The Perfect Climate, First Hand

Dr. Jay Miller of the Wine Advocate scored 469 Washington wines 90 points or higher in his report out today, up nearly 40% from the 338 wines that scored 90+ in 2009. The total number of recommended wines also increased dramatically. In 2009, Dr. Miller recommended 561 Washington wines in his report, while this year a total of 810 were recommended, a jump of almost 45%.

Dr. Miller had words of praise for many varietals grown in Washington, saying Riesling “is capable of big things in Washington” and that “the overall quality of Washington Merlot is high and better on average than that produced in Napa and Sonoma.” And while Cabernet Sauvignon “leads the parade”, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot have “become hot tickets.” Dr. Miller also claims that “it is already established that great things can be done with Syrah in Washington so it seems that in due time Syrah is likely to approach the Bordeaux varieties in overall quality.”

The 23rd annual Auction of Washington Wines, culminating August 19-21 in Woodinville, WA, at Chateau Ste. Michelle, raised $1.4 million for uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Washington Wine Education Foundation. “We are very pleased with this year’s results. Our donors and patrons are committed to supporting Seattle Children’s and continue to demonstrate their loyalty through our events.” said Auction of Washington Wines Executive Director Carol Munro.

San Francisco Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonné included 14 wines from Washington State in his annual Top 100 wines of the year column. This non-ranked list focused on wines from the West Coast, with special attention to wines priced $30 or less. Bonné is especially complimentary to Washington’s production of Riesling, saying it “has rarely been better”. Furthermore, Washington Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet-based blends received 8 of the 22 spots on the list of the best Cabernets released in 2009.

Washington State wines made an impressive showing in Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Wines of 2009, with 11 spots on the list. The editors of Wine Enthusiast compose the list based on several criteria, giving special focus to wines with a high quality-to-price ratio. Despite being a relatively small producer in the global wine market, Washington State managed to capture over 10% of the top wines of the year.

Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100, a list of the best wines of the year from around the world, has awarded a Washington State wine the number one spot for the first time. Washington State also received more spots on the list than in any year past. In total, nine wines from Washington made the Top 100.