WOTYs 2014 (and Discoveries)---TABULATION COMPLETE (post 159)

OK, I’ve waited long enough [grin.gif] And I did search and didn’t see another thread—if one is started, my apologies and will gladly shunt my list over there.

List is, of course, subject to change over the next month and a half…

To give people some help, this thread from earlier in the year by Scott.

I’ve had quite some year. In trying to pare down the list, I’ve had to e.g. only take the top 2 wines from FallTacular, the top 2 wines from the whole Burgundy/Bordeaux trip…and I still have 20 wines. However, top of the pops is my first EVER 100 pointer. On those rare times I added a score, I’ve added it here.

2001 Chateau D’Yquem (100)
1929 L.A. Montoy Corton Clos du Roy (95)
1996 Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux
2009 Araujo Eisele Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
2012 Liquid Farm White Hill Chardonnay
2012 Carlisle 2 Acres
2011 Pearl Morissette Cuvee Persephone Cab Franc
2004 Flor de Pingus Ribera del Duero
2006 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
2006 Lamborn Serendipity Zinfandel
1977 Dow VP
2001 Z-H Pinot Gris Clos St. Urbain Rangen den Thann
2007 Dugat-Py Gevrey Chambertin La Chappelle
2004 Kracher #1 NV Zweigelt TBA
2009 Kutch McDougall Vineyard Pinot Noir
2004 Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles (96)
2004 Weingut Knoll Smaragd Ried Loibenberg Loibner Riesling (94)
2007 Olivier Leflaive Corton Charlemagne
2002 Robert Arnoux Clos Vougeots
2009 Chateau Climens

Discovery—this was kind of a tie. 2010 Domaine Bott Guyl Riesling Schlossberg is what I term the “Puligny of Riesling”, such a different and riveting expression. I was also treated to a taste of the Don Salvador Lopez Hermanos Malaga Moscato by Mikhail Lipyanskiy while in NYC last week, an amazing experience…the wine finished 10th on that trip, but quite something for a wine I’ve known nothing about.

Let’s have 'em. As last year, I will do some analysis and tabulation at the end of the year.

Slainte,

Mike

I will have to give this some thought, but last New Years Eve, but after midnight, I had the 01 Yquem and that was a 100 pointer too.

Syrah
2012 Quivet Cellars Syrah Hulda Block Las Madres Vineyard –QPR Syrah of the year --Again.

Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard
2008 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
2012 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard
2012 Fairchild Sigaro Cabernet sauvignon
2012 Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon QPR Cab of the year.

Pinot Noir (new and exciting category for me!)
2013 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard- QPR Pinot of the year
2012 Sojourn Pinot Noir, Rodgers Creek, Sonoma Coast
2009 Littorai Roman Vineyard

My personal discoveries are Sandler and Becklyn.

WOTY 1959 Ausone
Discovery 1964 De Maizieres Bonnes Mares

WOTY:

Red: 2007 Saxum Heart Stone

White: 2012 SQN In the Abstract

Discovery:

Cahors - triggered by 2009 Le Combal Cahors that I had up north of the border. I only rated it 87 points, probably because I was in a bad mood, but I finally found a Malbec that I liked. I have tasted 50+ Argentinian Malbecs, including about 30 in day at a Lauber tasting, and none of them did anything for me. However, this wine made me want to go out and find better quality wines from Cahors because for the price, it was very nice. Unfortunately, aged ones do not seem to pop up at auction and even new ones are hard to find

La Tache 2008…offered by Jonathan B at the WIMPS. Was pretty special and quite open at such a young age. Plenty of other great wines.

These 3 blew me away!

  1. 2000 Clos St. Martin (the nose on this after a couple hours of Air was ridiculously gorgeous)
  2. 2002 Switchback Petite Sirah (so much concentration of fruit, layers and a long long finish - very sensual experience)
  3. 2005 Chateau Bellevue Mondotte (pop and pour so though a bit restrained the density of flavor was intense. Probably would have been my favorite had I let it breathe more.

Runner Ups:

  1. 2008 Dos Lagos Cabernet
  2. Albarino… Albarino and more Albarino (never much into White wine until trip to Spain and experiencing great Albarino.

Darn, gotta search my notes now [swoon.gif]

In no order
'96 Parusso Busia Vigna
'99 Jadot Clos de la Roche
'82 La Chapelle

Discovery = Noval Nacional

Wow. That Dom Ruinart didn’t make your top 20? And comes behind Liquid Farm?

2002 Sine Qua Non Syrah Just For the Love of It
2001 Château d’Yquem
2008 Kapcsandy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Grand Vin) State Lane Vineyard
2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia
2004 Clos Erasmus Priorat
2005 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
2005 Sine Qua Non Syrah Atlantis Fe2O3~1a, b & c
2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard
2007 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul
2003 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Thorevilos

Discovery: Quivet Syrah

These four got the highest score (94) from me in 2014:

2001 Mugnier Musigny
1997 Clos de Tart
2001 Arcadian Gary’s Pinot Noir
2001 Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra


Discovery (for me):
2012 Donnhoff Niederhuauser Hermannshohle Riesling GG. Had not had a GG before.
1993 Catherine and Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Perrieres. Wow, such a delight to happen upon an aged Loire Cab Franc.


Cheers,
Doug

When you said Wine of the Year I was thinking one wine, not 100 ;p.

Red - 78 Dujac Charmes Chambertin
White - 88 Carillon Ben Batard Montrachet/69 Leroy Montrachet

I probably will add to this list as the year goes on (and as I remember what I had), but a few are:

Confuron Romanee St. Vivant 2002
Haut Brion 1970
Mugneret-Gibourg Echezeaux 1999
Ridge Montebello 1985
Chateau Montelena 1991
Truchot Clos de la Roche 2002
Ramonet Chassagne Montrachet Vergers 2009
Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Auslese No.1 1995
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 1990
d’Yquem 2011

Charlie is the 88 BBM from the rerelease ?

no clue. I think Mr. England brought it, so he’d have to tell you. I wish I bought more of the re-release stuff, drank through it so fast. sigh

Red - 1970 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva
White - 2007 Jacques Prieur Montrachet
Bubbles - 2000 Recaredo Cava Turo d’en Mota (slow year in this department)

I haven’t popped the BBM yet. Waiting for something Carillon worthy.

All of these were on roughly the same level for me:

78, 83, 90, 91 Chave
Selosse Initial
Selosse Rosé
2002 Leflaive Pucelles
2000 Raveneau Valmur
1986, 1990 Lafite
2004 Allemand Reynard
2005 Rayas
1890 D’Oliveiras Verdelho

The discovery was Selosse. I’ve tasted lots of good Champagne but this was the first one that really made me want to buy up to $$$.

If pressed I might pick the 83 Chave and the Pucelles (thanks, Steve Doi!) as my favorites. Both fantastic wines drinking so well now.

Only a few of these were my bottles. Thanks to all of you who shared these and many other great wines!

Will have to do some research for WOTY.

Discovery of the year for me is tough, but I am going to give it to Idlewild Wines. I am really enjoying their Italian variety wines.