Our lives are run by computer technology. Along with the ubiquitous presence of smartphones, smart watches, talking cars and refrigerators that remind you that your lettuce is turning brown comes the endless cycle of software updates, product upgrades and must-have replacements of outdated gear. I suspect that, like me, even the Luddites among us have to go along with these all-but-mandatory changes in order to maintain a normal lifestyle.
Why then is something as old-fashioned and outdated as the 100-point rating system still hanging around the necks of winemakers like a dead albatross? Since it became a wine culture staple following its adaptation by Robert Parker more than four decades ago, the 100-point scale has been impossible to replace or ignore.
Yes there are still some die-hard traditionalists who cling to the 20-point scale (not any better or different really). Some try even less helpful alternatives, rating with stars or avoiding ratings altogether. At one time I made a doomed attempt to re-jigger the 100-point system itself. I expanded it to rate wineries (not wines) from 50 to 100 points based on a proprietary (and hopelessly complicated) system assigning different meanings to different scores. That was a disaster that all but tanked an otherwise well-written book.
Over the years I’ve ranted and railed about the inadequacies and failings of the system, tilting at the industry-wide ratings windmill with all the success of Don Quixote. The simplicity of the ratings number has transcended every failing, and the multi-tiered system of wine sales – from winery to distributor/importer to retail outlet (on or off-premise) – means that those numbers get promoted at every step along the way. At the end of the line is the consumer, by now so battered by and at the same time dependent upon a number to guide purchasing decisions that the whole 100-point edifice has acquired a sense of inevitability. It seems as if it’s been with us forever and will never change. And yet…
…nothing lasts forever. Even something as entrenched as Google is losing its grip on internet searches as AI takes over more and more of those duties. In fact, the ecosystem of the internet itself may be at risk as we no longer need to visit websites when our new best AI friends (Siri, Alexa et al) handle all that for us.
What’s next for rating wine? I’ll let you know as soon as I do. But I’m betting it won’t be a different rating system. It will be something more disruptive – something along the lines of the introduction of the iPhone. Maybe a chatbot married to one of those electronic wine tasting tongues (yes there are such things).
Meanwhile, back in the old ratings zone, I’ve been using the pleasant holiday break to spend many extra hours tasting and reviewing current releases. In fact, I’m putting off my ‘Best of the Year’ post for another week or two so that I can add more contenders to the list. All of these wines have been tasted repeatedly by a genuine human with a natural born tongue. And just to be clear, this Substack is and always will be 100% written by me, not by a bot.
Reviews (in alphabetical order by winery name)
Anne Amie
Jay Somers has been making these wines since 2022.
Anne Amie 2023 Enchanté Pinot Blanc – From a single block in the estate vineyard, this sassy, sappy, vibrant wine delights with peppery spice and electric acidity. Compact tree fruits hold the center as the wine trails out. Lightly savory, aged in neutral oak, it’s ready for near term enjoyment. 200 cases; 13%; $35 (Chehalem Mountains) 90/100
Anne Amie 2023 Passetoutgrains – Two thirds Pinot Noir, one third Gamay, based on the Burgundian model, this fresh and lively wine is bursting with bright berries, underscored with clean earth. It’s made for drinking young, and should be consumed over the next five years. 700 cases; 13%; $25 (Willamette Valley) 90/100
Anne Amie 2023 Winemaker’s Selection Pinot Noir – All estate-grown and a fine value, this shows cranberry/cherry fruit in abundance, backed with firm acids. Just released and barely a year out of the fermenters, it’s balanced and forward, ready to drink. Just a hint of band-aid in the finish keeps the score down a notch. 5000 cases; 13.5%; $28 (Willamette Valley) 90/100
Echolands
Echolands is an ambitious new winery and vineyard in Walla Walla – the project of a man with a world-class palate – Doug Frost, MW/MS. I’ve known Doug a long time and he is without a doubt one of the most widely-respected people in the entire wine industry. The stunning new Echolands winery, located high on a hill in the Mill Creek Uplands district, was opened this past summer. I’ll be honest – the first few vintages, made in a rented facility with purchased grapes, where ok but a bit disappointing. With a newly-planted estate vineyard and a brand new winery designed by winemaker Brian Rudin, it’s fair to say the sky’s the limit, and I’m not just talking about the view from the tasting room. These are the current releases; Brian made the 2023s and finished up the 2022s.
