San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition winners
More than 6,800 wines from 37 states and wine regions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico were entered into the 2019 competition. Out of this enormous field of entries, the following wines stood out to be declared the best of the best, receiving the prestigious American AgCredit Sweepstake award. Included with each sweepstakes winner are tasting notes by Mike Dunne, contributing wine writer to the Sacramento Bee. Goose Watch Winery NV Finger Lakes Brut Rose, Rumulas, N.Y. Trump Winery 2014 Monticello Méthode Champenoise Blanc de Blanc, Charlottesville, Va.
From a field of 23 candidates, the Trump stood out for its fine color, precise beads, boldness and persistence. Its citric fruit was buoyed by snappy acidity and complicated with a yeastiness more often identified with Champagne than American sparkling wine.
“Goose Watch,” “Finger Lakes,” “Pinot Noir” and all the rest of this sparkling wine’s long name each evoke images of nobility, endurance and excitement, and those same characteristics are realized in the glass when the wine is poured. This sparkler is simply beautiful, from its bright pink robe through its restrained boldness to its crisp finish. Castello di Amorosa 2017 Napa Valley Reserve Chardonnay, Calistoga, Calif.
A sunny and solid chardonnay that stands out for the clarity of its ripe fruit, zesty acidity, tapping spice and evocation of crème brulee and pears in its persistent finish. Turkovich Family Wines 2018 Yolo County Rosa of Grenache, Winters, Calif.
In the clarity and brilliance of its color, the allure of its fragrance and the honesty of its fruity flavor, this is a rose that could lead to a stampede among vintners to round up all the grenache they can find in Yolo County. Los Positas Vineyards 2016 Livermore Valley Estate Malbec, Livermore, Calif.
The vineyard to produce this vivid malbec must have been planted on soil brought to Livermore Valley from Cahors in France, malbec’s historic home, where the variety continues to generate exceptional wines. Nonetheless, for character, fine-line complexity and a vigorous, well-balanced finish, Cahors has met a worthy competitor in this wine. St. Anne’s Crossing 2016 Dry Creek Valley The Ranch Zinfandel, Kenwood, Calif.
If you don’t want zinfandel’s representative jammy boysenberry fruit, sweetness and oak in your zinfandel, move on. This has so much of all that that you will want to belly up to the tasting counter with a forklift to help with the lifting. 4R Ranch Vineyards & Winery 2017 Texas Nectar Nero Rose, Muenster, Texas
A truly original dessert wine for its distinctive floral aroma, smooth texture, lush fruit and seamless integration of sugar and acid. The hummingbird of the label speaks for all of us as we flock to this feeder. Prager Winery and Port Works Napa Valley 10 Year Old Tawny Port Noble Companion, St Helena, Calif.
Few wines are as aptly named as this, with “Noble Companion” apparently referring to the wine’s warm and generous fruit, bouquet of roses and bowl of welcoming nuts. Sit down with a fellow noble companion and start sipping, nibbling and chatting. The night can’t help but be a winner. Bonterra Organic Vineyards 2016 California Equinox Red Label Winner, Hopland, Calif.