Jeb Dunnuck's Top 100 Red Wines of 2019

Two weeks ago, we announced that our 2016 Gravura was named to the Top 100 of 2019 by Wine Enthusiast.  Unfortunately, that wine was already long since sold out.  Today we have more good news about another one of our wines.  And this wine is still available!  Read on...

By now, I'm sure you've come to know Jeb Dunnuck as a formidable player in the wine world.  For over a decade, he has been reviewing and writing about wine, including half of that time representing Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Almost three years ago, he left the Advocate and launched his own independent online wine journal (jebdunnuck.com), with a focus on Southern France, Bordeaux, California, and Washington. Through the years, he has become a well-respected and positive voice for Washington wines.

Avennia winemaker Chris Peterson first met Jeb back in the 2000s while at DeLille and they hit it off straight away. When Chris and Marty started Avennia, Jeb reviewed the inaugural wine release (2010 vintage), and each release since. Year after year, his scores and reviews of our wines have been very encouraging.

Last April he released his comprehensive review of Washington's 2016 vintage and we were thrilled that he scored a few of Avennia's wines among the highest in the state.  And this week, he paid us the ultimate compliment by including our 2016 Sestina Cabernet Sauvignon in his Top 100 Red Wines of the Year!

Jeb wrote: "Winemaker Chris Peterson continues to fashion some of the most impressive wines in the State. These are always more classical in style and show plenty of acidity and structure in their youth, yet they blossom with just short term cellaring and are brilliant wines."

After 10,400 reviews in 12 months (a personal record he said), he based the Top 100 selection on "a combination of overall quality, price, availability, and a little bit of Wow Factor."  Of the Top 100, only four Washington wines were included (Cayuse, Leonetti, and Andrew Will also had winning wines). We are honored and proud to be a part of this list.

The full report can be viewed here.  

As of now, limited quantities of the 2016 Sestina Cabernet Sauvignon are still available in our tasting room, on our website, or by phone. Don't miss this one.

And a huge thanks to Jeb for the wonderful accolade.  We agree, it's a stellar wine.

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2016 SESTINA

Cabernet Sauvignon

Left Bank Style Bordeaux Red Blend

95+ points "It shows the purity and elegance of the vintage beautifully and offers classic Cabernet notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil, crushed rocks, and tobacco leaf. With beautiful balance and that more elegant, finesse-driven style of the estate, it packs plenty of fruit and is a seamless wine that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years." - Jeb Dunnuck  

Jeb Dunnuck's Top 100 Red Wines of 2019

   $75/bottle