No discussion of stellar performers at the 2010 Sommelier Challenge would be complete without a few superlatives for the Valdubon winery of Spain’s Ribera del Duero region.
Valdubon entered two wines and earned two medals, including Wine of the Year in a near-unanimous show of hands from the 12 sommeliers brought in to evaluate the 635 wines submitted to this second-year international wine competition.
While the 2003 Valdubon Crianza won the competition’s most prestigous trophy, the 2004 Valdubon Reserva came away with gold. A reasonable person might conclude Valdubon, with its attractive prices at $18 and $24 for the two medal-wining wines, is worthy of even the most ambitious cellars.
I would also throw a kudo in the direction of California wineries V. Sattui, Wente and Quady. Sattui is the Napa Valley powerhouse that always cleans up in any competition lineup, this time bagging 17 medals and Best of Class Zinfandel; Wente represented the Livermore Valley in style, winning a platinum and gold medal with two of its top-shelf Nth Degree wines; and Quady, the dessert-wine specialist, scored two platinums and took Best of Show Dessert wine.
And take a look at the medals won by that winery from Colorado, The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey!
Quady Winery
Best of Show Dessert NV Starboard Batch 88 California $15.00 – Desi Eschavarrie – George Skorka
Silver 2008 Elysium Black Muscat California $17.00 – Desi Eschavarrie – George Skorka
Platinum 2008 Essensia Orange Muscat California $17.00 – Will Costello
Gold NV Deviation Orange Muscat California $28.00 – Anani Lawson
Quinta Da Zaralhoa
Platinum 2006 Douro DOC, Reserva Portugal $20.00 – Desi Eschavarrie – George Skorka
Robert Oatley
Gold 2008 Chardonnay Mudgee $16.00 – Anani Lawson
Gold 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Pemberton $16.00 – Lisa Redwine
Rocca Delle Macie
Gold 2007 Chianti Classico DOCG Italy $16.00 – Andre Mack – Lisa Redwine
Schloss Reinhartshausen
Gold 2007 Old Vines Riesling Rheingau $20.00 – Anani Lawson
Sequana
Silver 2008 Pinot Noir, Dutton Ranch Green Valley of Russian River Valley $40.00 – Brian Donegan
Best of Class Pinot Noir, 2008 Pinot Noir, Sarmento Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands $32.00 – Brian Donegan – Jennifer Tremayne
Steppe Cellars
Best of Class Red Bordeaux Blend 2007 Artemisia Columbia Valley $27.00 – David Lusby – Megan Yelenosky
The Winery At Holy Cross Abbey
Silver 2008 Cabernet Franc Colorado $23.00 – Jesse Rodriguez – Michael Scaffidi
Silver 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Colorado $30.00 – Andre Mack – Lisa Redwine
Silver 2008 Merlot Colorado $21.00 – Jesse Rodriguez – Michael Scaffidi
Silver 2008 Merlot, Reserve Colorado $26.00 – Jesse Rodriguez – Michael Scaffidi
Silver 2007 Syrah, Reserve Colorado $30.00 – Will Costello
Silver 2008 Chardonnay Monterey $19.00 – Jesse Rodriguez – Michael Scaffidi
Platinum NV Riesling American $15.00 – Michael Scaffidi
V. Sattui Winery
Gold NV Angelica California $30.00 – Anani Lawson
Silver 2007 Cabernet Franc Alexander Valley $30.00 – Jesse Rodriguez – Michael Scaffidi
Silver 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder $40.00 – Brian Donegan – Jennifer Tremayne
Silver 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $30.00 – Brian Donegan – Jennifer Tremayne
Silver 2007 Merlot Napa Valley $25.00 – Andre Mack – Lisa Redwine
Gold 2007 Merlot, Henry Ranch Los Carneros $29.00 – Andre Mack – Lisa Redwine
Gold 2008 Syrah Napa Valley $29.00 – Andre Mack
Silver 2008 Zinfandel, Ramazzotti Vineyard Dry Creek Valley $36.00 – George Skorka
Gold 2008 Old Vine Zinfandel, Quaglia Vineyard Napa Valley $39.00 – Desi Eschavarrie
Best of Class Zinfandel 2008 Zinfandel, Black-Sears Vineyard Howell Mountain $40.00 – David Lusby – Megan Yelenosky
Gold 2008 Zinfandel, Gilsson Vineyard Russian River Valley $35.00 – Megan Yelenosky
Gold 2008 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley $25.00 – David Lusby
Silver 2008 Zinfandel, Crow Ridge Vineyard Russian River Valley $33.00 – David Lusby – Megan Yelenosky
Gold 2007 Prestige Cuvee Brut Napa Valley $22.00 – Anani Lawson
Gold 2008 Chardonnay Los Carneros $26.00 – George Skorka
Silver 2008 Chardonnay Napa Valley $19.75 – George Skorka
Silver 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley $18.25 – Andre Mack – Lisa Redwine
Gold 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Vittorio’s Vineyard Napa Valley $22.00 – Michael Scaffidi
Valdubon
Wine of the Year 2003 Crianza, Ribera Del Duero Spain $18.00 – David Lusby – Megan Yelenosky
Gold 2004 Reserva, Ribera Del Duero Spain $24.00 – David Lusby – Megan Yelenosky
Vina Robles
Platinum 2007 Signature Paso Robles $39.00 – Jennifer Tremayne
Silver 2008 RED 4, Huerhuero Paso Robles $16.00 – Jennifer Tremayne
Gold 2009 WHITE 4, Huerhuero Paso Robles $16.00 – Brian Donegan – Jennifer Tremayne
Silver 2007 Petite Sirah, Jardine Paso Robles $26.00 – Jesse Rodriguez – Michael Scaffidi
Silver 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Jardine Paso Robles $16.00 – Lisa Redwine
Wente Vineyards
Platinum 2007 Nth Degree Cabernet Sauvignon Livermore Valley $60.00 – David Lusby
Gold 2008 Nth Degree Merlot Livermore Valley $50.00 – Andre Mack
Click here for complete results of the Sommelier Challenge.
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