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Fine Wine

By Carl Bennett

Although we have been sampling fine wine since the renown 1994 Washington vintage, only recently have we begun keeping notes on the wines we love (and those we revile).

While there are many fine wines we have tasted from Washington, we are not fans of the grapes from Two Vines Vineyard — owned by Columbia Crest — a source of volume grapes, apparently not quality grapes.

Without getting too snooty, the ratings are a simple one-through-five system rather than the 100 point system commonly used in wine magazines. After all, we know what we like and that’s what really counts. A three is an average ‘drinker,’ reasonably priced and reasonably good. A rating of five is not given frivolously, and means we think the wine is worth nearly any price.

Year	Winery	Varietal	Region	Vineyard	City	State	Rating

2010	Canoe Ridge	Cherry Street Red Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot	Columbia Valley	unknown	Walla Walla	Washington	••••

2010	Chateau Ste Michelle	Sauvignon Blanc	Columbia Valley	Horse Heaven Hills	Woodinville	Washington	•••

2010	Granite Ridge	Cabernet Sauvignon [61%] Merlot [39%]	unknown	Stellenbosch	unknown	South Africa	•••

2010	Inés	Chardonnay [60%] Macabeo [40%]	unknown	unknown	unknown	Spain	••

2009	Fárnio	Rosso Piceno: Montepulciano [70%], Sangiovese [30%]	Marche Region	unknown	unknown	Italy	•••

2009	14 Hands Winery	Hot to Trot Red	Columbia Valley	unknown	Paterson	Washington	•••

2009	Bergevin Lane Vineyards	Linen Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon [44%], Syrah [34%], Merlot [12%], Malbec [10%])	Columbia Valley	unknown	Walla Walla	Washington	•••

2008	Estrella River Winery	Proprietor’s Reserve Red	Napa Valley	unknown	Napa	California	•••

2008	L’Ecole No. 41	Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley	unknown	Lowden	Washington	••••

2008	Sassetto	Sangiovese	unknown	unknown	unknown	Italy	••

2007	Cali / Mannina Cellars	Cabernet Sauvignon (51%), Merlot (42%), Sangiovese (7%)	Walla Walla Valley	unknown	Walla Walla	Washington	•••

2007	Columbia Winery	Cellarmaster’s Riesling	Columbia Valley	unknown	Prosser	Washington	•••

2007	Columbia Winery	Cellarmaster’s Riesling	Columbia Valley	unknown	Prosser	Washington	•••

2007	Vinum Africa	Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	unknown	South Africa	•••

2006	Columbia Crest	Grand Estates Batonnage Chardonnay	Columbia Valley	unknown	Paterson	Washington	•••

2006	Columbia Winery	Chardonnay	Columbia Valley	unknown	Woodinville	Washington	•••

2006	Greg Norman	Australia Estates Shiraz	Limestone Coast	unknown	unknown	Australia	•••

2005	Beresan Winery	Cabernet Sauvignon	Walla Walla Valley	Waliser Vineyard (55%), Yellow Jacket Vineyard (45%)	Walla Walla	Washington	•••

2005	Columbia Crest	Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley	Two Vines Wineyard	Paterson	Washington	••

2005	Novella / EOS Estate Winery	Petite Sirah	Paso Robles	unknown	Paso Robles	California	•

2005	Stony Mountain	Pinot Noir	Willamette Valley	unknown	McMinnville	Oregon	•••

2004	Chateau Palmer	Alter Ego Margaux	unknown	unknown	unknown	unknown	••••

2004	DeLille Cellars	D2 (Cabernet Sauvignon [45%], Merlot [41%], Cabernet Franc [12%], Petit Verdot [2%])	Columbia Valley	Red Mountain (60%), other vineyards	Woodinville	Washington	••••

2004	Fidélitas Wines	Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley	Champoux (39%), Stillwater Creek (29%), Conner-Lee (13%), Milbrandt-Katherine Leone (13%), Red Mountain (6%)	Benton City	Washington	••••

2004	Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards	Chardonnay	Columbia Valley	Gordon Brothers	Pasco	Washington	•••

2004	Kestrel Vintners	Estate Sangiovese	Yakima Valley	Kestrel View Estate Vineyard	Prosser	Washington	•••

2004	Lone Canary Winery	Merlot	Columbia Valley	unknown	Spokane	Washington	••

2004	Rock Meadow Winery	Mustang Merlot	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	•

2004	Walla Walla Vintners	Cabernet Franc	Columbia Valley	unknown	Walla Walla	Washington	••

2004	Walla Walla Vintners	Cuvée	Columbia Valley	unknown	Walla Walla	Washington	•••

2003	Chateau Faire Le Pont	Confluence (Cabernet Sauvignon [62%], Merlot [30%], Cabernet Franc [18%])	Chelan	unknown	Wenatchee	Washington	••••

