Some of my favorites this year from a wide spectrum of price points.
Bubbles - Rare 2002 / Schramsberg Reserve 2005 / C. Heidsieck 2005 Rose Reserve
Red - Sena 2016 / 1988 Spring Mountain Cabernet
White - Wagner Caywood East 2017 / Jean-Marc Vincent 1er Montagny 2014
Sticky - Rieussec 2005 / Donnafugata Ben Rye 2016
Impossible question but I’ll try. Breaking it down by the regions where I drink a critical mass:
Red Burg: 2000 La Tache
White Burg: 1999 Leflaive Montrachet
N. Rhone: 2010 Jamet Cote Rotie ‘Cote Brune’
Champagne: 2008 Veuve Grande Dame Rose (beating out some very good Krug/Dom/Cristal)
QPR: 2014 Kutch SCM / 2015 Lumpp Givry ‘Clos du Cras Long’
1988 Château d’Yquem
1996 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon
1958 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva
2004 Dom Perignon Champagne
2016 Pax Syrah Sonoma Hillsides
1991 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée 3.14
2005 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie La Chavaroche
2007 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares
2008 Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard
The ones that really made a lasting impression (the ones I remembered without looking at the list) were the Levet, Foillard, Borgogno, Allemand, and Yquem.
Been an amazing year. I can’t imagine it gets much better than this by year end. Here’s my lucky eight:
2016 Domaine Dujac Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières
2013 Xavier Gerard Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
2010 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
1988 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé La Grande Dame
2008 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée
2016 Clos Saint Joseph Syrah Côtes de Provence
2006 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne
2011 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne
If I were to pick just one: 1970 Taittinger in outrageously good shape. Creamy petillance, rich, spicy, butterscotchy heaven with the teeniest tiniest oxidative note
1981 LdH Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco
2012 Bedrock Exposition One Weill Vineyard
2015 Bernabeleva Garnacha de Vina Bonita
2001 Climens
1970 Taylor Fladgate
1985 Huet Le Mont Moelleux
Krug 165eme
Mostly Champagne, which is where my palate and budget seems to be headed warp speed the past few years. Probably the best wine I had all year has to be that Savart Expression. Simply beautiful and have the dumb luck of one left, too.
2013 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d’Or
2015 Kutch Sonoma Coast PN
2012 Marguet Père et Fils Champagne La Grande Ruelle Ambonnay
2012 Savart Expression Nature Ecueil
2010 Tercero Verbiage (Rouge) Santa Barbara County