The World’s Top Red Wines 2022 San Francisco International Wine Competition

The San Francisco Worldwide Wine Competitors (SFIWC) is likely one of the world’s most vital wine competitions.

Based in 1980, the SFIWC is now in its forty second 12 months. It’s the oldest American wine competitors and among the many most prestigious.

The competitors is sponsored by the Tasting Alliance (TA), the dad or mum group of the equally famend San Francisco World Spirits Competitors, the New York World Wine Competitors, the New York World Spirits Competitors, and the Singapore World Spirits Competitors. This 12 months TA introduced the addition of latest competitions overlaying beer and RTD cocktails.

This 12 months greater than 30 judges gathered in San Francisco from November 9 – 12 to guage and rating roughly 3,000 wines from world wide. Roughly 65% of the wines have been from North America, and the steadiness was from world wide.

Beneath are the highest winners and the official tasting notes of the top-ranked crimson wines. See this hyperlink for the outcomes and tasting notes for the top-ranked white wines.

The Greatest in Present Pink Wine, which additionally took prime honors as Greatest Grenache, was V. Sattui Vineyard 2020 Grenache, Napa Valley, California. At a listing worth of $39, it’s additionally an unbelievable discount.

The official SFIWC tasting notice described it as:

Vivid crimson fruits with a contact of mocha, some spice, and a little bit of white pepper on the nostril. A medium-bodied wine with a notable however well-ripened tannic spine, brisk acidity, and an extended, lingering crimson fruit end.

The Greatest Total Rosé, in addition to Greatest Rosé Mix, was Becker Vineyards 2021 Rosé, Provençal (Dry Rosé), Texas, USA, $25. This 12 months’s competitors noticed a big enhance within the variety of entries from Texas. Many ranked among the many competitors’s top-scoring wines.

The Judging Panel described the rosé as exhibiting:

Floral aromas with distinctive rose petal notes on the nostril, accompanied by minerality and a touch of savoriness. The palate has notable crimson fruit and an extended, tangy, fruity end.

The Greatest Cabernet Sauvignon was Herzog Particular Reserve 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, USA, $48. The judging panel described it as exhibiting:

Fragrant and floral, with ripe darkish fruit notes and a touch of cassis on the nostril. The wine is lush and fruity on the palate, with ripe tannins, reasonable acidity, and an extended, brilliant, fruity end.

In Cabernet Shiraz blends, the top-scoring wine was Jip Jip Rocks 2021 Cabernet/Shiraz, South Australia, Padthaway, Australia, $16. An unbelievable discount contemplating that this wine can typically be discovered for round $10 a bottle. The official SFIWC tasting notice described it as:

Wealthy darkish fruit and earth notes, with spicy aromas of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg on the nostril. A full-bodied wine that includes a ripe tannic spine, reasonable + acidity, and an extended end.

The Greatest Premium Bordeaux Mix > $25, was J. Lohr 2018 Premium Bordeaux Mix, Cuvée St. E, Paso Robles, USA, $50. The judges described it as:

Darkish fruit with a touch of prune and savory spices on the nostril. Barely jammy and full-bodied on the palate, with ripe tannins, reasonable+ acidity, and an extended, fruity end.

The Greatest Premium Non-Bordeaux Mix >$25 was the Gianelli Vineyards 2019 Pink Mix, Nino, Tuolumne, USA, $32. The official SFIWC tasting notice described it as:

Pink fruit with distinctive strawberry notes. It’s energetic on the palate, barely drying, with ripe tannins, brisk acidity, and an extended, juicy, ripe crimson fruit end.

The Greatest Bordeaux Mix < $25 was the BOXT NV 72% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, California, USA, $16.

The Judging Panel described the wine as exhibiting:

Pink and black fruit, with a particular crimson currant notice and a contact of earthy white pepper on the nostril. Juicy on the palate, with well-integrated ripe tannins, reasonable+ acidity, and an extended, fruity end.

