FOOD & DINING

Arizona wines take medals at San Francisco competition

Richard Ruelas
The Republic | azcentral.com
  • Chateau Tumbleweed won a double gold for its Arizona-grown white wine blend.
  • Four other wineries won gold medals%3A Carlson Creek%2C Caduceus%2C Merkin and Javelina Leap.
  • Nine Arizona wineries were recognized with at least one medal at the competition
  • The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is the nation%27s largest wine contest.
Miss Sandy Jones, a white blend from Chateau Tumbleweed won double gold at the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Chateau Tumbleweed won a double gold for its Arizona-grown white wine blend, Miss Sandy Jones, at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest wine contest in the United States.

Chateau Tumbleweed, part of the cooperative at Four Eight WineWorks in Clarkdale, was one of nine Arizona wineries to receive recognition at the contest.

Four of those wineries earned gold medals: Caduceus Cellars, Carlson Creek Vineyard, Javelina Leap Vineyard and Winery and Merkin Vineyards.

Miss Sandy Jones, an equal blending of Chardonnay and Verdelho grapes grown in Cochise County, was one of six double gold winners among white wine blends over $15. The double gold designation, according to the contest's website, means that each of the five judges on the panel awarded the wine a gold medal score.

Chateau Tumbleweed is co-owned by two couples. It is among the first wineries being housed at Four Eight WineWorks, a cooperative started by Maynard James Keenan of Caduceus Cellars to provide an affordable way for winemakers to get started in an industry that typically requires a lot of up-front capital.

At the cooperative, winemakers share facilities at Camp Verde. Wines are poured at the tasting room at a former bank in downtown Clarkdale, a town north of Cottonwood.

Chateau Tumbleweed's winemaker is Joe Bechard, who used to be a winemaker at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville.

A collection of white wines from Chateau Tumbleweed. Miss Sandy Jones, the white blend pictured in the foreground, won double gold at the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Keenan had two wines from different wineries win gold in the white blends over $15 category: Merkin Vineyards Shinola Bianca and Caduceus Cellars Dos Ladrones. The Caduceus offering also won top honors among white wines in the 2014 Arizona Republic Wine Competition.

Javelina Leap won gold in the Zinfandel over $50 category for a Zinfandel made from grapes grown at its Verde Valley property.

Carlson Creek won gold for its Cochise County-grown Chenin Blanc.

Here's an alphabetical list of Arizona wines that won medals in the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Winners were announced in January. Categories are included where appropriate:

• Aridus Chardonnay 2012, Santa Maria, Calif., Silver, Chardonnay $35 to $39.99.

• Aridus Viognier 2013, Arizona, Silver, Viognier $20 and over.

• Aridus Syrah 2012, Russian River, Silver, Syrah/Shiraz $30 to $39.99

• Arizona Angel NV, Muscato, Cochise County, Silver.

• Caduceus Cellars Dos Ladonres 2013, Cochise County, Gold, white blends $15 and over.

• Caduceus Cellars Lei Li 2013, Graham County, Bronze, dry rose.

• Caduceus Cellars VSC Primer Paso 2012, Cochise County, Silver, Syrah/Shiraz $40 and over.

• Caduceus Cellars Nagual del Marzo 2012, Yavapai County, Bronze, red blends over $35.

• Carlson Creek Vineyards Chenin Blanc 2011, Cochise County, Gold.

• Carlson Creek Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Cochise County, Silver.

• Carlson Creek Vineyards Merlot 2012, Cochise County, Silver.

• Carlson Creek Vineyards Chardonnay 2012, Cochise County, Bronze, Chardonnay $20 to $24.99.

A selection of wines from the family-run Carlson Creek Vineyard.

• Carlson Creek Vineyards Sweet Adeline Riesling 2012, Arizona, Bronze.

• Carlson Creek Vineyards Sangiovese 2012, Cochise County, Bronze.

• Carlson Creek Vineyards Rule of Three 2012, Arizona, Bronze, Rhone blends.

• Chateau Tumbleweed Miss Sandy Jones 2013, Cochise County, Double Gold, white blends $15 and over.

• Chateau Tumbleweed The Bigness 2012, Cochise County, Silver, Tempranillo.

• Chateau Tumbleweed Wild Will E. Cox 2012, Cochise County, Silver, all red blends.

• Chateau Tumbleweed Lil' Frankie 2012, Cochise County, Bronze, Bordeaux blends.

• Chateau Tumbleweed Uncle Tannat 2012, Cochise County, Bronze, all other red varietals.

• Golden Rule Vineyards 2nd Chance Zinfandel 2011, Cochise County, Silver, Zinfandel $25 to $29.99.

• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery Legacy Zinfandel 2013, Yavapai County, Gold, Zinfandel $50 and over.

• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery Tempranillo 2013, Cochise County, Silver.

• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery Chenin Blanc 2013, Cochise County, Bronze.

• Javenlina Leap Vineyard & Winery Syrah 2013, Cochise County, Bronze.

• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery Rockslide 2013, Cochise County, Bronze, Bordeaux blends.

• Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery Prospectors Blend 2012, Cochise County, Bronze, all red blends.

• Merkin Vineyards Shinola Bianca 2013, N.M., Gold, White blends $15 and over.

• Merkin Vineyards Tarzan 2013, N.M., Gold, Tempranillo.

• Saeculum Cellars Viognier 2013, Cochise County, Silver, Viognier $20 and over.

• Saeculum Cellars Gallia 2012, Cochise County, Bronze, Bordeaux Blends $30 to $39.99.