My Highest Scoring Wines From November – January Tastings

As this website has evolved it has become clear that wine scores are essential for wineries in order to present their wines to buyers. I've scored tens of thousands of wines over the past 25 years and at this point it's automatic. I score everything I taste. What's different is that I decided to try to focus on the writing and tasting and leave the scores unpublished.

Well that didn't work as well as I had hoped. Quite a few winemakers applauded the concept but somewhat reluctantly confessed that their buyers want to see scores. So I've made an adjustment. I will now send scores to any winery I've reviewed here that requests them so they can use my notes and scores in their sales and marketing efforts. I am also publishing extra material, some recommended wines with scores and the occasional video on Substack. Please sign up – it's free – and I hope you will suggest that your employees and customers do the same. The more you support me, the more I am able to support you.

When assigning scores I ignore prices. I recently gave a $20 wine 96 points, and I've scored $150 wines 87 or 88 (you won't find them recommended here). All recommended wines have been selected for quality, which means good scores. Value (as in QPR) does not impact the score but it does figure into the choices for the top three wines each week.

Compiled below alphabetically are complete tasting notes on all the wines I've tasted in the past three months that merited 94 – 96 point scores (96 is the highest I've given in that period). If you want to see the numbers they will be posted on (guess what) Substack. As I looked through the past three months of tasting notes I found a whole lot of terrific wines scored 92 or 93. But in order to keep this list to a more manageable size I've made 94 the cut-off point.

Aquilini 2019 10000 Hours Red Wine

This is the value brand for this powerhouse Red Mountain vineyard owner. The Red is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged 20 months in 35% new French oak, it drinks like a much more expensive wine. In a way it's old school Washington Cab, with alcohol topping out at 15%, though that's not unusual for Red Mountain. It's instantly appealing, smooth as silk, with a lush mix of red and black fruits and a big swath of mocha saturating the palate. Delicious now, it's certainly cellar-worthy for the rest of the decade. In my view previous reviewers dramatically undervalued this wine. 2447 cases; 15%; $35 (Red Mountain)

L'Ecole 2019 Seven Hills Vineyard Perigee

Earthy and aromatic, this single vineyard Bordeaux blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 17% Cab Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec is wonderfully concentrated, full-bodied and bursting with berries. Tannins are lightly peppery, with some attractive herbal highlights as the finish rounds out the fruit. This is quintessential Walla Walla wine, a sophisticated Bordeaux blend from a special site. It's got length, balance and power, and at this quality and price it's an excellent value. 1010 cases; 14.5%; $57 (Walla Walla)

Love & Squalor 2018 Dry Riesling

If you like your Riesling bone dry and sappy with lip-smacking juiciness look no further than this new release from Matt Berson at Portland Wine Company. Grapefruit, Meyer lemon, tangerine and more are in the mix. The tension is electric, the definition and focus are pinpoint and spot on. There is nothing missing here for this particular style. 270 cases; 12%; $20 (Willamette Valley)

Quady North 2015 Arsenal Red

This is the current release of what is a (sort-of) Right Bank blend – 75% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 12% Malbec and a finishing splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. It has benefitted from the extra bottle age, smoothing out tannins and integrating the various component flavors. Blueberries, cooked plums and black cherries combine in a complex palate that is nicely layered and textured, all in good balance. Drink this now through the rest of this decade, decant if possible, and enjoy! 14.1%; $40 (Applegate Valley)

Rex Hill 2017 Benchrock Pinot Noir

The winery's Jacob Hart estate vineyard has a special clay block that was the source of this wine; apparently the last vintage from the original (1983) planting. Biodynamically-farmed, it comes with a moderate amount of composty/earthy highlights, set against blood orange and pie cherry fruit. There's an appealing elegance, a delicate frame that yet persists through a long, clean, detailed finish. Currently in a very fine drinking window, but built to age another decade or more. 93 cases; 13.9%; $100 (Chehalem Mountains)

Rocky Pond 2020 Double D Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

This is 77% Cabernet; also in the blend are Merlot (18% and Syrah (5%), all from the flagship estate vineyard. This is dark and supple, toasty and firm, with taut black fruits, polished but chewy tannins and a frame of new French oak. Hints of gravel and graphite penetrate the finish and amplify the astringency of the tannins. Clearly at the start of a long life, it's structured like many of Washington's finest Cabernets from Red Mountain and the Horse Heaven Hills. 256 cases; 14.8%; $75 (Columbia Valley)

Rocky Pond 2020 Tumbled Granite Red

This is 75% Cabernet, 20% Merlot and 5% Syrah, all from the flagship estate vineyard. Compare with the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon and the stats are almost identical, so this must be a reserve-level selection from all new barrels. With all that new oak it's loaded with baking spices, thus giving it immediate appeal despite its long term aging potential. The dark fruits are typical from the Double D vineyard, and line up taut and polished alongside sharp, polished and balancing tannins. This is a beautifully made wine which should be cellared for at least a few more years and could go into the mid-2030s. Very limited. 90 cases; 15%; $120 (Columbia Valley)

