syrah Lady Rosa Yakima Valley - 89 points
2006 Merlot DuBrul Vineyard Yakima Valley - 91 points (sold out)
2006 Cabernet Franc Slide Mountain Vineyard Yakima Valley - 90 points
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard Yakima Valley - 91 points (2005 currently in stock)

November 17, 2008
Wine Spectator Top 100

Congratulations! Wine Spectator Top 100 results are in:

#67 - Outpost Zinfandel, Howell Mountain, CA. 2005 
#77 - Duval-Leroy NV Brut, Champagne
#82 - Luca Malbec, Argentina 2007

November 07, 2008
Wine Advocate Issue #179

Wine Advocate - Issue #179 - October 30, 2008 - Cream Highlights

Domaine du Caillou 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz - 92 pts
Domaine du Caillou 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Safres - 90 pts
Maysara 2006 'Jamsheed' Pinot Noir - 86 pts
Andrew Rich 2006 Pinot Noir - 90 pts
Andrew Rich 2006 Cuvee B Pinot Noir - 88 pts
Sineann 2006 Pinot Noir - 90 pts
Sineann 2006 Pinot Noir Covey Ridge Vineyard - 92 pts
Sineann 2006 Pinot Noir Lachini Vineyard - 91 pts
Sineann 2006 Pinot Noir Phelps Creek Vineyard - 86 pts
Sineann 2006 Pinot Noir Resonance Reserve - 94 pts
Sineann 2006 Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard - 93 pts
Sineann 2006 Pinot Noir Schindler Vineyard - 92 pts
Sineann 2006 Pinot Noir Wyeast Vineyard - 87 pts
Tommaso Bussola 2004 Valpolicella Classico Superiore TB - 87 pts
Tommaso Bussola 2004 Amarone Valpolicella Classico TB - 93 pts
Tommaso Bussola 2004 Amarone Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto TB - 97 pts

Madiera
1910 Barbeito Sercial - 94 pts
1929 Barbeito Verdelho - 93 pts
1954 Barbeito Malvasia - 95 pts
1962 Barbeito Malvasia - 92 pts
1966 D'Oliveiras Verdelho - 95 pts
1968 D'Oliveiras Bual - 93 pts
1977 D'Oliveiras Bual - 94 pts
1987 D'Oliveiras Malmsey - 92 pts
1988 D'Oliveiras Terrantez - 93 pts

RWC Madiera Offering