21 Dr. Loosen 2006
Erdener Prälat
Riesling Auslese (Mosel-Saar- Ruwer);$42/375 ml.
Wow. This gorgeous dessert-style auslese explodes from the glass in a cavalcade of sweet fruit and spice. Honeyed peaches and dried apricots are most prominent, but shadings of cinnamon and allspice give complexity, while crisp acids provide impeccable balance on the long finish. Delicious now, this wine should easily evolve for up to 40 years. Imported by Loosen Bros. USA.

22 Iron Horse 2002
Blanc de Blancs (Green Valley); $38.
The virtues of this 100% Chardonnay are its elegance, cleanliness, brightness and the sheer pleasure it offers. It’s so refined and complex, offering flavors of Meyer lemons, Kaffir limes, brioche and smoky vanilla that change endlessly in the glass. Just fabulous, and a terrifically versatile food wine.

23 Betz Family Winery 2005
Clos de Betz
Red Wine (Columbia Valley); $40.
The 2005 Clos de Betz explodes from the glass with profound scents of pipe tobacco, violets, cherries and clove. Immediately supple and silky, this delicious blend of 56% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec and 9% Cabernet Franc offers more complexity than any Clos de Betz to date. Silky, tightly packed fruit flavors are seamlessly blended, with berries, currants and cherries galore. The tannins have been buffed to a fine lustre.

24 Poggio Nardone 2001
Riserva
(Brunello di Montalcino); $60.
A liquid lullaby more than a wine, this Brunello caresses and smoothes over your senses with amazing intensity and harmonious aromas of cherry-chocolate fudge, almond paste, ginger, balsamic notes, blueberry pie, firewood and vanilla. There’s a shroud of cedar and cherry fruit within the wine’s unwavering structure and a seemingly endless finish. Imported by Romano Brands.

25 Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006
Ethos
Late Harvest White Riesling (Columbia Valley); $40.
This is just this side of unctuous, a decadently ripe and rich late harvest Riesling. The residual sugar is at 23%, the alcohol a moderate 8%, and the balance impeccable, with a buoyant underpinning to the intense sweetness. It avoids sugary granularity as well, offering seamless, concentrated fruit that piles on flavors of peach, apricot, banana, mango, papaya and melon in wild profusion, trailing into sweet tea and honey. Apart from the winery’s Single Berry Select Trockenbeerenauslese project with Ernie Loosen, this is the best dessert wine made in Washington.

26 Arrowood 2005
Réserve Spéciale
Chardonnay (Sonoma County); $35.
Rich and satisfying, this opulent Chardonnay dazzles with sheer deliciousness. Master winemaker Richard Arrowood has pulled out all the stops on this Burgundian-style wine. The flavors, of pineapple custard, lemon meringue, green apple butter, crème brûlée and gingersnap cookie, are balanced by perfect acidity. This is by far Arrowood’s greatest Chardonnay in recent memory.

27 Château Guiraud 2005
Sauternes; $65.
Typical of the huge power of Guiraud, this is one of the richest Sauternes in 2005. The wine is rich and intense, the dry edge of botrytis just dominating the sweetness. Flavors of honey, almonds and peaches give the wine extra complexity.

28 Podere Sapaio 2004
Sapaio
(Bolgheri Superiore); $56.
Not bad for a first attempt. This is a thick, dark wine of almost impenetrable extraction and mature fruit notes of black cherry and black currant. Its aromas are painted in broad brush strokes and invoke roasted espresso bean, black chocolate and smoked game. It has an outstanding mouthfeel, with voluptuous but solid tannins and enormous length. Drink after 2015. Imported by Vinifera Imports.

29 Kynsi 2005
Stone Corral Vineyard
Pinot Noir (Edna Valley); $45.
An enormously opulent wine, brimming with gobs of red cherries, currants, mocha, clove, cinnamon and pepper flavors. Impresses for the lushness and integrity of the structure. Brilliant wine, just gorgeous, a real crowd-pleaser. With its recent track record, Kynsi enters the front ranks of California Pinot Noir producers.

30 Leonetti Cellar 2006
Merlot (Columbia Valley); $65.
This bright, aromatic, vivid wine opens with a bowlful of berries and cherries. There is plenty of acid under the ripe fruit, which takes center stage at the moment. The significant addition of Carmenère (from the Seven Hills vineyard) adds black pepper to the engaging mix of flavors. Despite its youth, the flavors persist for a remarkably long finish.