Arizona's best wines: Winners of the 2018 azcentral Arizona Wine Competition (The Republic | azcentral.com)

Richard Ruelas, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 10:00 p.m. MT Jan. 25, 2019 | Updated 12:53 p.m. MT Feb. 25, 2020 
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For the second year in a row, the overall Best in Show winner of the azcentral Arizona Wine Competition comes from Dos Cabezas WineWorks in Sonoita. 

In the 2017 competition, Todd and Kelly Bostock took the award with an unconventional wine: a sparkling concoction in a can. In 2018, Dos Cabezas won with a traditional offering: a red wine in a bottle. 

Arizona's best red wine 

Aguileon, one of Dos Cabezas’s signature red blends, is made from grapes grown in Willcox, a recognized viticulture region in the southeast corner of Arizona, and the region where most of the state’s wine grapes are grown. 

The Aguileon won the Best in Show award and was named Best Red Wine in the competition. 

The 2015 vintage of Aguileon was predominately made from Tempranillo and Graciano, two grapes typically grown in the warmer regions of Spain. The blend was rounded out with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. 

Arizona's best white, rosé 

There was a tie for the Best White Wine award. Trademarked 2017, a Chardonnay made by Burning Tree Cellars, tied with the Bodega Pierce Malvasia Bianca. 

Burning Tree Cellars also won Best Rosé, with its 2017 Colibri Rosé, named after the vineyard on the eastern side of the Chiricahua Mountains where the grapes were grown. 

The Best Dessert award went to Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Late Harvest Vidal Blanc. Second place in the dessert category went to a Dos Cabezas offering called Boxcar 1. Both of those wines were named to the final round, with judges deciding they were among the top 12 wines in the state. 

Judges also named the Burning Tree Rosé into the final round of 12, where it vied for the Best In Show award. 

Typically, judges nominate one or more white wines to the final round, where the entire body of judges decides which is the best. But this year, no white wines made the cut. The Best White Wine awards were determined by judges’ scores. 

250 entries from 32 labels 

The competition attracted more than 250 entries from 32 wine labels. Arizona has had commercial wineries since Sonoita Vineyards opened in the 1970s. But the wines started gaining national critical acclaim in the mid-1990s and have been more commonly found on wine lists in noted Arizona restaurants and resorts over the past two decades. 

Arizona wines are also stocked by many wine shops and grocery stores, though some wineries produce in such limited quantities that mass distribution is impossible. Consumers may visit a winery's website to order bottles and have them shipped. Some locations of A.J.'s Fine Foods plan to feature winners from this contest in their stores in February. 

How the judging was done 

The wines were judged on Nov. 26 in a conference room in the Arizona Republic/azcentral building in downtown Phoenix. The tasting was blind; judges knew the type of wine they were tasting, but not the winery where it came from. 

There were 21 judges placed among six panels, each tasting a selection of wines. The judges included sommeliers, chefs, restaurant managers, wine business professionals and wine shop owners. Some had participated in the contest before; others for the first time. 

The assembled panel also had varied experience levels with the state’s wines. Some specialized in it; others had hardly sampled any. Judges scored each wine individually. Then debated among the other members of the panel which wines were best in each category. 

Some wines earned such high marks from judges that the contest introduced a new class of medal: Double Gold. That medal goes to wines that received scores above 90 from each member of a panel. Seven wines earned that distinction this year, including the overall winner, the Dos Cabezas Aguileon. 

The Dos Cabezas Aguileon wine is, in a roundabout way, named after the winery owners’ youngest son, Griffin. A griffin, in mythology, is a creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. The Spanish word for the creature is a mash-up of the words for eagle and lion, aguila and leon. Hence: Aguileon. 

Winners of the 2018 azcentral Arizona Wine Competition Best in Show 

Dos Cabezas WineWorks Aguileon 2015. 

