About 6 weeks ago, I made what is becoming a regular annual trip to Denver, Colorado, where I sat in a room for three days with lots of people who have the the initials MS and MW following their names to judge the latest entrants in the Colorado Governor’s Cup Wine Competition.
I enjoy judging this competition every year for several reasons. It is extremely well-run; I enjoy the colleagues I get to spend time with while judging; and I enjoy giving a little support to my home state as it struggles to grow and thrive as a wine region.
Yes, Colorado does make wine, and sometimes quite good wine, at least when the vines aren’t being killed by vicious winter temperatures, burnt by wildfires, or stricken with intense drought and heat.
Most of the grapes in Colorado are grown between 4000 and 7000 feet of elevation in what are generally “high desert” micro-climates, providing dynamic daytime and nighttime temperatures that make for excellent grape growing, along with challenges such as winter freezes and both early and late-season frosts.
Much is made of “marginal climates” in the world of wine, but most of the time that phrase gets used, the speaker is using it to characterize a region that has an extremely variable climate, but one where the variability is between great and mediocre each year. But there are some places, such as Colorado, where the variability quite frequently is between a usable crop and none at all.
Just a couple of years ago, the state’s acreage was well north of 1000 acres of vines, but a cold snap in October of 2020 killed a significant number of vines, and intense heat in 2021 withered grapes on those that did survive.
The 2022 vintage was mercifully lacking in disasters, though yields and overall harvest volumes were down as growers continue to recover from the adversity of the previous two vintages. It was therefore a pleasure to taste many of these wines and see how things are progressing in Colorado.
The results of our judging are posted on the Colorado Wine Board’s website, and the top medaling wines from the competition have been gathered into the Colorado Governor’s Cup Collection, which the Board makes available for purchase as a set for those interested in tasting our favorites.
As I judge, I make my own notes and scores on all the wines I taste, so I can share my favorites with my readers. There’s a lot of overlap between the list below and the Governor’s Cup Collection, but not entirely. The wines below represent what I thought were the best wines in the competition, regardless of the thoughts of my fellow judges or the ultimate results of the contest.
Tasting Notes
I’ve tried to provide links to purchase below wherever I can, but many of these wines are made by tiny wineries in tiny quantities, so opportunities to purchase online may be scarce.
2022 Storm Cellar “Caspari Family Vineyards” Albariño, Grand Valley, Colorado
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of orange peel and lemon pith. In the mouth, bright orange peel and lemon pith flavors have a nice snap thanks to excellent acidity. Bright and juicy with a nice chalky minerality. 13.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $25. click to buy.
2022 Snowy Peaks Winery Muscat Blanc, Grand Valley, Colorado
Palest greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of green apple and green melon candy. In the mouth, guava and green melon flavors mix with green apple and a little hint of tart green apple skin with excellent acidity. 6.2% residual sugar. 10.1% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $23. click to buy.
2022 Storm Cellar “All the Flowers” White Blend, Grand Valley, Colorado
Palest greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of citrus peel and citrus pith with a hint of melon. In the mouth, bright citrus peel and orange melon flavors have a nice crisp brightness and a lemon pith note that lingers in the finish. Excellent acidity. A blend of 34% Gewurztraminer, 31% Orange Muscat, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, and 17% Muscat Blanc. 13% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $25. click to buy.
2022 Centennial Cellars “Semi Sweet” Riesling, Grand Valley, Colorado
Pale gold in the glass with a faint haze, this wine smells of citrus pith and pears. In the mouth, faintly sweet flavors of citrus pith and mandarin oil mix with pears and winter melon. Chalky minerality. Very good acidity. 16 g/l residual sugar. 13.8% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $24.
2022 Sauvage Spectrum “Veritage White” White Blend, Grand Valley, Colorado
Pale gold with green highlights, this wine smells of citrus pith and white peaches. In the mouth, crisp and bright flavors of citrus pith and apricots are crisp and bright. A blend of 93% Viognier and 7% Roussanne. 13.1% alcohol. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $27.
NV Storm Cellar Gewürztraminer, Grand Valley, Colorado
Pale greenish gold in color, this wine smells of orange peel and white flowers. In the mouth, orange peel and lemon water have a nice floral brightness. Good acidity. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $25. click to buy.