Echolands 2023 Blue Mountain Vineyard Roussanne – This will be the last vintage of Blue Mountain Roussanne from anyone as the vines were pulled after last winter’s freeze. This is a good, solid, fruit-driven effort. Aromatic, nicely set against moderate acids. It saw one quarter new oak (puncheon). 145 cases; 13.3%; $45 (Walla Walla Valley) 91/100
Echolands 2023 Grenache – A blend of grapes from Les Collines and the Rivière-Galets vineyards, this includes 10% Cinsault in the blend. It’s finished with a screwcap, made for easy drinking and near term enjoyment. A perfect holiday poultry wine, it’s soft and smooth, with raspberry fruit and a bed of dried herbs. 463 cases; 13.2%; $38 (Walla Walla Valley) 91/100
Echolands 2023 Rocksy Music Grenache – Can you guess what rock band is a favorite of Echolands managing partner Doug Frost? This is sourced entirely from the Rivière-Galets vineyard and is one of the highlights of the expansive Echolands portfolio. It’s a rich, thick (for Grenache) wine with firm, mineral-based wild berry fruits. Accents of orange peel and other citrus notes add life and zest and zip to the mouthfeel. It’s a Grenache that could certainly be aged a bit, and may be at its best towards the end of this decade. But really… who could ask for more than this? 252 cases; 13.3%; $45 (Walla Walla Valley) 92/100
Echolands 2022 Resound – An update to the wine previously named Rubrum, this Bordeaux blend is 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cab Franc, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Aromatic and complete, showing a touch of vanilla from 17 months in a mix of new and neutral wood. Sourced from a quarter of Walla Walla vineyards, this well-constructed wine should be enjoyed over the rest of the decade. 922 cases; 14.4%; $42 (Walla Walla Valley) 91/100
Echolands 2022 Cabernet Franc – There’s about 17% Merlot in the blend here. Sourced from a trio of Walla Walla vineyards, it shows why Cab Franc should really be added as another signature grape for the region. It’s firm, focused, tight with purple fruits, backed with polished tannins and edged with touches of dried Italian herbs. 454 cases; 13.6%; $42 (Walla Walla Valley) 92/100
Echolands 2022 Blue Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Franc – One of the first sites to plant Cab Franc in the Walla Walla valley, the Blue Mountain vineyard is now entering a lovely mature phase. This artfully shows off some of the details and enhanced texture that mature vines can deliver. Supple purple/black fruits abound, with accents of licorice, tobacco and iron filings through an extended finish. 205 cases; 13.8%; $55 (Walla Walla Valley) 93/100
Echolands 2020 Seven Hills Vineyard Red – Smooth and supple, nice mix of Bordeaux grapes well balanced. This is in a good drinking window, with the oak exposure now well integrated, adding spice and toast to the supple fruit. 492 cases; 14%; $58 (Walla Walla Valley) 92/100
Ruby
I had the pleasure of visiting Ruby and chatting with owner/winemaker Andrew Kirkland this past summer, unfortunately on a day when temps were well into the triple digits. He kindly agreed to put off the tasting until the weather cooled down and wines could be shipped. Included were Willamette Valley wines from purchased grapes that complement the estate wines. I tasted four in the new lineup. Here are the two best.
Ruby 2023 Lily of the Valley White Blend – This flavorful, nicely textured blend is two thirds Pinot Gris and one third Gewurztraminer. It’s young and fresh with just the right amount of pétillance – not quite a pét-nat but on its way. The fruit dominates with apple and pear, lightly accented with ginger spice. It’s finished dry and would be comfortable with just about anything you’d serve with a Pinot Gris, especially light seafoods and cheeses. 400 cases; 13.5%; $30 (Willamette Valley) 92/100
Ruby 2023 Gamay Noir – This is done with whole cluster, carbonic maceration fermentation, Beaujolais style, with a light and lively mouthfeel replete with flavors of hard cherry candy. Underscoring the fruit is a wet rock minerality. It’s forward, dry, almost dusty, and most agreeable. 325 cases; 12.5%; $30 (Willamette Valley) 90/100
It is the estate wines, especially those from old vines, that really make this winery special. Here are my favorite Estate and Reserve releases.