Best Red Wine 

1st Place: Dos Cabezas WineWorks Aguileon 2015.
2nd Place: Pillsbury Wine Company Mourvedre Reserve 2016.
3rd Place: Deep Sky Vineyard Eclipse 2015. 

Best White Wine 

1st Place (tie): Bodega Pierce Malvasia Bianca 2017, Burning Tree Cellars Trademarked 2017.
3rd Place: Southwest Wine Center Malvasia Bianca 2017. 

Best Rosé Wine 

1st Place: Burning Tree Cellars Colibri Rosé 2017.
2nd Place: Bodega Pierce Rosé 2017.
3rd Place: Chateau Tumbleweed Rosé 2017. 

Best Dessert Wine 

1st Place: Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Late Harvest Vidal Blanc 2017.
2nd Place: Dos Cabezas WineWorks Boxcar 1 NV.
3rd Place: Carlson Creek Vineyard Sweet Adeline Riesling 2015. 

The Top 12 

These are the wines that judges thought merited consideration for Best in Show.
• Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Late Harvest Vidal Blanc 2017.
• Burning Tree Cellars Colibri Rosé 2017.
• Caduceus Cellars Kitsuné 2015.
• Deep Sky Vineyard Eclipse 2015.
• Dos Cabezas WineWorks Aguileon 2015.
• Dos Cabezas WineWorks Boxcar 1.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Graciano 2016.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Cabernet Franc 2015.
• Gallifant Cellars Merlot 2016.
• Golden Rule Petit Verdot 2016.
• Page Springs Cellars 2015 House Mountain Vineyard Petite Sirah.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Mourvedre Reserve 2016. 

Best Late-Harvest Dessert Wine 

1st Place: Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Late Harvest Vidal Blanc 2017.
2nd Place: Carlson Creek Vineyard Sweet Adeline Riesling 2015.
No 3rd Place. 

Best Port-style Dessert Wine 

1st Place: Dos Cabezas WineWorks Boxcar 1 NV.
No 2nd or 3rd Place. 

Best Rosé Blend 

1st Place: Burning Tree Cellars Colibri Rosé 2017.
2nd Place: Chateau Tumbleweed Rosé 2017.
3rd Place: Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Dayden 2017. 

Best Single Varietal Rosé 

1st Place: Bodega Pierce Rosé 2017.
2nd Place: Pillsbury Wine Company Rosé One Night Stand 2017.
3rd Place: Caduceus Cellars Lei Li Nebbiolo Rosé 2017. 

Best Chardonnay 

1st Place: Burning Tree Cellars Trademarked 2017.
2nd Place: Pillsbury Wine Company Chardonnay Reserve 2016.
3rd Place: Cabal Cellars Suspicious Minds Chardonnay 2017. 

Best Malvasia Bianca 

1st Place: Bodega Pierce Malvasia Bianca 2017.
2nd Place: Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Malvasia Bianca 2017.
3rd Place: Southwest Wine Center Malvasia Bianca 2017. 

Best Pinot Grigio 

1st Place: Winery 101- Gallifant Cellars Pinot Gris 2016.
2nd Place: Cellar 433 Arizona Angel - Pinot Grigio 2017.
3rd Place: Pillsbury Wine Company Pinot Gris 2017. 

Best Viognier 

1st Place: Burning Tree Cellars The Peddler 2016.
2nd Place: Pillsbury Wine Company Viognier 2017.
3rd Place: Alcantara Vineyard Viognier 2017. 

Best White Blend 

1st Place: Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Tazi 2017.
2nd Place: Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Trio 2017.
3rd Place: Callaghan Vineyards Love Muffin 2017. 

Best Cabernet Franc 

1st Place: Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Cabernet Franc 2015.
2nd Place: Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery 2017 Cabernet Franc.
No 3rd Place. 

Best Cabernet Sauvignon 

1st Place: Golden Rule Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.
2nd Place: Four Tails Vineyard Double Trouble Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.
3rd Place: Burning Tree Cellars Bonita Cab 2016. 

