Starts Now! Scoop the Spectator 2013

Update: 11/15/2013

Wine Spectator has announced the winning wine:

2004 Cune Imperial Gran Riserva 95WS/$63/4,000 cases produced

Since nobody guessed the no. 1 and no.2 wines our winner goes to Scott B with his selection of the 2010 Domaine Serene Evenstad Pinot Noir. Scott's guess was first in this year, and he also won last year by selecting the Shafer Relentless. Congratulations Scott!

Thanks to Grapes the Wine Co for once again sponsoring this contest. By testifying at this week's hearings at the State House, Grapes the Wine Co has done as much for wine consumers as any retailer I know. He is a true wine advocate. Sign up for his excellent mailing list here

Availability of the winning wine vaporized faster than I've ever seen. I mentioned it in this list of 10 WoTY candidates you can actually buy. It's gone now. Given the production levels I suspect we'll see it available in retailer offers - but at what price? Time to start scouring dusty retailer shelves off the grid.

This post serves as the official beginning of Scoop the Spectator 2013. This is the fourth year we've run this contest. The idea? To guess Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year before they announce it and prices for that wine shoot through the roof.

Last year's winner -- the 2008 Shafer Relentless -- was a $60 release price wine that now sells for over $200 (if you can find it). Fortunately, that wine was a rare case where the follow-on vintage also scored 95 points and is still somewhat available at or near release price.

This year we're playing for a $200 Amazon.com gift card - sponsored by New York wine retailer Grapes the Wine Company (mystery shopper store review).

The Spectator unveiling begins Monday, November 11th 2013. Our contest runs from right now - Monday, November 4th 2013 at 9:00 am Eastern to Friday, November 8th 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern.

Here are the rules we're playing by:

1. Guesses are submitted as comments to this blog post. Select a specific bottling and include the vintage. For example, one of the past winners was the 2005 Columbia Crest Columbia Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Another was the 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles. Here's a link to last year's entries as a reference to see how this works.
2. One guess per person.
3. The first person to guess a specific wine "owns" that wine as their entry.  Subsequent guesses of the same wine aren't useful so look at the previous comments before submitting your entry.
4. If nobody guesses the Wine of Year, the guess with the highest position on the list will win the prize.
5. Not that they'd try, but Wine Spectator editors aren't allowed to enter.  And if you have inside information please don't spoil the fun for others by entering.  But if you do know please E-mail me and let me know. ;)
6. The winner will receive a $200 Amazon.com gift card.

This contest is sponsored by Grapes the Wine Company - a fantastic New York wine retailer. Sign up for their newsletter. If you like wine deals like I do you won't be disappointed. My thanks to owner Daniel Posner for this sponsorship.

Subscribe to The Wellesley Wine Press to receive email notifications as the contest unfolds