1985 Krug ‘Clos du Mesnil’
1960 Quinta do Noval Nacional
1947 Louis Roederer Champagne
2002 Faiveley Musigny
1963 Penfolds Bin 63 Kalimna Cabernet/Eden Valley Shiraz
1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux
2010 DRC LT
1999 DRC LT
1961 Chateau Haut-Brion
Discovery of the year…
Ochota Barrels and Standish. Well priced, fantastic Aussie wineries.
I have to take Discovery of the Year in two ways: a discovery of a new wine itself and the discovery of something that appeals to my palate. A new wine learning experience and a new palate please. So I have a tie and these are:
Robert Biale 2011 Ridge Road Zinfadel – Zinfadel has always been a unique fruity but somewhat heavy grape to me. If you had asked me if I would ever drink one as delicate as a Pinot Noir I’d have said you’re insane… until I drank one. This was absolutely unreal.
Pierre Paillard NV Grower’s Champagne – this crisp, flavorful and perfectly balanced champagne finally tipped me over the edge into becoming a full-on champagne and sparkling wine drinker.
For WOTYs, I simply picked the ones that gave me the most pleasure as I drank them.
Discovery of the year: Did anyone know that they make wine in Bordeaux? Was there last week and had a great time. Discovery was not a new wine but an additional appreciation for Domaine de Chevalier.
Have a Latour, Haut Brion and a Laville Haut Brion Blanc '98 on tap for a special dinner this weekend, so there are still opportunities for de-throning
New “Re-Discovery”:
Kabinett. I have been drinking '12s and now '13s like crazy. Donnhoff and Prum in particular. I forgot how much I loved these wines, and now moreso, it’s one of the very few wines that my wife and I appreciate equally. We found a new sushi joint in Orlando that is off-the-charts good - went 4 times one week - so always bring a bottle of Kabinett. Trying to get the owner to add some quality Kabinetts to his list.
Funny side note, I think I just met my brotha from anotha mutha. So my wife’s tennis team captain is married to a (1) Cuban (2) triathlete/cyclist (3) old world wine afficionado and (4) art buff. So we have common ground across the board, plus both married to complete tennis junkies. Why this weekend is our first get-together baffles me. We are celebrating my wife’s USTA tennis teaming making it to nationals and kicking butt in the 4.5+ division (highest level for women). They only lost to the team that won - California of course - and my wife only lost one match at the top line, winning all other matches. I was home, at work, supporting the family and raising a 15 year old . . . .
2003 Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico la Fabriseria
Whites
1998 Planeta Chardonnay
Champers
Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle
Sweet
2011 Chateau Guiraud
Discovery of the Year
Wines of Sicily: Planeta (Etna Rosso, Santa Cecilia, Chardonnay, etc) and Marache: Umani Ronchi (Cumaro, Campo San Giorgio Conero, and Verdicchio)
Bizarre— I started putting together my ten for the year (so far) yesterday afternoon, before I read found the thread… and here we go.
I have to call it a ten-way tie— the one that kinda floored me was the Valbelle, my private note reading “As good as ANY Southern Rhone bottle I have ever had, the complete package”.
2010 Cabot Vineyards Pinot Noir Anderson Valley
2005 Pax Syrah Obsidian Vineyard
2003 Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
2008 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard
2004 Chateau de Saint-Cosme Gigondas Valbelle
2005 Alban Vineyards Syrah Seymour’s Vineyard
2008 Ladd Cellars Pinot Noir Moore Ranch Vineyard Russian River Valley
2005 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave St. Joseph
2001 Chateau Suduiraut
2003 Chateau Léoville Barton
Ladd, from Berserker Day, was the new discovery— I just remembered to re-load last month.
Jay—you liked the SQN that much, eh? That’s great. And yes re Loren–your soul-buddy
Antoine–if Jono served it you knew it would be good before it left the bottle
Neal—you have to appreciate that a) a fair portion of my overall experience in classifying my WOTYs can come from circumstances and atmosphere—it was part of a very special day at FMIII’s, and b) I am just starting to come out of cranky doesn’t-care-for-champagne herethick-ness, and in 2-3 years, I might indeed realize and understand that the Ruinart would blow away any niggardly Cali Chard.
Charlie—I just wanted to give everyone some perspective as to the competition that the D’Yquem was able to grind under its sugar crystals. Now if only I had anything approaching a running back of the year in Fantasy Football…
Howard—so glad you had a great visit in Bordeaux. Only hard part was missing you and Nancy in DC.
Tran—a suspicious number of non-sweet wines in your list. Corrupting influence seems to be expanding
That’s normally tough, particularly if one must narrow it down to a single bottle of wine. However, this year I have a clear winner.
2008 Aubert Reuling Vineyard Chardonay. The most perfect expression of Chardonnay I’ve ever tasted.
The Surprise WOTY for me was a recently consumed 2007 Hourglass Blueline Cab Franc. A lot of Cellartrackers didn’t think it did justice to this varietal, however not being a Cab Franc aficionado, I thought it was utterly