Our US correspondent Clive Pursehouse deciphers the 2020 vintage in Washington State tasting and rating more than 100 wines.
Despite the year's challenging conditions, he found, the best wines have balance of tannins and power. The Cabernets and Bordeaux varieties in particular stood out.
In the state's top wines, there is ample concentration of fruit balanced with minerality and a savoury character - the terroir of the state's various AVAs showing through in both the taste and structure. Tannins in Washington can become unruly, but the most talented winemakers use them to build wines of complexity and structure that will age for a decade and more.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for the 39 wines that scored 94 points or above.
| DeLille Cellars, Harrison Hill, Snipes Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 97 | It's an utterly gorgeous wine. Harrison Hill is a bit of an out-of-place vineyard within the Snipes Mountain AVA, sitting among homes and yards in a neighbourhood in the Yakima Valley. Its 61-year-old Cabernet vines, however, create some of the state's most compelling wines year over year. Effusively elegant, Old World aromas of red rose petals and violets blend with sumac, forest floor and tart cranberry. An aroma profile so expressive and fresh, along with the sub-14%abv, is a rarity in Washington State. The palate eschews the 100% new French oak expectation, offering instead so much freshness, verve and bright complexity. Tayberries, sumac, pine bough, and smoked cedar plank mingle with graphite-driven minerals, flint and early-season cherries—one of the top wines of the vintage. Click to see full details | |
| Quilceda Creek, Tchelistecheff Cabernet, Clone 412, Horse Heaven Hills | Washington State | 2020 | 97 | Aromas of sappy blackberry, spice box and dusty cherries leap forward from this bottling of single clone Cabernet from the Mach One Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills. André Tchelistcheff was Quilceda Creek founder Alex Golitizin's uncle, and it was André who advised his nephew to focus on making Cabernet in Washington state. The palate offers plenty of tension, minerality and savoury depth. Fresh berries peek out along with notes of stony minerals, black olives in brine, savoury dried herbs and pine tar. This is a gorgeously complex and nuanced Cabernet that will take on more elegance with age. Click to see full details | |
| Cadence, Camerata, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 96 | A real show of elegance and depth from Ben Smith at Cadence. Notes of black raspberry, ember, dried violets and rose petals introduce this wine: a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The palate is lushly red and black-fruited. It shows those Red Mountain tannins but is so supple and refined. Tangy ripe blackberries, sumac, savoury sage and fennel and an elegant mineral core. Fresh, delicious and absolutely gorgeous wine. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Grand Ciel, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 96 | A showy yet precise 100% Cabernet from Delille's Red Mountain estate site Grand Ciel, planted in 2000. Red florals leap forth backed by whispers of cassia bark, red currant and Montmorency cherries with clove. The palate is marked by dark, ripe raspberry and blackberry flavours, and heady, savoury notes of sumac, clove, and wild fennel carry the wine to a balanced, harmonious marriage of Red Mountain structure and ample freshness. That a wine this youthful offers so much is a testament to the terroir and winemaking of Jason Gorski. Click to see full details | |
| Doubleback, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 96 | This Cabernet from Walla Walla's team of former Quarterback Drew Bledsoe and winemaker Josh McDaniels is an elegantly well-knit wine of substance. Aromas of lavender, violet and pencil lead are backed up by fruit accents provided by red currant and dollops of blackberry jam. The palate is so well integrated already and promises to shed some of its oak influence over time in the bottle. Flavours of soft bramble berries, currant, graphite and bay leaf and flashes of red raspberry with elegant acidity make this wine one of the most readily drinkable of the vintage. Bright and fresh, yet it has the class to go for years. Click to see full details | |
| Quilceda Creek, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 96 | Aromas of dark fruit and sandalwood announce this Cabernet, a blend of 5 clones with 90% coming from the iconic Horse Heaven Hills site of Champoux Vineyards and the remainder from the Quilceda estate vineyard, Mach One perched above the Columbia River. Complementary bright florals deliver a real freshness and balance to the wine's aromatic profile. The palate is a study in balance and nuance, if not finesse. Bright red and black fruits are interplayed against notes of graphite, tomato leaf and refreshing notes of wintergreen. Click to see full details | |