Ruby 2021 Chardonnay – It seems to me that some of Oregon’s best, least-known Chardonnays come from Ruby. This is a clonal mix from three Laurelwood District vineyards. Succulent flavors of mixed citrus are lively and refreshing, with appealing minerality. The wine is focused and elegant, with lingering impact for a full minute or more. There’s an understated refinement to the style, which captures the elegance of Burgundy with the lively fruit of the Willamette Valley. Fermented and aged in a mix of stainless and oak; balanced throughout. 200 cases; 13%; $40 (Laurelwood District) 94/100
Ruby 2021 Laurelwood Blend Pinot Noir – A nice companion to the Chardonnay, this aromatically inviting Pinot lures you in with its raspberry perfume, then seduces with an elegant palate that perfectly balances light acids, citrus, red berries and gentle touches of sandalwood and sassafras. Fermented with indigenous yeast, 15% whole clusters, then aged 10 months in 30% new French oak. It’s a careful, thoughtful, gentle process that typifies this winery’s style. 601 cases; 13.3%; $40 (Laurelwood District) 92/100
Ruby 2021 Hendricks Legacy Pinot Noir – Wow, I’m tempted to call this a fruit bomb but it’s much much more. A dense weave of red fruits, seams of coffee, savory herbs, black tea and hints of mushroom are all in play. It’s a wine that invites lingering exploration, as it’s so beautifully detailed you can keep picking out more and more nuances. Even better after 24 hours. 13.8%; $50 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100
Ruby 2021 Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir – A barrel selection from the estate vineyard, this and the other reserves bear a black label with gold type. Much darker than the other Pinots, this is big, blocky, dark and powerful – a shift in style from the non-reserve 21s. That’s not a criticism – it’s a compliment to winemaker Andrew Kirkland that he can execute such different styles with comparable fruit sources. This wine has more extraction, more black cherry fruit, seemingly more new oak, yet remains balanced and well-defined. It wants a bit more aeration to unwrap. 125 cases; 13.2%; $75 (Laurelwood District) 93/100
Ruby 2021 Steve’s Reserve Pinot Noir – This is a barrel select reserve, with firm, lightly savory flavors of strawberry jam, cola and green tobacco. It fills in with focused black cherry fruit, thin but polished tannins and citrusy acids. Light for a reserve, but flavorful and satisfying through a medium long, gently toasty finish. 200 cases; 13.2%; $75 (Laurelwood District) 93/100
Ruby 2021 Old Vine Estate Pinot Noir – These vines were planted in the late 1970s, roughly half Pommard and half Wadensvil. There’s a well-defined phenolic edge to the flavors, which neatly meld crisp acid, wild herb and brambly berry into a seamless whole. The old vines bring texture and depth, gently muting the accents of cinnamon, almond paste and caramel. One third of the barrels were new. 500 cases; 13.2%; $65 (Laurelwood District) 94/100
Ruby 2022 Old Vine Estate Pinot Noir – Note that this is a future release. By the numbers it’s a bit riper than the outstanding 2021, coming from the same old vines bringing depth, detail and texture. It’s a style that rewards your attention; it won’t blow you away but if you stick with it it’s a wine with both elegance and density. The berry/cherry fruit is clean, firm and lightly tart; the tannins ripe but kept at bay; there’s an underlying minerality that soaks through the finish. Ageworthy for sure, but already compelling. 13.5%; $65 (Laurelwood District) 94/100 (preview score)
Ruby 2021 Flora’s Reserve Pinot Noir – This two barrel reserve showcases fruit from the original 1973 planting of Wadenswil vines. This is a special wine, a one bottle history of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The details converge around a core of ripe red and purple berry fruits, adding threads of baking spices, mocha, caramel, cocoa, and even coconut. Great penetration, balance and length. A bedrock minerality anchors the finish. 48 cases; 13%; $125 (Laurelwood District) 96/100
Ruby 2022 Tuenge Vineyard Pinot Noir – This too is a future release, already aromatic and forward, with raspberry fruit flavors that border on lollipop/lifesaver candy. The backing acids show a pleasing wet stone minerality. Light and accessible, with excellent near term drinking potential. Gains breadth and texture overnight. 13.5%; $50 (Laurelwood District) 92/100 (preview score)
Ruby 2022 Tre Figli Vineyard Pinot Noir – And one more preview. All Dijon 777 clone planted in 2002; this nicely captures the style of Ruby’s Andrew Kirkland and showcases the potential of a vineyard just now heading into early maturity. Red fruit, wet stone, accents of barrel spice and lovely, smooth tannins keep the flavors front and center, clean and appealing through a long, languorous finish. 13.2%; $50 (Laurelwood District) 93/100 (preview score)
