What makes a particular wine a “top” wine? Taste? Availability? Aging potential? Price? Dare I say advertising dollars? And what makes one source more or less credible than the next? Everybody tastes wine differently, and every palate is unique, right? The best way is to graze over multiple lists and find wines that most interests you. Over time, you may find that your palate is more synonymous with one publication or another. With numerous top lists revealed in December, I thought it would be great to give readers the lowdown on many of the wines featured in Top 100 lists from national publications Wine Spectator (ws) and Wine Enthusiast (we) as well as our local expert, Paul Gregutt (pg). Wines featured in this column can be found at Leschi Market.

Buy Now! – On the pricier side, more limited, but well worth the find.

#1: 2006 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo $50. A preorder in October that paid off! #1! Leschi Market was lucky to receive several cases, though this won’t be around for long. 94 points (we)
#7: 2009 Poet’s Leap Riesling $18. Perennial Leschi favorite, locally produced by Long Shadows, with a long lingering dry finish. 95 points (we)
#8 & #29: 2009 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay $35. No surprise that this made both lists. Great balance of citrus and toast. 96 points (pg) & (we)
#25 2007 Ruffino Toscana Modus $35. Actually set to arrive January 2011 sometime. 96 points (ws)
#40 2008 Buty Semillon-Sauvignon-Muscadelle $23. A true Walla Walla beauty. 95 points (we)
#55 2009 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love $83. Three bottles existed at the market of this highly sought after Aussie. 94 points (ws)
#67 2007 Syzygy Syrah $30. Stellar vintage for the state of Washington and one of the more reasonably priced syrahs as well. 92 points (pg)
#89 2008 Rotie Cellars Southern Red Blend $32. Newer boutique winery out of Walla Walla serving up delicious Rhone styled blends. 91 points (pg)

Enjoyable Everyday Wines – Great supply and great prices.

#44 2006 Bodegas Lan Rioja Crianza $12. 90 points (ws)
#48 NV Mumm Napa Brut Napa Valley Prestige $20. 90 points (ws)
#49 2008 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red $15. 90 points (ws)
#74 2008 Durigutti Malbec Mendoza $15. 90 points (ws)
#75 2008 A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir $20. 90 points (ws)
#88 2009 St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone $15. 90 points (ws)
#98 2009 Willow Crest Pinot Gris $10. 90 points (pg)
#100 2009 Thurston Wolfe PGV White $15. 90 points (pg)

Forget About It – Long has the ship sailed on these, but worth looking into upon next release.

#1 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles $90. Eagerly waiting for 2009. The 2007 vintage never made it to Seattle while a whopping 6 bottles of 2008 were sent. 98 points (ws)
#19 & #82 2009 Dowsett Family Celilo Vineyard Gewurztraminer $19. Sold out November 2010. 94 points (pg) & (we)
#99 2009 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose $30. Sold out June 2010. 91 points (ws)

For complete listings of each “Top 100,” I encourage readers to visit: www.WineSpectator.com, www.WineEnthusiast.com, www.PaulGregutt.com
CHEERS! ENJOY!

Kenneth Benner, a Seattle area native, is a trained chef and has worked in such restaurants as Barbacoa, B.O.K.A. Kitchen + Bar, and Dahlia Lounge. Ken is a wine buyer at Leschi Market. He has a passion for learning, a meticulous palate, and a tenacity for searching out the best for his customers while offering some of the most highly coveted wines in the area. His monthly column is intended to inspire and explore new choices in wine, learn about wine with his readers, and share his knowledge and experiences in the wine world. Check out the latest at www.LeschiMarket.com or request to be added to email updates or send questions, comments, or suggestions to leschimarketwine@aol.com and follow the wine department directly on twitter at twitter.com/leschimarket.

Ken Benner wine wine picks