Ruby 2019 Flora's Reserve Pinot Noir

This highly limited reserve showcases fruit from the original 1973 Wadenswil vines. As is generally true with such old vines, alcohol levels are lowered and aromatic and flavor nuances are amplified. Threads of cinnamon, cumin, cola and caramel weave around a black cherry core. A bedrock minerality anchors the wine, which shows careful balance and perfect proportion. This is a truly special wine that expresses the very best aspects of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. 44 cases; 13%; $125 (Laurelwood District)

Saviah 2020 The Stones Speak Estate Syrah

This is a high-density site just recently planted so the best years are yet to come. All the right pieces are in place for a clear evocation of Rocks District Syrah, but the wine does not yet show the power of older vines. As with all the Saviah Syrahs, it's made in a classic style, perfectly balanced, detailed with dusty tannins, dried herbs and streaks of anise and espresso. Very fine winemaking and a peek at a vineyard that will certainly be a superstar in the near future. 311 cases; 14.4%; $60 (Walla Walla - Rocks District)

Saviah 2020 Reserve Syrah

The best wine in a stunning lineup, this is built from top tier estate fruit from the Funk Estate, Stones Speak and Watermill vineyards. It gets the new barrel treatment (40%) and carries the additional imprint of the Rocks District where the vineyards are located. Intense, detailed, compact and expressive, it's loaded with brambly berries, savory herbs, licorice, espresso, dark chocolate, ash and even touches of lemon rind. What a glorious bottle it is, one that should continue to develop beautifully over the rest of the decade. 410 cases; 14.3%; $50 (Walla Walla)

Seven Hills 2021 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

The new White Bluffs AVA (north of Tri-Cities and just east of the Columbia River) is the home of this rich and resonant Sauvignon Blanc. Old vines at the Bacchus and Gamache vineyards grew the grapes, and winemaker Bobby Richards has let them blossom into a lushly fruity wine with fine depth and detail. Apples, apple sauce, apple pastry, citrus rind, dried hay, hints of floral highlights... and on and on. Fermented one third in concrete and the rest in barrel, it brings the best of both vessels into focus. 176 cases; 14.5%; $38 (White Bluffs)

Seven Hills 2020 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red

This Bordeaux blend is about half Merlot and a third Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cab Franc and Petit Verdot filling out the rest. Old blocks from a founding Red Mountain vineyard provided the grapes. It's a one-wine seminar in top-tier Washington red, with a switch from reliance on a lot of new barrel toast to a more balanced emphasis on the terroir, the vineyard and the skillful blend. It's firm and balanced, with cassis, black fruits, licorice, black tea, black olive and streak of espresso. The tannins are ripe and proportionate, and this may be enjoyed immediately (with decanting) or cellared for another 20 years. 175 cases; 15%; $60 (Red Mountain)

Seven Hills 2020 Pentad Red

This top tier reserve blends five Bordeaux grapes. Vineyards unnamed. This gets 50% new oak and 22 months in barrel, yet the toasty flavors are already integrating into brambly fruits. There's a tangy snap to the raspberry and black cherry flavors, backed with citrusy flavors of orange and lime. The tannins are proportionate and provide a good landing place as the wine winds down. This will need more cellar time to show its best. 300 cases; 15%; $85 (Walla Walla)

Seven Hills 2020 McClellan Estate Vineyard Petit Verdot

Pure varietal Petit Verdot is often a wine club release with left over barrels from a wine usually included in a blend. Here it's 100% pure and beautifully crafted as a stand-alone wine. Here is a rather obscure Bordeaux grape with a spotlight on it, showing its lovely violet aromatics, its pushy tannins (but tamed), it's firm black fruits and natural focus. Brilliant. 200 cases; 15.5%; $45 (Walla Walla)

Sineann 2021 Daffodil Hill Pinot Noir

Immediately appealing, this features ripe cherry fruit framed with cherry pit accents, light suggestions of dried tobacco and firm, polished tannins. For such a young wine it's in perfect proportion and balance, and provides a showcase for fruit barely a year past harvest. Very few young Pinots show this well, but winemaker Peter Rosback has been releasing his wines early for many years and knows how to make it work. Drink now and through the rest of the decade. 48 cases; 13.6%; $36 (Eola-Amity Hills)

Sineann 2021 Yates Conwill Vineyard Pinot Noir 

Long a standout for Sineann, this new vintage of this designate is as good as any in its history. It's supple, powerful, muscular and dense. In short, it's ageworthy Willamette Valley Pinot Noir at a value price. A mix of tart red berries, it skirts along the edges of preserves or pie fruits but stays firm and fresh. It gains focus in the finish, suggesting that it's the rare wine that can be enjoyed immediately at such a young age, or tucked away for a decade or longer. 100 cases; 14.4%; $42 (Yamhill-Carlton)