| Trothe, Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills | Washington State | 2020 | 96 | The third release of Trothe's flagship is now at 10 barrels of Clone 8 Cabernet selected from its older 98 and 03 Blocks. A streak of graphite cuts through the dark violet and ripe blackberry aromatics, the palate undeniably fresh despite the wine's ripeness, grip and power. Tangy blackberry and cherry fruits mingle with cedar and pencil shavings. There is undeniable elegance in this wine made in a warm year that is delightful and, hopefully, instructive. Click to see full details | |
| Avennia, Sestina, Columbia Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | Gorgeous. This Cabernet-based blend from some of Washington's top vineyards, including Dionysus, Red Willow and Bacchus, is revelatory. Aromatics of violets, petrichor and wet concrete lead into notes of crushed stone, bay leaf and early-season blackberry. The palate is lush, with fleshy blue and black fruits. There is savoury thyme, crushed flint, and cocoa nibs. Winemaker Chris Peterson has captured a showy elegance with this iteration of Sestina that will last for easily a decade. Click to see full details | |
| Cadence, Bel Canto, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | Bel Canto is Cadence's homage to Red Mountain Cabernet Franc with 27% Merlot blended in. Aromas of black and white pepper, crushed basalt and ripe black cherries mingle alongside purple florals. The acidity of this wine is outrageous. It balances such depth and concentration with an absolute freshness: Gingerbread, red and black currants and loads of savoury herbs. Red Mountain's signature concentration with approachability and freshness are the keystone at Cadence, and it's here in spades. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Marguerite, White Bluffs | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | The preponderance of this wine comes from Sagemoor Block 5, planted in 1978. It's made from 12-16 of the best barrels in each vintage and spends about 12 months more in barrel than the Chaleur Estate Blanc. It's a beautiful wine showing the depth of US Sauvignon Blanc when matured in oak. Aromas of intense cut yellow peaches, honeyed ginger and rich lemongrass give over to a palate of rich grilled pineapple juiciness, honey-drizzled peach, whispers of cardamom and smoky, stony flint minerality. It is a wonderful wine to behold. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Shaw Vineyard Cabernet, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | Delille winemaker Jason Gorski demonstrates a rarer ability to coax finesse from the ripe and sometimes tannically unruly Red Mountain fruit. This Cabernet is another exemplary showing of freshness over brawn. Hints of umami and smoky minerality complement aromas of red fruit and mocha powder. The palate is a harmonious dance of power and balanced freshness. Red and black berry fruits, clove, fig and black liquorice are met with soy-driven notes of umami and crushed stone minerality. Click to see full details | |
| Kevin White Winery, En Hommage, Yakima Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | A gorgeously nuanced Syrah that is brilliantly savoury and floral sourced from Yakima Valley classic vineyards Olsen and Boushey. Aromas of bright blue fruits blend with a blood orange note, and violets mix with hints of crushed stone and dollops of savoury sage. The palate is assertive while remaining elegant. Plenty of tangy brambleberries mix with meaty umami depth predominate. The freshness drives the wine's concentration with an earthen minerality lifted by a delicate kiss of pine bough. This wine shows the beauty of Syrah from the Yakima Valley. Click to see full details | |
| Kevin White Winery, Pionnier Boushey Vineyard, Yakima Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | From the classic Yakima site this GSM is really a GM, 85% Grenache with the remainder being Mourvèdre, Rhône Valley eat your heart out. This wine's aromas are intensely savoury, as notes of garrigue and graphite mingle with dark berry fruits and dried rose petals. The savoury character predominates the palate with anise, white pepper and smoke, setting the scene for candied raspberry, piquant purple berries and generous mineral character flaunting the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Leonetti Cellar, Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | One of Washington's iconic wines year over year, a blend of six estate vineyard sites, and only 82% Cabernet. Floral aromatics of dried rose petals and violets transition to smoky frankincense, crushed stone and bay leaf. A well knit palate of fresh ripe strawberries, mint, crushed stone and tobacco leaf. Streaks of graphite minerality pull you towards the ,finish marked by fresh notes of eucalyptus and green peppercorn. Click to see full details | |