Prime honors for Greatest Non-Bordeaux Mix <$25 went to Freakshow 2020 Pink Mix, Lodi, USA, $20. The official tasting notice described the wine as exhibiting:

Very fruity, with ripe crimson and black fruit and prune notes on the nostril. The wine is lush on the palate, with a noticeable weight, and options very ripe tannins, brisk acidity, and an extended, nuanced, fruity end.

At a listing worth of $20, it’s an unbelievable worth and might usually be discovered priced within the mid to excessive teenagers.

The Greatest Cabernet Franc was the Thirty-Seven 2018 Cabernet Franc, Reserve, Petaluma Hole, USA, $48. The Judging Panel described the wine as that includes:

Darkish fruit and natural aromas on the nostril. Pronounced however ripe tannins, brisk acidity, and darkish fruit flavors on the palate. It has an extended, fruity, tangy end with a contact of minerality.

The Greatest Merlot was Black Field Wines 2020 Merlot, California, USA, $20. This wine beat scores of far better-known, premium-priced wines to take the highest honor. The judges described the Merlot as exhibiting:

Black fruit, earthy, dusty, with a contact of graphite and a touch of darkish chocolate on the nostril. The wine is wealthy, medium to full-bodied, with a pronounced palate weight and a clean texture. It options medium tannins, reasonable acidity, and an extended, juicy end.

The Greatest Petite Sirah was Messina Hof Vineyard 2020 Petite Sirah, Personal Reserve, Texas Excessive Plains, USA, $25.

The official tasting notice described the wine as:

Pink fruits, earth, and a contact of chili pepper on the nostril. Lush and full-bodied on the palate, with ripe however barely drying tannins, brisk acidity, and an extended, crimson fruit end.

The Greatest Shiraz, not surprisingly, was Australian: Mockingbird Hill 2020 Shiraz, Dr. JWD Bain, Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia, $26.

The official SFIWC tasting notice described the Shiraz as:

Wealthy, lush, crimson, and black fruits with explosive aromas of raspberry and blackberry on the nostril. Full-bodied, with a pronounced, well-ripened tannic spine, brisk acidity, and a really lengthy, highly effective, layered, and nuanced fruity end.

The highest-ranked Pinot Noir was Moreover 2019 Pinot Noir, Single Winery, Starbridge Winery, Sonoma Coast, USA, $75.

The Judging Panel described the wine as

Pronounced crimson fruit on the nostril, together with spicy and cinnamon overtones. Vigorous vibrant crimson fruit and earthy notes on the palate with a well-integrated tannic spine and reasonable acidity. The wine has a medium end with lingering crimson fruit notes.

Amongst Italian varietal wines, Mountain Brook Vineyards 2020 Nebbiolo, Virginia, USA, $40 took the highest prize for Nebbiolo wines. Virginia wineries are quickly gaining a wonderful status for excellent wines and appear notably adept with Italian wine varietals.

Helwig Vineyard 2020 Barbera, Gold Nation, Amador County, USA, $18. Took the award for Greatest Barbera.

The highest award for Sangiovese blends went to Maryhill Vineyard 2019 Tavolo Rosso, Proprietor’s Reserve, Columbia Valley, USA, $42.

The Judging Panel described the Sangiovese as:

Pink fruits with slight mocha and a contact of natural notes. Drying on the palate, exhibiting ripe tannins, brisk acidity, and an extended, lingering, crimson fruit end.

Cellardoor Vineyard 2019 Teroldego, American, USA, $22, took the highest prize for Greatest Different Italian Pink. The official tasting notice described the wine as:

Floral and barely earthy, with tangy crimson fruit on the nostril. The wine is full-bodied and really barely drying on the palate with ripe tannins, brisk acidity, and an extended, crimson fruit end with only a contact of earthiness.

