Again, thanks to everyone who participated across a few different threads. From that collection of data, I was able to parse through 610 entries.
We sure do have a pretty broad diversity. Somewhere around 250 different wineries were mentioned. There was some fun in that a 3-year vertical of MacDonald, 2014, 2015 and 2016 got different people’s vote for one of their wines of the year. The Pax, the 3 votes for that were the ONLY votes for any Pax by anyone, also fun. I think the oldest wine was from the 1860s and the youngest from 2017.
Soooo…
Well, 2 winners actually. My early line prediction held. With four votes each, the 2010 Coche-Dury Corton Charlemagne and the 2002 Krug carry the day. The 02 Krug was one of a number of wines in the show position back in 2016. This is Coche’s first time to crack the top 3 in any year since I’ve been keeping track (2013)
Two wines also shared the “show” position this year. I well remember some people’s comments when I talked about my first taste of the only wine in the 16,500 or so that I’ve tried which has yet merited a perfect score from me. The statements were something like “this is the one wine that doesn’t seem to have any but the highest praise from everyone”. So it has been through these WOTY compilations, with the 2001 D’Yquem getting 3 votes this year after finishing top of table last year and in 2014 and in the 2nd place position in 2016.
The other show wine was a big surprise for me! The 2016 Pax Sonoma Hillsides Syrah picked up 3 votes. There were at least 8 wines with 2 votes each, but I won’t list all those here.
In terms of house numbers, D’Yquem is best with 15 mentions, then Krug with 13 and DRC with 12. Coche had 9 votes and Ramonet showed very strongly this year with 9 as well. Same with Latour, 9 votes. The other houses getting over 5 votes, many of them the usual suspects on this tour:
Allemand: 5
Arcadian: 6
Rousseau: 8
Giacosa: 6
Haut-Brion: 5
Rayas: 6
Chave: 8
Dom: 6
Domaine Leflaive: 6, a nice comeback for them
Giuseppe Rinaldi: 6, also very nice to see!
Huet: 5
Mugneret-Gibourg: 5
Rhys: 5
Trimbach: 6
Cults? Well, Scarecrow, Abreu, Colgin each got one vote. Screaming Eagle and Harlan? NA-DA. Schrader? one vote.
Biggest surprise for me was SQN checking in with only 3 votes. That is very low for them. Bevan has been up a little in the past, but only one mention this year. Just one Rouget, two Roumiers, one Dagueneau and one Clos Rougeard. No Prager–none at all. In Bordeaux, a li’l surprised that Ausone did not make anyone’s list. And there was no—ZERO–Roulot. Super-surprised at that.
OK, c’est tout. My OP is below. Until next year everyone.
Mike
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As always, if anyone knows of any “halfway through the year” threads that I have missed, please post the links and I will be happy to incorporate those threads/wines into the final tabulations.
Let’s get to work. No surprise there was huge difficulty paring the list down to 22. Some really fine stuff did not make it on.
DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR: I continue to think back on how much fun I had drinking the Rucksack Barbera Rose from El Dorado county. Boy that stuff was good. A 2011 Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannsholle Ries Spat basically completed my conversion to German Ries as a good thing. Am I allowed to nominate a non-wine? If so, Cava de Oro Gran Anejo Tequila absolutely knocked my socks off. It is unlike anything I’ve ever had before.
WOTY LIST (scores beside the wines where the description moved me to score)
The 01 D’Yquem had the highest score but I disqualify any previous winners from coming first again. My note on the current leader, the Meo CC
“Sniffadeedoodah aromatics which are part pear, part ginger, part almond extract and mostly mystery. A sensational delight dans la bouche, so sleek yet subtle power here too, with requisite freshness and already very sublimely expressive. All you can want in a white burg and in the WOTY discussion for me. Pure magic.”
The Monfortino gave it very strong competition
1961 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
2001 Chateau Suduiraut
2001 Nicholas Joly Coulee de Serrant (94-95)
2008 Chave Hermitage Blanc (94)
1998 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow PN
1998 Elio Altare Barolo Brunate
2012 Hospice Meursault Genevrieres Cuvee Philip le Bon (Drouhin Elevage)
2001 Chateau D’Yquem (98+)
1996 Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux 1er Trie
2005 Jacques Prieur Musigny
1995 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou
2010 Pichler M Gruner Veltliner
2009 Copain James Berry Roussanne
2015 Meo Camuzet Corton Charlemagne
1993 Chateau Pazjos Tokaji Eszencia
2016 Rhys Alpine Chard
2016 Limerick Lane Rocky Knoll Zin (94)
2012 Coche Dury Bourgogne Rouge (96)
1995 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino (96+)
2007 Chateau Rieussec
2005 Drouhin Griottes Chambertin
2015 Damien Laureau Les Genets Savennieres (93)
Looking forward to everyone’s submissions. As in past years, I will tabulate everything once New Year’s is past.
Sante,
Mike