Seattle Metropolitan's Top 100 Washington Wines

The September issue of Seattle Metropolitan magazine is now in stores and on-line and features this year's list of the Top 100 Washington wines.

A few words about how I compiled the list. As stated in the article, wineries were allowed to send in a maximum of four wines, one in each of the following categories: one $25 or less; one $25–$50; one $50 or higher; and one white wine of any price. Alternately, if wineries were submitting wines in only one category, they could submit two wines. Wines were then rated using a 100-point scale and were subsequently ranked based on score, price, and overall excitement about the wine. A cutoff of 91 points was used to create the list. As in previous years, due to the high number of submissions - more than 500 - there were a number of excellent wines that did not make this year's list.

You can read an electronic copy of the Top 100 list here as well as a list of 90-point rated white wines here and a list of 90-point rated reds $25 and under here.

Enjoy!

Sean P. Sullivan

2 comments:

  1. Nice list. Not too many surprises, though it's nice to see some new producers make a showing. Interesting that there aren't many wines 95 pts or higher (exceptional). Is it a function of the year, the wine making, or your taste buds? :-)

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  2. "Alternately, if wineries were submitting wines in only one category, they could submit two wines."

    I think this is a new wrinkle, and one that may reward some wineries for excellence at the top, but imo, it really discourages entries in the under $50 category, and likely greatly reduces the number of wineries who might enter otherwise. I know your other list of bargains at <$25 compensates for this, but to my palate there are literally hundreds of worthy Washington wines costing less than $50, but now there is even less chance for them to be noticed in this list. More for me I guess, but I'd prefer they sell enough to stay in business, and your Top 100 is really about a Top 60 wineries.

    But, hey that's a nitpick and you do a great job with this, so keep on keepin' on.

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