| Leonetti Cellar, Holy Roller, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | The Leonetti single vineyard series looks at a number of their sites around the Walla Walla Valley, Holy Roller is located in the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, on cobblestones, set at 300m in elevation. Aromas of tangy blackberry and mint along with roasted coffee bean and crushed stone. The palate is a blend of bright red fruits and sappy bramble berries, savoury garrigue all in a complex, yet refined texture and mouthfeel. These are wines built to cellar which will only improve with 8 to 10 years of bottle age. Click to see full details | |
| Leonetti Cellar, Loess, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | The Loess Vineyard sits at 335m near the Leonetti winery facility, planted to Bordeaux varieties on silt loam soils. Concentrated dark fruits, clove and Chinese five-spice aromas hint at this wine's depth. A palate of poise and polish, black currant, concentrated blackberry, notes and savoury elements of dried herbs, wild fennel and ember. A long cellaring will continue to coax this wine out over time. Click to see full details | |
| Liminal, High Canyon Series WeatherEye Vineyard Grenache, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | From bush-trained Grenache vines in the High Canyon area of WeatherEye Vineyard. Aromatics of candied blue fruits and blood orange pulp mingle with graphite, crushed basalt and dried violets. The palate is wildly elegant, fresh and loaded with mineral sophistication—a fruit-focused palate with crushed blackberry, hot stone, green peppercorn and blueberry flavours. Ample minerality highlights balance and elegance. Click to see full details | |
| Quilceda Creek, Galitzine Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 8, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | Sage and black liquorice aromatics are met with notes of crushed basalt, a signature of Red Mountain, where the Galitzine Vineyard sits amongst the AVA's royalty in terms of vineyard sites. This is 100% Clone 8 Cabernet. The palate is a delicious melange of red and blue fruits, raspberries and mint, and cocoa nibs lead the wine down a road of depth and complexity balanced with a savoury, herbaceous elegance. Delicious. Click to see full details | |
| Quilceda Creek, Palengat Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 685, Horse Heaven Hills | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | The mono-clone 685 Palengat Cabernet from Quilceda Creek is also from a single vineyard, the Mach One estate site planted on cliffs above the Columbia River. High toned fruit are the hallmarks of clone 685 and this wine delivers. Hints of frankincense aromas alongside deep notes of violet, crushed basalt and pencil lead. Fresh berries predominate the palate, marked by currant, and ripe wild strawberry and underlying tones of blue fruit. There is an overall freshness and balanced brightened by notes of mint and stone driven minerals with a wonderful, milk chocolate finish. Click to see full details | |
| Valdemar Estates, Blue Mountain Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 95 | From the higher elevation Blue Mountain Vineyard in the foothills of Walla Walla's Blue Mountains comes a wine of elegance and freshness. Savoury and umami notes of forest floor, rose petals and violets speak to a wine of depth and beauty. There are gorgeous blue fruit aromatics, wild thyme and flinty notes add a depth of minerality. Deft winemaking has crafted a beautiful example of Washington Syrah. Flavours of clove and spicy gingerbread are offered against fresh anise, crushed black slate and soy. There are sweet blueberries that interplay against the wine's savoury depth, offering outstanding balance. Click to see full details | |
| Abeja, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | This Cabernet bottling, sourced from throughout the Columbia Valley contains 18% Merlot the two varieties come together with just a whisper of Petit Verdot to craft a delicious, savoury Washington Cabernet. Aromas of pencil lead, bramble fruits and leather finish with a kiss of wintergreen. The palate is soft and flashes elegance with ample structure and a richness that retains its fresh fruit character. Bramble berries, black plums and mocha dust are met with sage, white pepper and bay leaf. The finish flashes crushed slate, graphite and a mineral undertone. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Chaleur Estate, Yakima Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | From two iconic Washington vineyards, Dubrul Vineyard in the Yakima Valley and Red Mountain's Ciel du Cheval comes a wine of classic stature. Aromas of dried violet, white pepper and black fruits. The palate is a show elegance married to depth of rich fruit. Flavours of red and blue berries are augmented by sweet cherry flesh, savoury notes of umami peek in and are accented by hints of pine sap, and a very pretty mineral finish. