SAN FRANCISCO – American wine is reaching a golden age. So says Jon Bonné, wine editor of the esteemed San Francisco Chronicle as he unveils his 100 best wines of 2013.
Bonné, who began his wine writing career in Seattle in 1999 for MSNBC.com and has overseen the Chronicle’s superb wine coverage for the past seven years, selected 22 wines from Oregon and Washington for his annual list of wines that intrigued and spoke to him the most.
“The top wines coming from the West Coast right now are the best in a generation,” he wrote in his introduction to the list.
Maybe longer.
Unlike many top 100 lists, Bonné does not put his in any particular order. Rather, he posts favorites from a variety of categories.
Bonné shows a particular level of love toward Oregon Pinot Noirs, spotlighting seven of them (plus a Pinot Noir Rosé). That’s out of 19 Pinot Noirs – a bit of a surprise considering the high quality of California Pinot Noir coming out of the Russian River and Anderson valleys in particular.
The first book authored by Bonné, The New California Wine, appeared in bookstores a month ago.
San Francisco Chronicle’s top Northwest wines
Here are the wines from Oregon and Washington that were spotlighted this weekend in the San Francisco Chronicle:
- Adelsheim 2012 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, $22
- Memaloose 2011 Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge, $25
- Trisaetum 2011 Coast Range Estate Dry Riesling, Yamhill-Carlton, $24
- Abacela 2012 Albariño, Umpqua Valley, $18
- Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden 2012 Spiral 36 White, Applegate Valley, $28
- J.K. Carriere 2012 Glass Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, $20
- Analemma 2012 Atavus Vineyard Rosé, Columbia Gorge, $25
- Teutonic 2012 Laurel Vineyard Rosé, Willamette Valley, $19
- Bergström 2011 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $42
- Big Table Farm 2011 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $38
- Brick House 2011 Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, $52
- Chehalem Wines 2011 Three Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $29
- Haden Fig 2011 Cancilla Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30
- Soter 2011 North Valley Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30
- Stoller Family Estate 2011 Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $25
- Betz Family Cellars 2010 Clos de Betz, Columbia Valley, $55
- Cadence 2010 Tapteil Vineyard, Red Mountain, $45
- Leonetti Cellar 2011 Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $75
- Scarborough Winery 2010 The Royale Columbia Valley, $35
- Gramercy Cellars 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $48
- Januik Winery 2010 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $55
- Revelry Vintners 2010 Reveler Red, Columbia Valley, $35
- Andrew Will 2011 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $25
Scarborough “The Royale” Columbia Valley $35
also made the list, but I’m not sure why this site decided to leave it out.
It was an oversight in an imperfect world. A polite note goes a long way.