Quilceda Creek

Quilceda Creek
Cabernet Sauvignon
Washington 2003
95 / $85
Washington
3,400 cases made

Quilceda Creek has a track record of outstanding Cabernets. The wines have gotten even better since owner Alex Golitzin passed on the winemaking duties to his son, Paul. In 2003, Paul sourced more grapes from Champoux Vineyard and less from Red Mountain. As a result, the wine has silkier tannins and impeccable harmony, while retaining its seamless, pure fruit.Source : http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Free/Top100-Wine/0,4614,2,00.html

Chateau Leoville Barton St. Julien 2003

Chateau Leoville Barton
St.-Julien 2003
98 / $75
Bordeaux
18,330 cases made

In 2003, Anthony Barton made his greatest wine ever from this second-growth in St.-Julien. Barton’s family purchased the estate in 1826; today, its 111 acres of vines consist of 72 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wines are fermented in temperature-controlled wooden vats and aged for 18 to 20 months in up to 60 percent new French oak. Read more

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 2003

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée
Réservée 2003
97 / $70
Rhône
5,830 cases made

Laurence Féraud established the domaine in 1987 with her father, Paul; today they run it with her partner, Mark Fincham. The 2003 Cuvée Réservée mixes 80 percent Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre and other varieties. Despite the wildly hot 2003 vintage, the family harvested late, and rain in mid-September allowed their grapes to reach full ripeness while maintaining acidity.

Source : http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Free/Top100-Wine/0,4614,5,00.html

Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 2003

Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Sauternes 2003
97 / $45
Bordeaux
6,520 cases made

Lafaurie-Peyraguey has produced some of Sauternes’ most powerful wines for more than two decades. The 2003 is no exception—Bordeaux’s hottest summer on record produced a full-bodied dessert wine with incredibly intense apricot and honey aromas. To achieve that concentration, the château uses more than 90 percent Sémillon, planted on 100 acres of gravel. Read more

Kongsgaard - Chardonnay Napa Valley 2003

Kongsgaard

Chardonnay
Napa Valley 2003
97 / $75
California
1,200 cases made

John Kongsgaard launched his own Chardonnay and Syrah brand in 1996, after 20 years as a winemaker for other Napa Valley producers. The grapes come primarily from his shy-bearing, 10-acre family vineyard in Napa, but are supplemented with grapes from Carneros and St. Helena. The wines are unfined and unfiltered, adding to their intensity and rich texture.

Read more