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Chaleur Estate Blanc, Columbia Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | This white Bordeaux styled blend is a Washington state icon, consistently delivering perhaps the best white wine in the state year over year. Rich aromas of smoky grilled pineapple, and lemon pith are accentuated by notes of petrichor. The palate offers notes of lemon curd, crushed river stone, streaks of juicy tropical fruit, and soaringly beautiful acidity, which balances the depth and concentration in this wine. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Four Flags Cabernet, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | A Cabernet blended from four different Red Mountain sites, Upchurch Vineyard, Grand Ciel, Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval. Lovely blue and black berry fruit notes, dark violets and hints of smoked cedar plank. The palate flashy dusty cherries, crushed basalt mineral and espresso bean flavours with a mineral undertone and well developed tannin. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Le Colosse, Yakima Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | This wine hails from a number of Yakima Valley's top sites, including Red Willow, Dubrul Vineyard, Boushey and the Delille estate site, Harrison Hill. With aromas of spiced plum, blue violets and clove, this Merlot shines with genuine elegance. A palate chock full of blueberry fruits and Christmas spice, the 70% new oak certainly shows itself but melds wonderfully with notes of savoury herb, anise, and wild fennel. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Red Willow, Yakima Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | A Cabernet Franc dominant blend from the long standing Washington state icon, Red Willow Vineyard, offering loads of savoury goodness. Whispers of dried violets marry with savoury desert sage, roasted hatch pepper and aromas of mixed mountain berries. The palate shows elegance and longevity. Soft, supple blue fruits and ample savoury nuance come from the Cabernet Franc. Blackberries ripe cherry flesh are marked by bay leaf, eucalyptus and streaks of graphite. Click to see full details | |
| DeLille Cellars, Signature Syrah, Yakima Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | The Signature Syrah shows a real floral quality with violets, savoury desert herbs and brilliant fresh fruit aromatics backed by hints of briny salinity. The palate is marked with a real depth, soy-based umami, black olives in brine, sumac and blue fruits dance paste savoury dried herbs and streaks of graphite offer ample minerality. This is a wonderful Syrah demonstrative of the complexity Washington offers in this variety. Click to see full details | |
| Doubleback, Estate Reserve, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | In their limited Estate Reserve Doubleback overs a deeply complex bottling from two Walla Walla estate sites. Aromatics of iron shavings, bay leaf and desert sage come together sappy blackberry fruit. The palate is shows plenty of savoury herbaceous character. There is a core of dark fruit with layers of dessert scrub, eucalyptus and petrichor. Espresso bean and cocoa nibs carry this wine into its well-structured finish. Click to see full details | |
| Figgins Family, Estate Red WIne, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | From the Figgins estate vineyard in the Northeastern part of the Walla Walla Valley comes a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot that shows a real elegance to match its substantial structure. Lavender and violet aromatics followed on by crushed stone, white pepper, savoury herbs and a touch of wood smoke. The palate is supple and refined. Juicy red and blue berry fruits, bay leaf, graphite and an array of purple florals finish a stunning wine. Click to see full details | |
| Kevin White Winery, Heritage, Yakima Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | Dubrul Vineyard, planted in 1992 on a rocky site in the Yakima Valley, is the estate vineyard for the winery Côte Bonneville. Dialled in on harmony and elegance, this Cabernet dominant blend with 25% Merlot is a masterclass in balance—aromas of violets, sweet bing cherry flesh and faint notes of wild fennel and pencil lead. The palate is a show of elegance with ample bright notes of red currant and ripe strawberries mingling with a dash of balsamic-inspired umami. Notes of dark cacao and a streak of mineral graphite across the finish. A wonderful expression of Washington Cabernet that leans into freshness. Click to see full details | |
