What is your best low-rated or non-rated wine, this year?

WINE TALK
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1993 Judd’s Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.

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2005 B.V. Georges de Latour. WS84 and drinking beautifully right now.

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Red: 2003 Nervi Gattinara ($23)
White: 2000 Thunder Mountain Chardonnay Beauregard Ranch ($25)

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1995 Chateau Musar Rosé - Just an epic wine…and totally different from my first experience with it in June last year. (Somewhere around $55 I think)

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Thunder Mountain, now that’s one from the past. Milan was a good guy. He held court several times at offlines in conjunction with Hospice du Rhone and recommended decanting his chards.

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I had read that Thunder mountain reds were drinking well so when I saw a bottle of his chard on Winebid, I jumped at the chance to try it since I love aged Cali Chards. It was quite beautiful, with carmelized meyer lemon, nuts, white florals and furniture polish. It remained delicious over two nights so I can imagine that decanting it when it was younger would have been a good thing. ABV of 14.9% but wine carried it effortlessly.

Wish I could find more…

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Do critics even bother to post any score under 88 anymore? It’s rare to see even a 90, unless it’s an inexpensive wine where that score would be worth bragging about.

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Perhaps the two best wines I’ve had this year weren’t rated by any critic that I’m aware of:

1998 Clos Roche Blanche Côt
2000 Clos Roche Blanche Sauvignon

I gave each 96 points on my “what number jumps to mind” admittedly imprecise and almost certainly non-reproduceable rating system, the highest rating I think I’ve given this year.

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2013 Briceland Vineyards Pinot Noir Phelps Vineyard—drank over 8 nights, used Coravin, remarkable depth, great balance and acidity.

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I had an older Spanna in the early summer that was just terrific…

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Hi Robert,

I am glad you enjoyed that one. Thanks for posting.

As usual, I am almost out of that about the time is starts to drink nicely.

I guess I should put aside a case or two for myself. [cheers.gif]

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he was a good guy. The wines were dumped at fire sale prices after his untimely death. Love the label.

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2001 Hubert Lignier MSD 1er Cru VV, 90 pointers by some pros but easily one of the best 1er in a long long time. I am willling to pitch it against any 1er Cru, Amoureuses and CSJ included.

For Bordeaux, it would be 2012 Chateau Peyrabon, about US$12 a bottle but as good as many 5x its price.

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1988 Columbia Crest Grand Estate Merlot

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True of a lot of pre-2002 CA Cabs. Especially from the mid 90s and back. Just picked up some 96/99 Arrowwood for a pittance. The older mid 90s & back Mondavi Reserves are excellent and reasonably priced for what they offer.

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2006 Economou Liatiko from Crete. Fascinating stuff that combines aspects of Piedmont, Burgundy, and Ribera del Duero.

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Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon 1994, just $190 for a full case, was a very recent WineHunter prey.
The wine rating was not so low or non-existent, but unappealing to point-chasers.

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Renaissance cabs and cab blends. Any of them!

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I posted this in another thread, but this non-rated wine is the best American wine that I’ve had this year (and it’s not even close):

The palate showed cool black fruit, graphite, green tobacco, oregano and violets. The palate is at once concentrated and restrained. Medium bodied and light on the tongue with fine-grained tannins and good acidity. Well balanced with a long cool menthol finish. This will continue to improve for another 10 years and has the structure to drink well 25 years from vintage.

This bears a strong resemblance to the 1986 La Mission Haut Brion. How can a 100% Petit Verdot from Humboldt County be so similar to a First Growth quality Bordeaux (that doesn’t contain PV)? Yet this Wine is also quite unique. Genuinely mind-blowing. 12 cases made from Organic grapes. 13.4%ABV. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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I’m glad you liked it Rob, but you need to stop drinking out of a thimble.

Glad to hear; I bought a bunch of them and will pop my first this weekend.