WOYLsf ?

How about the ONE wine that is the “Wine Of Your Life so far” (the obvious qualifier because we are all still drinking wine and who knows what is just around the bend). NO lists please, Just ONE! Mine: 2004 Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon. Purchased a single bottle about 10 years ago at a local wine tasting. Opened for a birthday celebration in 2017. Hard for me to imagine a more beautiful wine, but my mind is open.

1996 Dalla Valle cab. Completely changed my view of red wine in general, and cabernet in particular.

1998 Penfolds Grange. Shared by a generous friend.

1998 Grange… another beauty that I had a chance to sip thanks to a friend.

2002 Stags Leap Cask 23. The one that started it all for me.

2007 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon- loved it at a restaurant and my search to buy more led me to my first direct from winery purchase, CT and this place and the start of my wine purchase addiction.

The bottle of 1970 La Fleur Pétrus I opened during one of my wife’s birthday dinners (just us with our 3 sons). I’ve had the Pétrus of the same vintage (with wino friends); and, though, strictly objectively, it was a “superior” wine, the ‘70 La Fleur Pétrus, to me, was much more enjoyable and memorable.

78 Rousseau Chambertin. Amazeballs

2003 Shafer HSS the finish on that wine was nothing I have ever experienced, and if you left the glass empty for a few minutes it was pure bliss to smell

45 Vogue Musigny from an amazing bottle with a friend at a little French bistro where we had duck livers and then duck, each having half the bottle over three hours. In the late 90s, bottle cost about $400 as I recall . . . Couldn’t afford to buy the second bottle from the retailer at that time but went back the next day to try, and it was of course gone.

After many excellent and a few truly great wines, still most memorable: 2001 Chateau d’Yquem in 2007. Ethereal.
Close second: 97 Opus One with my wife on the Pacific Princess (the original Love Boat) sailing the Mediterranean in about 2000.

2000 Chateau Talbot I wasn’t expecting such an experience, but I served this to my family for Christmas and was blown away by this bottle.

Same as our moderator’s, but different year, 1983 Rousseau Chambertin…amazing, never thought wine (or any beverage) could have this level of complexity–a couple more burgs have gotten in that neighborhood since, but this is still the paradigm for me for all a great wine can be.

1989 Yquem for me; the first truly great wine that I had in my short wine drinking career. My notes: “An indescribable happy smell” which seems to sum it up quite succintly

1970 Petrus

1985 Sassicaia and 1991 Rousseau Chambertin Clos-de-Beze

This is such a very hard question. It is like naming your favorite child.

If I had to play…

I would have to say 1948 DRC Grands Echezeaux in magnum at Bern’s and a delicious bottle of 1971 Vogue Musigny when I was
just starting to enjoy Burgundy that rocked my world. Thanks Bill for sharing that one. I could put 50 to 60 others here that would at one time have made me think.

1865 Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Coronation 1911

And there’s really not a close second.

1994 Dominus…purchased a 6-pack when released…consumed all six within two years (couldn’t keep my hands off them)…discovered that local Ruth’s Chris had them on the list for $120 per…consumed their six over the next year…traded five bottles of $50 cab with my ex-boss for his last bottle…which I still have.

A fantastic 1955 Roumier Bonnes Mares, which was virtually perfect. Helped by the fact that 55 is my birth year, but I declared it my WOTN before the vintage was unblinded.