Sineann 2021 TFL Pinot Noir

Though not labeled as such this is a Yates Conwill vineyard reserve. It's bottled in 375ml (half size bottles), which means you can taste a rare reserve level wine at a budget price. The regular Yates Conwill release is so good that I struggle to find a real difference here. This is a couple of percentages more concentrated, and certainly has the same ageability. Both are marvelous expressions of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from a superb vintage. 100 cases; 14.2%$30/375ml (Willamette Valley)

Sineann 2021 Old Vine Zinfandel

I've tasted Peter Rosback's Old Vine Zins for many years and this is one of the very best. It's tannic, rich, dark and dense. The cassis, black fruits, espresso beans, black licorice and dark chocolate flavors all coalesce in a deep core that extends on through a long finish. The overall balance in such a young wine is especially impressive. All in all these 2021 releases from Sineann are superb. 225 cases; 14.8%; $39 (Columbia Valley OR)

Soter  2015 Mineral Springs Blanc de Noirs

This is the first Blanc de Noirs from Soter and it's a beauty. A lovely straw hue, with tiny bead and effusive nose, this bottle commemorates the late Michelle Soter. Pure, elegant and expressive, it gathers itself in a concentrated palate replete with passion fruit, ginger, currant and raspberry, finishing with a creamy hint of chocolate. Tasted several times over many days, it held together and lost not a bit of complexity. Drink now and over the next 20 years. 160 cases; 12.8%; $100 (Yamhill-Carlton)

Soter 2021 Estates Pinot Noir

This is the first Estates release since the 2019, and now includes grapes from Mineral Springs Ranch along with vineyards in the Ribbon Ridge and Eola-Amity Hills AVAs. The lovely aromatics are the first indication that here is something truly special, with a mix of berries, cherries and floral high notes. Supple and detailed, the flavors unfold into subtle layers of marionberry, Bing cherry, chocolate covered espresso beans and crushed seashells. Barrel aging included 30% new oak, lending some penetrating spice to the lingering finish. Definitely ageworthy, but already delicious. 3175 cases; 13.8%; $60

Trisaetum 2021 Ribbon Ridge Estate Dry Riesling

Compact, dense and detailed, this will need time and a bit of warmth to unpack all its flavors. Serve it too cold and a lot of subtle aromatics and other details are concealed. Warm it up in your glass and a sniff or two yields suggestions of almonds, lime, wet stone, green banana... It fleshes out across the palate adding notes of ginger around a core of crisp apple and Asian pear. Enjoy this now and on through the next decade or longer. 315 cases; 13%; $35 (Ribbon Ridge)

Trisaetum 2021 Estates Reserve Dry Riesling

This barrel-select reserve is comprised of one third from each the three estate vineyards. It has more concentration and overall power than any of the single vineyard bottlings, which all have their own precision and detail. It's drier than any but the Ribbon Ridge, yet fills out nicely with ripe flavors of citrus, apple, melon and pear. There's a pleasing spicy frame as the wine trails on through a long finish. 98 cases; 13.1%; $45 (Willamette Valley)

Trisaetum 2021 Wichmann Dundee Estate Riesling

This strikes a balanced tension, as James explains above, between the sugar and the acids. The tart citrus flavors buoy the sweeter tree fruits, and the synergy across the palate is expansive. Lemon drops, tangerine, sweet orange and papaya are in play, with lively tension and excellent length. Though not bone dry, it's perfectly suited for a main course of poultry or fish. 206 cases; 11%; $35 (Dundee Hills)

Trisaetum 2021 Ribbon Ridge Estate Riesling

As with the dry bottling of the Ribbon Ridge, this is replete with hints and notes of ginger, stone, almond butter and more. The residual sugar lowers the alcohol and ups the roundness across the palate. The tree fruits are emphasized, a mix of ripe citrus, peach and apricot. What is most impressive is that the acids keep everything tight and focused on through a long finish. Drink now and over the next 10-15 years. 206 cases; 11.1%; $35 (Ribbon Ridge)

Trisaetum 2021 Estates Reserve Riesling

This reserve includes 50% of the Coast Range and 25% each of Trisaetum's other two estate vineyards. It's rich and loaded with very ripe fruit flavors, a stunning mix of citrus, peach, apricot, apricot and cantaloup. As with all the Trisaetum Rieslings the overall balance propels the wine through a long and clean finish. Young as it is the depth and detail are already in place. This is a wine I'd buy in quantity and taste a fresh bottle every 3 or 4 years. 96 cases; 11%; $45 (Willamette Valley)

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