2003	Chateau Faire Le Pont	Pinot Gris	Chelan	unknown	Wenatchee	Washington	•••

2003	Cowan Vineyards	Merlot	Yakima Valley	unknown	Grandview	Washington	••

2003	Hoodsport Winery	Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley	unknown	Zillah	Washington	••

2003	Kestrel Vintners	Merlot	Yakima Valley	unknown	Prosser	Washington	•••

2003	Latah Creek Wine Cellars	Cabernet Sauvignon	Spokane	Wahluke Slope	Spokane	Washington	•

2003	Robert Karl Cellars	Cabernet Sauvignon	Spokane	McKinley Springs and Phinny Hill Vineyards	Spokane	Washington	••

2003	Seven Hills Winery	Merlot	Walla Walla Valley	Seven Hills	Walla Walla	Washington	••••

2003	Tsillan Cellars	Merlot	Columbia Valley	unknown	Chelan	Washington	•••

2003	Walla Walla Vintners	Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley	unknown	Walla Walla	Washington	••••

2003	Woodward Canyon Winery	Merlot	Columbia Valley	unknown	Lowden	Washington	••••

–	Stemilt Creek Winery	Stemilt Hill Red	Chelan	unknown	Wenatchee	Washington	••

2002	Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards	Syrah	Columbia Valley	Gordon Brothers	Pasco	Washington	•••

2002	Kiona Vineyards	Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve	Yakima Valley	Red Mountain	Benton City	Washington	••••

2002	Latah Creek Wine Cellars	Merlot	Spokane	Wahluke Slope	Spokane	Washington	••

2002	Stoller Vineyards	Estate Pinot Noir	Willamette Valley	unknown	Dayton	Oregon	••••

2002	Terra Blanca Vintners	Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley	Red Mountain	Benton City	Washington	••••

2002	Terra Blanca Vintners	Malbec	Yakima Valley	unknown	Benton City	Washington	•••

2001	Bella Vida Vineyard	Pinot Noir (first bottling)	Willamette Valley	Bella Pente	Dundee	Oregon	••

2001	Northstar Winery	Merlot	Columbia Valley	various Columbia Valley vineyards	Walla Walla	Washington	•••

2001	Saint Laurent	Merlot	Columbia Valley	unknown	Richland	Washington	•••

2001	Terra Blanca Vintners	Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve	Columbia Valley	Red Mountain	Benton City	Washington	••••

2001	Terra Blanca Vintners	Syrah	Columbia Valley	Red Mountain	Benton City	Washington	•••

2000	Erath Vineyards	Pinot Noir	Willamette Valley	Erath Vineyards	Dundee	Oregon	•••

2000	SilverLake Winery	Grand Reserve Claret	Columbia Valley	Roza Hills	Zillah	Washington	•••

1999	Erath Vineyards	Pinot Noir Private Reserve	Willamette Valley	Erath Vineyards	Dundee	Oregon	••••

1995	Glen Ellen Winery	Proprietor’s Reserve Chardonnay	Sonoma Valley	unknown	Glen Ellen	California	•••

1994	Washington Hills	Varietal Select Merlot	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	•••

1994	Snoqualmie	Fumé Blanc	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	•••

1994	Sasseto	Montepulciano d’Abruzzo	unknown	unknown	unknown	Italy	••

1994	Duca Leonardo	Montepulciano d’Abruzzo	unknown	unknown	unknown	Italy	••

1994	Cantine Mezza Corona	Pinot Griggio	unknown	unknown	unknown	Italy	••

1994	Vendange	Pinot Noir	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	•

1994	Ravenswood	Zinfandel	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	••••

1993	Adelshiem	Pinot Noir	Willamette Valley	unknown	Dundee	Washington	••••

1993	Eveshamwood	Pinot Noir	Willamette Valley	unknown	Salem	Oregon	•••

1993	Morgon M. Lapierre	Red	unknown	unknown	unknown	France	••••

1993	Woodbridge	Sauvignon Blanc	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	•••

1993	Washington Hills	Chenin Blanc	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	••

1993	Paul Thomas	Merlot	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	••

1993	Knudsen Erath	Pinot Noir	Willamette Valley	unknown	Dundee	Oregon	••••

1993	Georges Duboeuf	Syrah	unknown	unknown	unknown	France	•

1993	Napa Ridge Winery	Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	••

1993	Chalk Hill	Chardonay	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	•••

1993	Rosemount Estate	Merlot	unknown	unknown	unknown	Australia	•••

1992	A. Clape	Le Vin des amis	Côtes du Rhône	unknown	Cornas	France	••••

1992	Washington Hills	Fumé Blanc	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	•••

1992	Hyatt	Merlot	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	••••

1992	Chateau Ste Michelle	Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	Woodinville	Washington	••••

1992	Oak Knoll	Pinot Gris	unknown	unknown	unknown	Oregon	•

1992	Eyrie Vineyards	Pinot Gris	unknown	unknown	unknown	Oregon	•••

1992	Santa Rita	Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	unknown	Chile	•

1992	Ravenswood	Zinfandel	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	••••

1992	Laurel Glen ‘Terra Rosa’	Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	••

1992	Kendall-Jackson	Vintners Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	••••

1991	Etude	Pinot Noir	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	•••

1991	Paul Thomas	Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	••••

1991	Avia	Merlot	unknown	unknown	unknown	Slovenia	••

1991	Ravenswood	Merlot	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	•••

1990	Columbia Crest	Barrel Select Merlot	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	•••

1990	Columbia Crest	Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	unknown	Washington	•••

1990	Knudsen Erath	Pinot Noir	Willamette Valley	unknown	Dundee	Oregon	••••

1990	Bridgeview Vineyards	Pinot Noir	Willamette Valley	unknown	unknown	Oregon	••

1990	Beringer	Zinfandel	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	•

1990	Temple Bruer	Shiraz-Malbec	unknown	unknown	unknown	Australia	••

1987	Alexander Valley	Library Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	unknown	unknown	unknown	California	••

1985	Castello di Gabbiano	Ania Red	unknown	unknown	unknown	Italy	•••

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