The Greatest Pink Rhône Varietals Mix was Reality Teller 2020 Pink Rhône Mix, The Miscreant Mission GobSMack’d, 54% Sugarloaf, 46% Double River, Columbia Valley, USA, $19. The official tasting notice learn:

Pink and black fruit, and black pepper on the nostril. This can be a chewy full-bodied crimson wine and exhibits a pronounced palate weight. It includes a well-ripened tannic spine, reasonable+ acidity, and an extended, fruity end.

The highest scoring Mourvèdre was Flying Suitcase Wines 2019 Mourvèdre, Amador County, USA, $35. The highest Petit Verdot was its sister wine, Flying Suitcase Wines 2019 Petit Verdot, Russian River Valley, USA, $45.

The Greatest Spanish, Portuguese, Argentine Pink Varietal was Demencia de Autor 2018 Mencia, DO Bierzo, Spain, $26, whereas the top-ranked Tempranillo was Landon Vineyard 2019 Tempranillo, Reserve, Texas Excessive Plains, USA, $30.

The official SFIWC tasting notice described the Tempranillo as:

Pink and darkish fruit notes, particularly blueberry, and earthy aromas. The wine is full-bodied, with a ripe, well-integrated, well-rounded tannic spine and reasonable+ acidity. It has an extended end of lingering crimson fruit notes and a contact of chocolate.

The Greatest Zinfandel was the Harney Lane 2020 Zinfandel, Scottsdale Winery, Lodi, USA, $40.

The Judging Panel described the wine as exhibiting:

Very ripe, jammy crimson and black fruits. A lush, full-bodied wine with a considerable palate weight, a pronounced however well-integrated tannic spine, reasonable acidity, and a beneficiant, long-lasting end of crimson and black fruit.

The highest-ranked Hybrid Pink Varietal was the St. James Vineyard NV Rougeon, Friendship College Rose, Ozark Highlands, USA, $14. The time period hybrid means the grapes are a cross between native American grape varieties and European vinifera varieties.

The Greatest Different Pink Varietal was Bending Department Vineyard 2019 Tannat, Misplaced Pirogue Vineyards, Texas Hill Nation, USA, $65. Tannat is an uncommon grape selection. In its native France, it makes intense, concentrated, and extremely tannic wines. In Texas and Uruguay, the wines are softer, extra approachable, and missing the mouth-drying tannins of their French cousins.

The Greatest Varietal Rosé was The Storm Cellar 2021 Chambourcin Rosé, Kay Winery, Grand Valley, USA, $25. A superb worth for arguably one of many top-ranked rosé wines on the earth.

The Greatest Glowing Rosé was PureCru 2022 Brut Rose, Moth-Fry Vineyards, Lodi, USA, $40 [1.6g/l%]. The judges described the wine as:

Floral, with pronounced rose petals and crimson fruit notes. The wine includes a brisk acidity and a finely ripened tannic spine. Cherry notes, with slight woody/brushy overtones, predominate on the palate. The end is medium to lengthy, with lingering crimson fruit notes.

The Greatest Non-Alcoholic wine was Jøyus NV Rosé, Non-Alcoholic, California, USA, $25. The official tasting notice described the wine as:

Fruity, with a lightweight salmon shade. It’s light-bodied, with a malty character, a pronounced acidity, and an extended, tangy, refreshing end.

The Greatest Dessert Wine prize went to McWilliams NV Hanwood Property, Australia, $80. The Judging Panel described the wine as exhibiting:

On the nostril are caramel, butterscotch, and darkish dried fruit notes of fig, prune date, and raisin. The wine shows the basic rancio aromas of dry leather-based and a touch of furnishings wax. Medium candy on the palate, with an extended, succulent end of caramel and dried golden raisin.

The Greatest Different Port Type Wine award went to V. Sattui Vineyard NV Port, 20 YO Port, Napa Valley, USA, $68.

An entire itemizing of all of the 2022 SFIWC medal winners is out there on the San Francisco Worldwide Wine Competitors web site.