It’s a joke, right? The Wine Enthusiast selects 2004 DeLoach 30th Anniversary Pinot Noir number 1 at the pinnacle of its top 100 wines of the year list. If this wasn’t so ridiculous it would be painful. However, we can retain our sense of humor because no one actually cares what The Wine Enthusiast thinks. No harm, no foul.

“It’s a huge mouthful of cherry pie and cassis,” oozes The Wine Enthusiast in their tasting note on the DeLoach. It’s clear that whoever did these notes had never tasted pinot noir before or, perhaps thought they were blind tasting zinfandel.

Just in case you doubt the absurdity of this top 100 list, just look at the number 2 wine of the year - 2003 Chateau St. Jean Reserve Chardonnay. If your top wines of the year were DeLoach Pinot Noir and Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay you are not drinking enough (or way too much ) wine or you don’t know what you’re tasting - or both. 

Oddly enough, both of these wines are produced by big corporations with large advertising budgets, but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence. 

I subscribe to almost every wine publication I can think of, but I’m tired of tossing The Wine Enthusiast into the recycling unread and will not renew my subscription. There is just no reason to read what has become nothing more than a bad copy of The Wine Spectator.

The Wine Enthusiast has accomplished one thing. They make The Wine Spectator look good and that’s not an easy thing to do.