Best Graciano 

1st Place: Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Graciano 2016.
2nd Place: Southwest Wine Center Graciano 2017.
No 3rd Place. 

Best Grenache 

1st Place: Copper Horse Vineyard Grenache 2017.
2nd Place: Rune Grenache - Pillsbury Vineyard 2016.
No. 3rd Place. 

Best Merlot 

1st Place: Winery 101- Gallifant Cellars Merlot 2016.
No 2nd or 3rd Place. 

Best Mourvedre/Monastrell 

1st Place: Pillsbury Wine Company Mourvedre Reserve 2016.
2nd Place: Burning Tree Cellars Colibri Mourvedre 2016.
3rd Place: The Oddity Wine Collective Minotaur 2017. 

Best Petite Sirah 

1st Place: Page Springs Cellars 2015 House Mountain Vineyard Petite Sirah.
2nd Place: Pillsbury Wine Company Petite Sirah 2016.
No 3rd Place. 

Best Sangiovese 

1st Place: Caduceus Cellars Kitsuné 2015.
2nd Place: Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Sangiovese Select 2016.
3rd Place: Golden Rule Vineyards Sangiovese 2016. 

Best Syrah 

1st Place: Page Springs Cellars 2017 Dos Padres Vineyard Syrah Clone 471.
2nd Place: Zarpara Vineyard Syrah 2015.
3rd Place: Carlson Creek Vineyard Syrah 2015. 

Best Tannat 

1st Place: Heart Wood Cellars Tannat 2016.
2nd Place: Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Tannat 2015.
No 3rd Place. 

Best Tempranillo 

1st Place: Caduceus Cellars Sancha 2014.
2nd Place: Merkin Vineyards Tarzan 2015.
3rd Place: Salvatore Vineyards Tempranillo 2015. 

Best Rhone-style Blend 

1st Place: Keeling Schaefer Vineyards Partners 2014.
2nd Place: Pillsbury Wine Company Roan Red 2016.
3rd Place: Winery 101- Gallifant Cellars Rone Ranger 2016. 

Best Bordeaux Blend 

1st Place: Burning Tree Cellars The Scapegoat 2016.
2nd Place: Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery 2017 Rock Slide.
3rd Place: Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Union de Tres Rojos 2016. 

Best Super Tuscan 

1st Place: Winery 101- Gallifant Cellars Super Tuscan 2016.
2nd Place: Caduceus Cellars Nagual del Marzo 2014.
3rd Place: Caduceus Cellars Nagual de la Naga 2014. 

Best Non-Traditional Red Blend 

1st Place: Dos Cabezas WineWorks Aguileon 2015.
2nd Place: Deep Sky Vineyard Eclipse 2015.
3rd Place (tie): Bodega Pierce Athena 2016, Southwest Wine Center Patada 2017. 

Medal winners 
These wines earned medals based on an average of judges’ scores on a 100-point scale. 

Double Gold
Judges unanimously rated the wines 90 points or above. 

• Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Late Harvest Vidal Blanc 2017.
• Burning Tree Cellars Colibri Rosé 2017.
• Caduceus Cellars Kitsuné 2015.
• Deep Sky Vineyard Eclipse 2015.
• Dos Cabezas WineWorks Aguileon 2015.
• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery 2017 Cabernet Franc.
• Southwest Wine Center Patada 2017. 

Gold
Judges’ average score of 90 points or above.

• Bodega Pierce Athena 2016.
• Bodega Pierce Rosé 2017.
• Chateau Tumbleweed Rosé 2017.
• Dos Cabezas WineWorks Boxcar 1.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Cabernet Franc 2015.
• Four Eight Wineworks Four Eight Red 2015.
• Golden Rule Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.
• Page Springs Cellars 2015 House Mountain Vineyard Petite Sirah.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Rosé One Night Stand 2017.
• Winery 101 - Gallifant Cellars Super Tuscan 2016. 

Silver
Judges’ average score of 85 points or above.

• Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Dayden 2017.
• Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Mangus 2017.
• Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Tazi 2017.
• Bodega Pierce Malvasia Bianca 2017.
• Burning Tree Cellars Trademarked 2017.
• Burning Tree Cellars Bonita Cab 2016.
• Caduceus Cellars Nagual del Marzo 2014.
• Caduceus Cellars Lei Li Nebbiolo Rosé 2017.
• Callaghan Vineyards Aglianico Cimarron 2016.
• Carlson Creek Vineyard Rosé 2017.
• Deep Sky Vineyard Nebula 2016.
• Dos Cabezas WineWorks Toscano 2015.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Sangiovese Select 2016.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Graciano 2016.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Trio 2017.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery La Flor 2017.
• Four Tails Vineyard Double Trouble Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.
• Golden Rule Vineyards Petit Verdot 2016.
• Golden Rule Vineyards Sangiovese 2016.
• Heart Wood Cellars Tannat 2016.
• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery Barbera 2017.
• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery Red Canyon Cuvee 2017.
• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery 2017 Hassayampa Cabernet Sauvignon 2017.
• Keeling Schaefer Vineyards Partners 2014.
• Merkin Vineyards Jane Pink 2017.
• Page Springs Cellars 2017 Dos Padres Vineyard Syrah Clone 471 2017.
• Page Springs Cellars 2017 House Mountain Vineyard Counoise Rosé 2017.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Mourvedre Reserve 2016.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Petite Sirah 2016.
• Provisioner Wines Provisioner Red 2017.
• Southwest Wine Center Malvasia Bianca 2017.
• The Oddity Wine Collective Minotaur 2017.
• The Oddity Wine Collective Centaur 2017.
• Winery 101 - Gallifant Cellars Merlot 2016.
• Winery 101 - Gallifant Cellars Rone Ranger 2016.
• Winery 101 - Gallifant Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon George's Tribute 2016.
• Winery 101 - Gallifant Cellars San Franc 2016.
• Winery 101 - Gallifant Cellars Pinot Gris 2016.
• Zarpara Vineyard Syrah 2015. 

Bronze
Judges’ average score of 80 points or above.

• Alcantara Vineyard Viognier 2017.
• Alcantara Vineyard X-Port NA.
• Alcantara Vineyard Confluence X 2016.
• Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Malvasia Bianca 2017.
• Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Playa Rojo 2017.
• Bruzzi Vineyard 2017 Vidal Blanc 2017.
• Burning Tree Cellars Colibri Mourvedre 2016.
• Burning Tree Cellars The Peddler 2016.
• Burning Tree Cellars The Scapegoat 2016.
• Cabal Cellars Roswell Red 2015.
• Cabal Cellars Suspicious Minds Chardonnay 2017.
• Caduceus Cellars Nagual del Marzo Rosé 2017.
• Caduceus Cellars Nagual de la Naga 2014.
• Caduceus Cellars Nagual del Agostina Red 2016.
• Caduceus Cellars Sancha 2014.
• Caduceus Cellars Primer Paso 2014.
• Callaghan Vineyards Love Muffin 2017.
• Callaghan Vineyards Petit Manseng Greg's 2016.
• Carlson Creek Vineyard Syrah 2015.

