2 Others wines have ever been awarded 98 points. 1968 Unico and 1996 Chateau Margaux. A domestic white has joined this elite company. NO I am not James Suckling where one out of thirty wines are 98. This is very difficult for me to give a wine 97 let allow 98. Here we go and almost 100% wine of the year for 3 Day.

  • 2022 Abbott Claim Chardonnay Temperance Hill Vineyard – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola – Amity Hills (11/28/2025)
    Day 1: On the pop and pour the nose was off the charts/palate ok. Nose was 98 and the palate was 90. Well once this got to room temperature how the game has changed. This is for sure top 3 if not wine of he year. By landslide wine of the tasting. Electric nose with match stick, wood, minerals, dust, wet stone, orange peel and sour apple. At room temperature the palate matched the nose. One of the best domestic Chardonnays. I have ever tasted. 97.5 points
    Day 2: Served at room temperature again and wow! These are such electric wines that give me shivers. Matchstick, gun powder, tangerine, wood, minerals, wet stones, golden delicious apples and white flowers. Long finish and just a joy to drink. This is not quite at 98 but really close. 97.75 points
    Day 3: Surreal wine with shells, match stick, lemon, wood, spices, sour apple, minerals, wet stones, orange peel, tangerines, earth, white flowers and pear. Long finish and laser focused acidity. This just got the .25 points it needed and is now the highest rated white wine I have ever tasted. 98 points
    Recommendation: YES! (98 points)

Peay makes some tasting wines in the traditional style. No over the top extracted fruit, no mega purple on the Pinots like Belle Glos and just very drinkable wines. Another star.

  • 2019 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard – USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (11/25/2025)
    Day 1: Natural cork. Outstanding Pinot and don’t tell me Cali doesn’t make elegant wines that rival Oregon or Burgundy as this does. Strawberries, minerals, dust, twigs, rose petals, earth and mushrooms. One of the more balanced Pinots I have tasted this year. Outstanding auction purchase. 94 points
    Day 2: What a fantastic Pinot. Top 10 of the year for sure. Strawberry, minerals, chalk, mushrooms, rose petals, soy, earth and dust. Medium plus finish. 94.5 points
    Day 3: Electric wine bursting with nice fruit featuring strawberries, sour cherry and cranberry. Celery, soy, rose petals, earth, mushrooms, dust and a nice minerality streak. Balanced/nice acidity/long finish. Not much better out of California in this price range. 95 points
    Recommendation: This is a must buy for anyone who thinks California can’t make a better Pinot than Burgundy for the money. (95 points)

Well last year I was lucky to visit Elephant Seven one last time. I think I was in their tasting foom in Walla Walla five total times. Great people and great wines. Well this is for sure a top 20 wine of the year especially factoring in the price of $40 via WineBid.

  • 2016 Elephant Seven Syrah Yellow Bird Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (11/6/2025)
    Day 1: Natural cork. Via auction. Ok had this before but this bottle off the charts for $35 round trip pricing. Rich dark fruits, iodine, white pepper, spices, rocks and black olives. This is big, bold and beautiful. What a great auction purchase. 95 points
    Day 2: Holding form. One of my top 10 wine surprises of 2025 with white pepper, crushed rock, blue currants, iodine, black olives, red flowers and exotic spices. What an amazing wine. Top 20 candidate for sure. 95.5 points
    Day 3: Rocking and top 20 wine of the year at any price point. I should have saved this for an under $50 tasting coming up as it would have easily won first. White pepper, dried olives, blue currants, smoke, exotic spices, blue currants, iodine, dust and rocks. Super concentration and long finish. A masterpiece and sad to see Elephant Seven no longer in business. 96 points
    Recommendation: Please don’t outbid me on auction. (96 points)

Well when I started the Wines Promoted in 2025 I never thought a domestic Rose would make the list but it has. On Facebook I said there are not great Rose wines from California (at least I never tasted one). Well Adam Lee challenged me and I am glad he did. This is the best domestic Rose I have ever tasted which does not include the sparkling category.

  • 2024 Morét-Brealynn Rosé of Pinot Noir – USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (10/23/2025)
    Day 1: Outstanding quality with nice acidity. Strawberries, watermelon, spice, dust, rose petals and stone. Very complex for a Rose and I drink them at room temperature and this is outstanding quality. Yes sir! 91+
    Day 2: Even better. Drinking these around 65 degrees. Full flavor of course. Chery, watermelon, spice, rose petals, stone, strawberries and dust. Medium plus finish and this drinks well on its own so a serious wine for sure. Nice acidity. 92 points
    Day 3: Excellent and holding form of the quality of day 2. Love the fruit featuring cherry, watermelon and strawberries. Nice acidity and also features rose petals, stone, dust and some earth. Medium finish. 92 points
    Recommendation: Highly recommended. For me to give a domestic Rose 90 is tough but this is better than that. (92 points)

The best value at the Haskell’s Sale at $29.99 which is part of the buy one get one free but you will want more than 2 for sure. Outstanding quality.

  • 2020 Torbreck Shiraz The Struie – Australia, South Australia, Barossa (10/8/2025)
    Day 1: Wow wine for $30 on sale. Brings me back to the early 2000s with these wines. Black pepper, spice, sawdust, soy, black currants, funk and minerals. Very complex offering. Will be buying a case for sure. 94 points
    Day 2: Blackberries, spices, tar, soy, menthol, Eucalyptus, spices, black pepper, minerals and dark cherry. Super complex wine and medium to long finish. 94 points
    Day 3: Holding form and will age for 20 years. Bigger style but excellent. 94 points
    Recommendation: No brainer from Haskell’s at $29.99. (94 points)

Well we got two more last night. Thank you Jason for one of them and throwing in the 2004 Two Hands!

  • 2018 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series – Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River (10/11/2025)
    Aussie, Aussie Aussie Part 2 at Lori’s (Lori’s House Twin Cities): Day 1: Electric Chardonnay with lemon, spice, wood, grapefruit, tropical fruit, stone and white flowers. Outstanding effort. 94+
    Day 1:25: So had this at the end of the tasting and off the charts. Warmer serving temperature and much better. Needed some air and it delivered. Stone, tropical fruit, wood, spice, white flowers, dust, orange peel, lemon, minerals and vibrant acidity. Just changed and improved and really hard to describe how great this evolution was. One of the best Chardonnay’s I have tasted all year and had a lot of great ones. This will cellar for 15 plus years. 97 points (97 points)