2022 Top 10 of the Year

1. Biggest 3 Day Wine Review Improvement in History. Instead of putting some lame 94 point Napa wine at one least put down a great wine and my highest score of the year.

• 2010 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah The Contender – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (12/3/2022)
  Twin Cities Wine Club Washington State Bordeaux & Syrah Tasting (Edina, MN): Day 1: So the highest rated wine in the tasting via Cellar Tracker and even myself who brought it had it at last place of the tasting. The 2017 Result of a Crush Syrah dominated it. Black olives, spice, floral and stone. Elegant but not concentrated enough.
  Day 3: This is why I do the 3 Day Wine Review and transformation of the year!!! Not showing well at the tasting and took home a glass and didn’t drink any day 2 but day 3 holly cow! Black olives, tar, truffles, cigar ash, stone, dark currants, white pepper, complex spices and gravel. Not only is the most amazing 3 day wine change in a long time it might end up being wine of the year. 97 points
  Recommendation: Buy!!! This wine needs some serious more time in the cellar. Day 1 not much going on but day 3 one of the best Syrah experiences to date. (97 points)

2. $39.99 with free shipping. Get out of town. This is a legit Napa Wine.

2015 Oakville East Cabernet Sauvignon Exposure – USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (11/15/2022) WTSO Premium Wine Club Event from November 17. $100 for the 2015 Oakville East Exposure and the 2015 Growth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Looking forward to Champagne on December 15. Day 1: I am not normally a massive fan of Napa, but this is off the charts on a pop and pour. This is wine of the year caliber. Pencil lead, blueberries, minerals, sour cherry, earth, cigar and exotic spices. Long finish! Complex and all Napa wines should taste like this. 96 points Day 2: Holding up well and offers a very Bordeaux like experience featuring gravel, minerals, sour cherry, cigar, pencil lead and blue currants. Medium plus finish. Super balanced effort. 95 points Day 3: While still good this truly is a pop and pour and enjoy its awesomeness. Still good on day 3 however. Still shows spice, blue currants, menthol, cigar and earth. 94 points Recommendation: This is $39.99 at WTSO and might be wine of the year. Just bought a bunch more. (96 points)

3. Number 3 super surprise of the year. Balboa for the knockout!

• 2018 Balboa Winery Syrah Reserve Stoney Vine Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (7/16/2022)
  Walla Walla Syrah Festival Grand Tasting (Valdemar Cellars Walla Walla): Super high praise for this wine as it was my wine of the night at the Grand Tasting Walla Walla Syrah Festival. Same score as the 2017 Cayuse Armanda by this is half the price. Super fragrant nose featuring black olives, minerals, rocks funk, blue currants, earth and stone. This is classic rocks and a serious wine. (96 points)

4. The Winery that makes Result of a Crush is crushing it and over 2 cases added this year.

• 2011 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah Foothills Reserve – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (10/11/2022)
  Day 1: Aromatic! Strawberry, wet stones, black pepper, violets, earth, green olives and pepper corn. While not a powerhouse the finish on this wine is quite long. Complex and a thinking wine drinkers’ wine. Outstanding effort and many more years of drinking. 94 points
  Day 2: Nice evolution of change on day 2. This is a bit bigger in style than the elegance of day 1. Blueberries, cherry, black pepper, earth, black olives, exotic spices, rose petals and wet stones. Super complex and even better than day 2. Yes 10 plus years from vintage good wines improve on day 2 and there is a solid glass waiting day 3. 95 points
  Day 3: Hard to believe this improved on day 3 considering its age but it did. Black olives, exotic spices, roasted meats, black pepper, rose petals, pepper corn, earth and blueberries and sour cherry. Long, complex finish over a minute. Certainly, a wine of the year candidate and better than any Syrah I tasted at the Walla Walla Syrah Festival this past summer. 96 points
  Recommendation: This wine is off the charts and for the $75 I paid with shipping I am thrilled I have one more. Drink through 2030. (96 points)

5. Legit on day 1!

• 2017 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah In the Rocks – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (6/23/2022)
  Day 1: This wine is on par with anything Cayuse is doing and I love Cayuse. White pepper, black olives, roasted meats, spice, dark fruits, minerals, stone and mild smoke. Super complex and super long finish. This is a top wine of the year candidate. 96 points
  Recommendation: Did not make it to day 2 with my brother in town. Outstanding wine and highly recommended. (96 points)

6. The King of Walla Walla.

• 2017 Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (7/16/2022)
  Walla Walla Syrah Festival Grand Tasting (Valdemar Cellars Walla Walla): This was the 2nd best wine at the Walla Walla Syrah festival. Classic rocks wine with floral, funk, raspberries, earth, white pepper and stone. Concentrated wine and long finish. (96 points)

7. The Only Wine on both top 10’s!

2017 Result of a Crush Syrah The Unnamed Series – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (11/4/2022) Day 1: Exotic spices, sweet bell peppers, black pepper, earth, black olives, tar and roasted meats. Outstanding on the pop and pour and super complex wine. As good as the last bottle. 93 points Day 2: This is the closest to an actually Reynvaan wine you can get without spending $75. Very few would know the difference in a blind tasting. Black olives, spices, tar, roasted meats, violets, earth and stone. Concentrated wine with a really long finish. Complexity overload for $25. 94+ points Day 3: By far the best of the 18 and 19 in comparison. Holding outstanding form on day 3. Black olives, dust, tar, roasted meats, violets, earth, stone, blueberries, red currants and white pepper. Super long finish and wine of the year almost for sure. Reynvaan wine for $25 for sure. 95 points Recommendation: I just ordered 8 more so have at it. (95 points)

8. Finally a White Wine in the Top Ten

• 2020 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ‘Rotlay’ – Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (6/16/2022)
  Selbach/ Merkelbach Tasting (St. Paul, MN): Off the charts great and wine of the German/Austrian Tasting at the Wine Company. This is a no brainer six pack. Sweet peaches, minerals, green apple, floral and orange peel. Long finish and wonderful acidity. Yes more please! (95 points)

9. Finally a French Wine. Did not drink enough in 2022.

• 2010 Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie – France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (6/21/2022)
  Twin Cities Wine Club Rhone Tasting (Edina, MN): Hello! This was decanted 2 hours prior to the tasting and everyone’s wine of the night. Tasted out of a Riedel Syrah Glass which makes an off the charts difference. Bacon, blueberries, minerals, earth, white pepper and a nice rustic edge. This is in a perfect place and consume now or hold for a few years. Wine of the Year candidate. (95 points)

10. So many choices at 10 but this was the rebirth of the Twin Cities Wine Club.

• 2016 Andrew Will Sorella Champoux Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills (1/29/2022)
  Twin Cities Wine Club Rides Again: Washington State (Edina, MN): Holly Sh..! Wine of the year candidate in January. High octane in a good way (Think Shafer Hillside). If this was Napa it would be $250. Blueberries, cherry, coffee beans, minerals and spices. Long finish and intense wine. Landslide wine of the night!
  4 hour decant! (Natural cork) (95 points)