Last Saturday night, at Resorts World Las Vegas, Eddie and I covered our very first Wine Spectator Grand Tour tasting! Eyeballing this one for a while, as all the wines scored 90 points or greater – any 90-point and up wine awarded blind by Wine Spectator means a lot in my opinion – and there were 235 wineries represented! I had some California favorites I wanted to try, and of course dozens from around the world. But, knowing me, covering the event was going to take most of my time and I would be lucky to hit up just so many tables, with that in mind these were my favorite wines and their numerical scores:
Vina Almaviva Puento Alto 2021, 96.
Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Benchland Select 2019, 91.
Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolas Catena Zapata Mendoza 2009 (Cab and Malbec), 94.
Cesare Amarone Valpolicella Classico, 2018, 91.
Louis Roederer Brut Champagne Collection 244 NV, 93.
Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2019, 93.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne, NV, 93.
Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Family Reserve 2019, 94.
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2021, 94.
Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2021, 94.
Croft Vintage Port 2017, 97.
Cuvaison Pinot Noir Napa Valley Los Carneros Small Lot Spire 2021, 92.
Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2018, 92.
Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021, 92.
Frank Family Chardonnay Carneros 2021, 92.
Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Kathryn Hall 2016, 96.
Laurent-Perrier Brut Rose Champagne Cuvee NV, 92.
Marques de Caceres Rioja Gaudium Reserva 2018, 91.
Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Velvet Glove 2019, 94.
Pasqua Amarone Della Valpolicella Mai Dire Mai 2013, 91.
Pio Cesare Barbaresco 2019, 93.
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019, 91.
Roederer Estate Brut Rose Anderson Valley L’Ermitage 2015, 93.
Sandeman Tawny Port 20 Year Old NV, 92.
Schramsberg Vineyard Brut Rose North Coast 2020, 93.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District S.L.V. 2018, 94.
Taub Family Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Beckstoffer Vyds Georges III 2019, 93.
Tensley Syrah Santa Barbara County OGT 2021, 94.
Torbreck Grenache Barossa Valley Hillside Vineyard 2021, 93.
Trimbach Riesling Alsace Frederic Emile 2016, 94.
Vina Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2021, 96.
Vina Montes Purple Angel Colchagua Valley 2020, 93.
Yalumba Cabernet-Shiraz South Australia The Caley 2018, 95.
Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2018, 92.
Event Notes
You can get there 30 minutes or so in advance to check in, get your wrist band and wine glass voucher. Lots of people lined up to get in, but once the clocked chimed the appointed hour, we were in the large tasting room within minutes. The dining room had plenty of seating, with different food options – Italian and Mexican – and a dessert table. We went for the pasta, carbo-loading for our stamina, which we enjoyed after the first hour. Bathrooms were close by, plenty of water stations, pour out buckets and if there was a line at a table you could just go to the next one. IMHO there is no reason to wait at a particular table at this event as you know everything they are offering is a top-scoring wine. The winery representatives were extremely knowledgeable about their wines.
Social Media
What Grand thing did you do this past weekend? On Saturday night we went to Resorts World Las Vegas to cover our very first Wine Spectator Grand Tour tasting! With over TWO HUNDRED WINES scoring 90 points or higher I enjoyed many in the 94-96 range! Here is our story in photos, look for my article in EveWine101 on May 10! Shout outs for remarkable taste go to Tensley, Cakebread, Robert Mondavi, Hall, Stag’s Leap, Chappellet, Darioush, Trimbach, Roederer, Schramsberg, Laurent-Perrier, Charles Heidsieck, Frank Family, Gaudium, Catena Zapata, Montes, Don Melchor, Almaviva, Far Niente, Chimney Rock, Molly Dooker, Allegrini, Cesari, Zenato, Pasqua, Sandeman, Croft and Taylor Fladgate. And super cool to taste Charles Krug with Peter Mondavi and seeing The Language of Yes winemaker Randall Grahm!
Find on Instagram
@TensleyWines @CakebreadCellars @RobertMondavi @HallWines @StagsLeapWineCellars @Chappellet_Winery @DarioushWinery @Trimbach @RoedererEstate @Schramsberg @CharlesKrugWinery @FrankFamilyVineyards @FarNienteWinery @ChimneyRockWinery @Wine_Spectator
View the wineries that participated here.
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