Sidereus Vineyard & Winery
Sidereus 2023 Roussanne – Richly fruity, this explodes from the glass with sliced peaches, Honeycrisp apples, lime and pineapple highlights and a full-bodied, seamless palate. The fermentation was done in 60% steel and 40% new oak barrels, adding to the richness while keeping plenty of steely precision. Note that this was sourced from an unnamed Washington vineyard, which may account for the hot climate ripeness. 130 cases; 13.7%; $40 (Columbia Valley) 93/100
Sidereus 2023 Estate Chardonnay – This is a solidly built wine, fermented in one third new French oak and aged sur lie for 16 months. There’s a light dusting of pepper around compact apple fruit. The wine feels restrained at first taste, so decanting is recommended. With aeration a lovely caramel streak runs through the winding finish. 131 cases; 13.6%; $30 (Laurelwood District) 92/100
Sidereus 2022 Pinot Noir – Rhubarb, cranberries and currants are in play, with firm tannins at the head of the finish. This young wine is still in lock down; those tannins shut the door on the details, making this especially difficult to grade. I returned to it after 24 hours and a pleasing cinnamon spice note emerged, with that steely core of light, tart red fruits. 278 cases; 13.2%; $35 (Willamette Valley) 92/100
Sidereus 2022 La Colina Vineyard Pinot Noir – This is a spicy wine, sprinkled with peppery herbs around a base of firm red fruits. The aromatics promise more, suggesting that decanting is almost mandatory to open this wine up. There’s good concentration through the mid-palate, with brambly berries, wintergreen and chamomile tea threaded through the finish. 102 cases; 13.7%; $55 (Dundee Hills) 92/100
Sidereus 2022 Estate Pommard Pinot Noir – The Pommard clone generally produces a fruit-forward, palate-friendly style of Pinot Noir. This was aged in half new French oak for 20 months which in no way seems heavy-handed. Yes there is a toasty frame and highlights of toasted hazelnuts, but the firm cherry fruit and supporting acids are up to the challenge, and even at such a young age the wine is nicely balanced. I confess to having a real fondness for these Pommard-based Pinots, and this one, with ample aeration, brings a lot of pleasure. 77 cases; 13.7%; $45 (Laurelwood District) 93/100
Sidereus 2022 Estate Winemaker’s Cuvée Pinot Noir – This is an estate-driven reserve selection mixing chosen barrels of varied clones. The extra barrel time – six months after the final blending – amps up the tannins, the toast, the baking spices and overall power. A strong minty licorice note shines through a strong core of blackberry and black cherry fruit. This wine seems to gain strength through the finish, resonating with various threads of chai tea, vanilla and tobacco. 151 cases; 14.2%; $65 (Laurelwood District) 94/100
Sidereus 2022 Tempranillo – This is a Walla Walla wine, probably from the Washington side of the Valley, fermented in a mix of French and American oak. Lots of barrel spice with a streak of bacon running through the palate makes this an impactful wine which will please a lot of palates. Is the blackberry fruit up to the challenge? Time will tell; my best guess is drink this over the next two or three years. 162 cases; 14.7%; $50 (Walla Walla Valley) 90/100
Sidereus 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon – As in previous years this is Bacchus vineyard fruit, dark and peppery, with plenty of spice from aging in one third new French oak. There’s an appealing softness to the palate, like fine Corinthian leather (that’s a joke) but it takes out some of the bitter phenolics. In sum a very likeable wine, moderate in style and weight, but eminently drinkable. 150 cases; 14.5%; $55 (Columbia Valley) 91/100
The 20 and 100 point wine scales mirror the grade scales in French and American Secondary schools.
In France, the scale goes from 0 to 20, with < 8 being a failing grade, 10 being an average grade, 14 being very good, and 16 excellent. Any grade between 16 and 19 is a gift from the gods, and 20 is unattainable.
In the US, passing 65 is usually passing, 70 to 80 is C, 80 to 90 is a B, and 90 to 100 an A. Plusses and minuses are added for fine tuning.
In the American system, it is relatively easy to get grades in the high 80's or low 90's. Not so in the French system.
Are the 20 and 100 wine scales coincidental with the two scholastic scales, or are they culturally based?
I have no thoughts on the French school system. In the early days of the 100 point rating system here in the U.S. you might have seen some parallels to the grading practiced in public schools. Anyone with an old copy of a Parker newsletter or an early edition of Wine Spectator would see that the system’s explanation reached down (if memory serves) as low as the 70’s – a (barely) passing grade. Any such parallels vanished decades ago.
My query was a speculation that diverted me, and that I thought might be of interest to others.