OK, I’ve waited long enough 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.
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
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
2000 Clos St. Martin (the nose on this after a couple hours of Air was ridiculously gorgeous)
2002 Switchback Petite Sirah (so much concentration of fruit, layers and a long long finish - very sensual experience)
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:
2008 Dos Lagos Cabernet
Albarino… Albarino and more Albarino (never much into White wine until trip to Spain and experiencing great Albarino.
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
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.
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)