Top 100 Wines of 2019
by Owen Bargreen
I have had the great pleasure and challenge of selecting 100 exceptional domestic wines to comprise my Top 100 for 2019. For our 2019 Top 100 we include some good value wine selections, as well as many collectable wines.
18) 2008 Argyle ‘Extended Tirage’ Sparkling Wine
Oregon I Willamette Valley I $80.00 I 96 Points
The 2008 Argyle ‘Extended Tirage’ Sparkling Wine is a simply marvelous effort from this storied vintage in Oregon. Spending ten years on the lees until disgorgement in 2018, the 2008 ‘Extended Tirage’ opens with a highly complex bouquet of marzipan layered with orchard fruits and baking spices, with pear moss undertones that all take beautiful shape in the glass. The combination of weight and balance of the wine is exquisite. A beam of salinity runs through ripe pear, kumquat, Shiitake mushroom and green papaya flavors. Seductive and rich from this incredible vintage in Oregon this will continue to evolve well over the next fifteen plus years. I have found that this wine tends to show more beautifully a touch on the warmer side and is even more expressive in an Oregon Pinot Glass. This is truly one of the glorious sparkling wines of North America. Drink 2019-2035- 96