• Carlson Creek Vineyard Sweet Adeline Riesling 2015.
• Cellar 433 Verdelho 2017.
• Cellar 433 Arizona Angel Pinot Grigio 2017.
• Chateau Tumbleweed Miss Sandy Jones 2017.
• Chateau Tumbleweed Cimarron Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2016.
• Chateau Tumbleweed Le Blend 2017.
• Chateau Tumbleweed Dr. Ron Bot 2016.
• Chateau Tumbleweed Earth Cuckoo 2015.
• Copper Horse Vineyard Grenache 2017.
• Dos Cabezas WineWorks El Norte 2015.
• Dos Cabezas WineWorks 2017 Meskeoli.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Cabernet Sauvignon 2015.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Tannat 2015.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Union de Tres Rojos 2016.
• Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Sangiovese Reserva 2016.
• Four Eight Wineworks Four Eight Pink 2017.
• Four Tails Vineyard Amigos Petit Verdot 2016.
• Garage-East Green Wine 2017.
• Garage-East Rosé 2017.
• Golden Rule Vineyards Mourvedre 2016.
• Golden Rule Vineyards Picpoul Blanc 2017.
• Heart Wood Cellars Heart 2016.
• Keeling Schaefer Vineyards Rock Creek Rosé of Grenache 2017.
• Keeling Schaefer Vineyards Little Block Petite Sirah 2016.
• Merkin Vineyards Chupacabra 2017.
• Merkin Vineyards Tarzan 2015.
• Page Springs Cellars 2016 El Serrano.
• Page Springs Cellars 2017 Vino de la Familia.
• Page Springs Cellars 2017 Vino de la Familia Blanca.
• Page Springs Cellars 2017 Vino del Barrio Blanca.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Roan Red 2016.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Chardonnay Reserve 2016.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Malvasia 2017.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Shiraz 'Guns and Kisses' 2016.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Diva 2016.
• Pillsbury Wine Company Viognier 2017.
• Rune Rosé 2016.
• Rune Mourvedre - Colibri Vineyard 2016.
• Saeculum Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.
• Saeculum Cellars One Stone 2016.
• Saeculum Cellars Cache 2016.
• Saeculum Cellars Muscat of Alexandria 2017.
• Salvatore Vineyards Cerca Aglianico 2015.
• Southwest Wine Center Graciano 2017.
• Southwest Wine Center Red Storm 2017.
• Zarpara Vineyard Monastrell 2015.
• Zarpara Vineyard Origen 2015. 

Judges' favorites 
These are the judges in the 2018 azcentral Arizona Wine Competition and their favorite wines.

Shaun Adams, Talavera at Four Seasons Resort: Page Springs Cellars Dos Padres Vineyard Syrah Clone 471 2017.
Michael Ayer, Workman Ayer winery: Dos Cabezas WineWorks Boxcar 1 NV.
Rick Benson, Wine Cellar Experts: Arizona Stronghold Vineyards Late Harvest Vidal Blanc 2017.
Tracy Dempsey, ODV Wines: Golden Rule Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.
Craig Dziadowicz, Hidden Track Bottle Shop: Golden Rule Vineyards Petit Verdot 2016.
Christopher Gross, Wrigley Mansion: Page Springs Cellars House Mountain Vineyard Petite Sirah 2015.
Michelle Jacob, Gertrude's at Desert Botanical Garden: Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Cabernet Sauvignon 2015.
Chris Jeffers, Tarbell's Wine Store: Gallifant Cellars Merlot 2016.
Raini Keyser, Vinum 55: Dos Cabezas WineWorks Aguileon 2015.
Rachel Lockwood, Hidden Track Bottle Shop: Flying Leap Vineyards & Distillery Graciano 2016.
Steven Maynard, Tempo Urban Bistro: Golden Rule Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.
Jason Morris, CruTacos: Dos Cabezas WineWorks Aguileon 2015.
Shannan Perciballi, ODV Wines: Caduceus Cellars Kitsuné 2015.
Emily Rieve, GenuWine Arizona: Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery Hassayampa Cabernet Sauvignon 2017.
Lindsey Schoenemann, GenuWine Arizona: Page Springs Cellars House Mountain Vineyard Petite Sirah 2015.
Jay Soloff, DeLille Cellars: Pillsbury Wine Company Mourvedre Reserve 2016.
Katie Stephens, Beckett's Table: Caduceus Cellars Kitsuné 2015.
T. Scott Stephens, Southern Rail: Gallifant Cellars Merlot 2016.
Jordan White, Vinum 55: Caduceus Cellars Kitsuné 2015.
Mark Yeager, Frederick Wildman & Sons Importers: Dos Cabezas WineWorks Aguileon 2015.