Winemaker Milla Handley has worked for some of the best in the business: Dick Arrowood at Arrowood Vineyards in the mid-1970s and Jed Steele when he was making cutting edge wines at Edmeades, more than 30 years ago. A UC-Davis grad, Milla eventually struck out on her own, starting Handley Cellars in Mendocino’s rugged Anderson Valley in 1982.
A reasonable person would have to conclude that these days, Milla Handley, too, is among the best in the business. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer are her specialties, and it was a Handley Pinot, the 2010 RSM Vineyard designate ($52) that stole the show at the fifth annual Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition last weekend in San Diego.
It was a wine that captivated the judges, winemakers all, with its gorgeous bouquet and bright, delicious red-fruited flavors and aromas. The Handley Pinot, which had advanced to the final vote by winning Best of Show Red Wine in an earlier round, took the Wine of the Year vote against other Best of Show winners, and it wasn’t even close.
A sparkling wine from the East Coast, the 2009 Greenhill Winery & Vineyards Blanc de Blancs ($35), was Best of Show in the sparkling wine category and runner-up in the Wine of the Year vote. Other Best of Show winners were the 2012 Penguin Bay Winery Riesling ($15) from New York’s Finger Lakes region in the white wine category; Quady Vqa Vermouth, Whisper Dry ($20) in the fortified category; and Quady Essensia Orange Muscat ($25) in the dessert wine category.
Winery of the Year went to perennial contender V. Sattui of the Napa Valley. Sattui earned 19 medals, ten of those gold. Washington’s Maryhill Winery also picked up 19 medals, including Best of Class Syrah with its 2011 Syrah, Proprietor’s Reserve, Columbia Valley ($25). But V. Sattui edged Maryhill on the strength of its gold-medal dominance, winning the gold count over Maryhill 10-5.
Reviews of the Platinum award-winners will post to the WRO Reviews page Jan. 29. Complete results for Winemaker Challenge V are available at WinemakerChallenge.com.
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