Washington state wines make annual best-of list

Washington wine continues to ascend the ladder of international prestige, reaching another rung this week when Wine Spectator magazine placed a Washington vintage atop its annual list of the world's best wines for the first time.

The top honor for 2009 went to Columbia Crest Winery's 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a bottle that cost just $27.

Washington wines earned nine spots on the top-100 list, more than ever, according to the Washington Wine Commission. The next-highest ranked for the state was No. 26, a 2006 syrah from Cayuse Vineyards' Cailloux Vineyard that cost $65.

California wines had 21 spots on the list, and France had 17.

The Columbia Crest vintage sold out quickly after the magazine gave it a 95-point score earlier this year.

But the new honor has prompted Ste. Michelle Wine Estates of Woodinville, the state's largest wine company and owner of Columbia Crest, to release a limited quantity from its library.

The price has not been set, but it likely will be higher, said Ste. Michelle spokeswoman Erin Shane. The winery also hasn't decided which restaurants and wine shops will receive the bottles.

"This is a historic moment for Columbia Crest and for all wineries in Washington," Ste. Michelle CEO Ted Baseler said.

Columbia Crest, in Paterson, Benton County, is one of Washington's largest wineries, producing more than 25 million bottles in 2008, most of it cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and merlot. Its winemaker is Ray Einberger.

Wine Spectator said it focused on value this year, culling the list from reviews it did of 17,000 wines over the past year. The average bottle price was $40.

The last time Washington made a splash in wine rankings was 2006, when two vintages by Quilceda Creek Vintners in Snohomish received perfect scores of 100 from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. The publication had given such scores to only 15 other U.S. wines, all of them from California.

Melissa Allison: 206-464-3312 or mallison@seattletimes.com