| Kevin White Winery, La Fraternité, Yakima Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | A beautiful GSM blend coming from some of the state's top vineyard sites including Boushey and Upland Estates. Fruit forward aromatic notes of boysenberry, early season blackberry, rosemary flowers and a kiss of fresh mint. The palate shows great savoury character. Sage, wild fennel and graphite transition to plenty of blue and black fruits. Fresh smashed blackberries, sweet, juicy bing cherry flesh are backed by hints of sumac leaving a very long finish. Kevin White makes some of Washington's most consistently balanced wines that deliver freshness and complexity, and they are priced so well. Click to see full details | |
| L'Ecole No 41, Ferguson, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | A wine of structure from the Ferguson Vineyard and Walla Walla's iconic L'Ecole No 41 shows ample tannin and savoury, yet full bodied character. Aromas of dried violets, fig and blackberry compote meld with savoury herbs and whiffs of stone driven minerals. The palate shows bay leaf and eucalyptus underlining stewed blue fruits, barrel spice and pencil lead. This wine definitely needs time to come into itself. Click to see full details | |
| Leonetti Cellar, Mill Creek Upland, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | In the foothills of the Blue Mountains the Mill Creek Upland vineyard sits at 485m on south facing slope. Dark and brooding, with concentrated and dark plum fruits with notes of smoke, crushed stone and Mediterranean scrub. The palate is a melange of opulence, spiced black plum, cloves, frankincense, finishes with stony minerality and black pepper notes. Built for the long haul these wines are best approached in a few years and should be decanted for immediate enjoyment. Click to see full details | |
| Leonetti Cellar, Reserve, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | A blend of four vineyard sources from the Leonetti estate holdings, with 83% Cabernet and the remainder, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Aromas of nutmeg, Christmas spice and wood smoke offer ample spice to dark fruit notes of spiced plum, fig and ripe cherries. The palate is framed by bay leaf and eucalyptus offering red and black berries, mocha powder and whispers of sumac and black tea. Click to see full details | |
| Leonetti Cellar, Serra Pedace, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | A savoury Cabernet coming from a 425m Serra Pedace site planted to Cabernet and Aglianico on shallow, rocky soils. Aromas of bay leaf, white pepper and waves of mocha powder give way to dark fruits and smoked cedar plank on this finely knit Cabernet. The palate is slightly austere in its youth, with smoky, meaty notes of burnt ends, Chinese five spice and blackberry compote. The palate is loaded with dusty, grippy tannin, offering waves of black fruit, finishing with crushed stone and eucalyptus. Click to see full details | |
| Liminal, High Canyon Series WeatherEye Vineyard Syrah, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | The High Canyon site delivers an intensely opaque Syrah co-fermented with Viognier and sees no new oak. The wine blends depth and inky black fruit ripeness with savoury herbs, charred meat and mineral aromatics. Dark Damson plum flavours, clove, and black olive tapenade deliver savoury character alongside blackened meat notes and balance the 15% abv. Click to see full details | |
| Valdemar Estates, Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | Lifted and elegant, this Cabernet from Walla Walla Valley is steeped in floral and savoury aromatics of stone, earth and violets with backing hints of tea leaf and streaks of graphite. Wonderfully textured with rich complexity on the palate as pungent pepper, dried desert herbs and wild anise turn over towards concentrated dark fruits, and a core of graphite-led minerality finishing with a bright bing cherry note. Click to see full details | |
| Valdemar Estates, Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | A marvelously elegant and balanced Cabernet sourced from the typically ripe site on Red Mountain, Klipsun Vineyard. Savoury herbs open to turned earth minerality and concentrated red fruits. The palate opens to mineral notes of dusty gravel, streaks of graphite, smoke and bay leaf savouriness. There is a core of baking chocolate, pepper and ripe fig to finish. Click to see full details | |
| Valdemar Estates, Klipsun Vineyard Syrah, Red Mountain | Washington State | 2020 | 94 | Rich red rose and violet aromas are given over to crushed stone and hints of white pepper aromatics from this concentrated yet undeniably fresh Syrah from Red Mountain's Klipsun Vineyard. The palate shows real polish with notes of ripe red and black berry fruits, chewy tannins offer notes of cocoa nib and bay leaf, tobacco and a eucalyptus and peppery finish. This wine is exemplary in its balance of richness with nuance and elegance. Click to see full details |