San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition winners
More than 5,700 wines from 1,000 wineries in the U.S., Canada and Mexico were entered into the 2024 competition. Out of this enormous field of entries, the following wines stood out to be declared the best of the best, receiving the prestigious Sweepstake award. Included with each Sweepstake winner are tasting notes by longtime wine writer Mike Dunne. To read about the Best of Class winners, go to page U30 for more tasting notes.
Sparkling Sweepstake Winner
Chandon
Blanc de Pinot Noir, California, $27
Of nearly 200 sparkling wines evaluated, Domaine Chandon’s blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier won Sweepstake honors on the power of its perfume, precision, presence and persistence. This was the second straight year for Chandon to win the honor.
White Sweepstake Winner
Annadel Estate Winery
2022 Reserve Chardonnay Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, Calif., $58
Rugged, isolated and chilly, Gap’s Crown Vineyard gives up its fruit grudgingly, but the reward for diligent husbandry is a centered Chardonnay sprightly in its expressions of tropical and citric fruit.
White Sweepstake Winner
Las Positas Vineyards 2023 Verdelho, Livermore Valley, Calif., $42
Verdelho is as comfortable at home in Livermore Valley as it is on the Iberian peninsula, to judge by this aromatic, angular and biting take from Las Positas, reaffirming Livermore’s historic reputation for finely chiseled whites.
Rosé Sweepstake Winner
The Four Graces
2022 Rosé Wine, Willamette Valley, Ore., $20.99
Nearly 240 rosés were in the competition with judges concurring that the best of that big batch was the deeply colored Four Graces, a Pinot Noir with forward fruit, broad build, herbal thread, peppery spice and edgy acidity.
Red Sweepstake Winner
Cooper Vineyards
2021 Barbera, Amador County, Calif., $33
For its sweet cherry/berry fruit, hefty body, sound oak, resonating warmth (15 percent alcohol) and amiability at the table, the Cooper Barbera topped 3,600 entries to win red wine Sweepstake honors.
of all the Best of Class, double gold, gold, silver and bronze awards, go to page U32 and visit winejudging.com.
Specialty Sweepstake Winner
Cinquain Cellars
2013 Touriga & Tinto Cao Dessert Wine Nagengast Estate Vineyard, Paso Robles, Calif., $100
Don’t bother with the customary blue cheese, this Port-inspired dessert wine has drama and substance enough on its own. It’s nutty, syrupy, smoky and delightfully sticky.
Specialty Sweepstake Winner
Arrington Vineyards
2022 Sweet Gewurztraminer
Honeysuckle American, Tennessee, $25
The wine may be called “Honeysuckle,” but there’s not a flower in it. In its mass and brass, it possesses all the floral, fruity and spicy elements that possibly can be squeezed from Gewurztraminer.
Packaging Sweepstake Winner
Blair Estate
2020 Muscat Ottonel, Arroyo Seco, Calif., $75