2022 Carlson Vineyards “White Light, High Desert Wine Lab” Riesling, Grand Valley, Colorado
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of citrus pith and a hint of winter melon. In the mouth, citrus oil, winter melon and wet chalkboard flavors have a nice stony quality. 14.5% alcohol. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $26.
2022 BookCliff Vineyards Syrah, Colorado
Dark purple in the glass, this wine smells of smoky blackberry and cassis. In the mouth, blackberry and black pepper flavors have a nice bright spiciness and excellent acidity. Grippy tannins. 13.4% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $22. click to buy.
2022 Sauvage Spectrum “Handshake Acres Vineyard” Teroldego, Grand Valley, Colorado
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of plum an black cherry. In the mouth, black cherry and plum flavors have cocoa powder and cedar notes. Lightly grippy tannins. Excellent acidity. 12.6% alcohol Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $38. click to buy.
2020 Snowy Peaks Winery “Sébastian’s Reserve” Bordeaux Blend, Grand Valley, Colorado
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of blueberries and black cherry. In the mouth, muscular, fleecy tannins wrap around a core of juicy blackberry and black cherry fruit. The tannins are slightly drying, but there’s a juiciness here that is charming. A blend of 24% Cabernet Franc, 22% Malbec, 20% Petit Verdot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot. Alcohol unknown. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $36. click to buy.
2019 Colorado Vintners Collective “Cliff Dweller – Escalante” Bordeaux Blend, Colorado
Inky, opaque garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry and plum. In the mouth, rich cherry and plum flavors are wrapped in fleecy tannins that stiffen over time and slightly dry the mouth. Too much oak here, but otherwise a very good wine. Excellent acidity. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Souzao, and 1% Merlot. 15.2% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $38.
2022 Sauvage Spectrum “Castle Vineyard” Malbec, Grand Valley, Colorado
Dark garnet with purple highlights, this wine smells of blackberry and blueberry fruit. In the mouth, blackberry, cassis, and black cherry fruit are wrapped in a fleecy blanket of tannins. Good acidity. The tannins stiffen over time. 14.8% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $29.
2019 Snowy Peaks Winery “Éléve” Red Blend, Grand Valley, Colorado
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry and plum. In the mouth, blackberry, black cherry and plum flavors are shot through with a bit of oak and cedar. Lightly grippy tannins and good acidity. A blend of 42% Syrah, 33% Petite Sirah, and 25% Mourvèdre. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $27. click to buy.
2019 Continental Divide Winery “Storm” Red Blend, Grand Valley, Colorado
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of chocolate covered blueberries. In the mouth, faintly sweet flavors of blueberry and black cherry fruit are wrapped in fluffy tannins. Good acidity. A bend of 40% Petite Sirah, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 2% Syrah. Alcohol unknown. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $72.
2020 Carboy Winery Tempranillo, Grand Valley, Colorado
Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of cherry and oak. In the mouth, bright cherry fruit mixes with cedar and dried herbs. Excellent fresh acidity. Nicely balanced. Notes of cedar linger in the finish. 13.6% alcohol Score: around 8.5. Cost: $32. click to buy.
2022 Balistreri Vineyards “Caspari Vineyard” Sousao, Grand Valley, Colorado
Inky purple in the glass, this wine smells of smoky blueberry and blackberry fruit. In the mouth, bright acidity keeps blue and black fruits fresh and bright. Faint, fluffy tannins wrap around the core of fruit and linger with herbs in the finish. 13.5% alcohol Score: around 8.5. Cost: $36.
2022 Balistreri Vineyards “CSU Vineyard” Syrah, Grand Valley, Colorado
Dark purple in the glass, this wine smells of blackberry, blueberry and oak. In the mouth, blueberry and blackberry fruit is shot through with oak, a bit too much to my taste. Drying tannins. Good acidity. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $38. click to buy.
2019 Avant Vineyards Tempranillo, Grand Valley, Colorado
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of red fruits and herbs. In the mouth, bright cherry flavors are wrapped in fleecy tannins and are slightly tight, there’s a little bitter citrus peel in the finish. Alcohol unknown. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $25.
Images courtesy of the Colorado Wine Board.
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