AWARD WINNERS

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Primary fruit of plum, black currant, and warm cherry pie. Notable herbal aromas, as well as black pepper, licorice, and grilled meat. This wine is eminently approachable with medium acid and tannins. The medium body and silky mouth feel reveals milk chocolate on the midpalate and tobacco and leather on the finish. A Syrah that is easy to like and that is ready to enjoy now.

Representative of the best Colorado has to offer, this is a full-bodied Cabernet Franc with medium plus acid and tannins. This wine scores high with pronounced, slightly sweet aromas (dry on the palate) of blackberry, plum, cherry, pyrazine, oak, dark chocolate, and tobacco. On the palate the fruit is the star but builds to a long finish of chocolate and tobacco. Deftly made with outstanding balance. Several tasters graded this as their highest-scoring wine. Bravo!

Medium garnet in the glass and medium intensity of aroma. A myriad of descriptors. Expect red plum, red cherry, sweet berries, eucalyptus, violet, cloves, walnut, toast, chocolate, tar, molasses, and sweet cigar (we could keep going). A high-end cherry cordial. Slightly chewy. Medium plus acid and tannin give the wine backbone and ageability. A Merlot for those of us who love to think and drink. 

French-American Hybrid (also called Cold Hardy) varietals are resilient in cold temperatures and have a natural resistance to diseases, which makes them ideally suited to grow in Colorado. This wine from LaNoue DuBois is 87% Léon Millot and 11% Marechal Foch. Deep purple in color, it is approachable with its low tannins and medium plus acid. Expect an earthy wine with some fruit: cooked blackberry, wild plums, farmyard, turned earth, mushroom, meat, cloves, and charred wood. Mint, milk chocolate, and wood on the finish. Drink this wine now. A nice experience.

A true five-Bordeaux blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 21% Petit Verdot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Medium garnet in the glass, it smells like a Justin Isosceles when swirling. Ripe black cherry and licorice with earthiness and violet. On the palate add graphite, tobacco, oak, and vanilla. Lots of body to this wine. Tertiary qualities are revealed, and the impression of alcohol lowers, as this wine opens up. Very good.

A tropical Chardonnay with medium plus intensity of aroma. While there are notes of yellow apple, pear, apricot, melon, and linden, this wine is driven by pineapple, banana, and coconut. The second-fill oak imparts some cream cheese and dried fruit. Nutmeg, honey, petrol, and a slight minerality appear on the finish. Coravin users beware! It has a glass cork (which is pretty cool).

Of all the wines during the Colorado Wine Experience, this one had the most pronounced intensity of aroma. A wine you can savor without ever even drinking it. Ruby red grapefruit, lime, sweet melon, sweet strawberry, strawberry

jam, raspberry, passionfruit, Mackinaw peaches, nectarine, and honeysuckle. The wine smells sweeter than it tastes, which is reflective of skilled winemaking. It has high acid and a long minerality on the finish. Balance is outstanding. This is a Rosé with the right amount of grip.

Notes of strawberry pie, lemon, grapefruit, and orange blossom on the nose. Strawberry, grapefruit, and a hint of licorice on the palate. This sparkling wine is medium salmon in the glass, with high acid, and a delicate mousse. Festive. Party all night long

If you have never tasted a non-grape wine, we encourage you not to pre-judge. In fact, we suggest you taste it blind among other wines. It can have the aromas and tastes of a grape-based wine. Peachfork’s Pear-Apple won double gold at the 2023 Colorado Governor’s Cup Competition. It’s easy to see why. No, it doesn’t just taste like pear and apple. There are also characteristics of lemon, peach, apricot, sweet honey, banana, blossom, butter, and vanilla. In a blind tasting, you might consider it something of a cross between Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Grigio. A bit of residual sugar gives it a warm apple pie taste on the midpalate. Great mouth feel; wonderfully viscous. This is a full-bodied, enjoyable treat. A must try.

A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Chardonnay that shows as pale lemon in the glass. A crisp floral nose with lots of fruit to boot: white blossom, lemon zest, green apple, pear, papaya, and white pepper.  Some tertiary components of dried apple and honey. In short, it has the pronounced nose of a Sauvignon Blanc and the medium plus body of a Semillon or Chardonnay. Love the complexity of this white blend.

This ruby-colored wine bursts forward with fresh red fruit flavors like cranberry, sour cherry, and kirsch. Orange zest, lemon, prune, and a certain nuttiness are also evident. The high acid gives it backbone and makes it a great food wine. A bit reminiscent of a Beaujolais Noveau. One of our reviewers declared that she would love to stop all her tastings right there and drink this bottle for the rest of the night. A pleasure to drink.

Don’t let the pale lemon color fool you. Intense floral aromas of rose and honeysuckle abound, with lychee, pineapple, and honeydew melon. Perhaps a little allspice? Great mouth feel with medium plus body that starts out tangy then builds to a nutty, petrol finish. This wine transports you to an exotic Middle Eastern tea house. You can drink it now but is has potential for aging.