2021 wines that impacted you

What wine had the most impact on you in 2021?

Maybe it drove you to explore a different region, varietal or wine type;
Maybe it lead you to buy more expensive or more affordable bottles;
Maybe to start drinking younger or older wines;
Maybe it even just reconfirmed with a much deeper clarity that some certain wine, varietal, region, type, characteristic… is still your favorite or most important to you;
Or maybe something entirely different than above.

For me it was - 2008 Bollinger La Grande Annee (drank on Jan. 1, 2021)

it showed me that although sparkling wines may not be my thing (yet), I can certainly be wowed by one and that I have not explored them enough to write them off.

Every Laherte Freres I tried.

Moulin Touchais 1982 Chenin Blanc. First time drinking something like this and really expanded my thinking. Almost like grand cru sauterne (at a fraction of the price).

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Eben Sadie’s “Pofadder”, drank around the end of the year entrenched Cinsault in the list of varietals that I will actively look for now. I have a couple of wines from Bechthold Vineyard on their way to me already.

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Inexpensive finds
2018 Mas Donis Old Vines - $14
2018 and 2019 Paring syrah - $22
WOTY - probably Tynan 2014 Cab. One of the most unique Napa cabs I’ve ever had.

I like CJ’s reply above, as I too bought and opened a lot of Laherte Freres. So many solid, consistent wines, especially the BdB Brut Nature and the Rose de Meunier.

But for me, what really struck me and resonated was the beauty, consistency and balance of Laurent Champ’s wines from Vilmart. So many excellent bottles, across the range, and I just kept reloading it and wondering why I hadn’t made this deeper connection to his wines previously. And sh#t, I had been buying and drinking the wines hard for the past 5 years for so. Such a wonderful producer, one that consistently brings me a sense of joy bottle after bottle. The 2006 Coeur de Cuvee was my WOTY in 2021. I plan to buy a lot more of the wines this year and anchor them in my cellar as some of its best.

2014 Marie Courtin Champagne Efflorescence. In 2021 I started my journey into champagne and this is the first bottle to really show me how complex and interesting a bottle of champagne can be. Really opened my eyes to world of champagne and how great a bottle can be

Drank a lot of great wines but the ones that I haven’t forgotten are on a shorter list. This year reaffirmed that I enjoy more finessed and elegant older wines over the sheer power and big fruit of younger wines. In my champagne I’ve found that vinous, mineral and pinot noir driven wines have been stealing the show over the blanc de blancs I used to heavily prefer.

Egly Ouriet BdN Crayeres
2002 Ruinart Rose
2008 Paul Bara Comtesse Marie
1995 Dom Oeno
1990 Juge Saint Peray
1928 Lafite
1967 Marey Monge RSV
1941 Simi Vineyard Sonoma Cab
1993 Bertheau Amoureuses

champagne.gif

Dude… [winner.gif] [worship.gif]

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Fu shared a 1990 Krug clos mesnil. Raised the internal bar of how good a great champagne can be.

That Pofadder is usually a stellar bottle that shows off the delicate and wonderful nature of the variety. It’ll be interesting to compare/contrast with those working with the Bechtold Vineyard with that epic wine. You might also search out Thatcher’s version from Paso - they really do a nice job with their estate fruit.

Cheers.

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My three wines I thought about so much that I had to track down more bottles:

2015 Lucien Aviet Trousseau Rosier - my WOTY
2016 ArPePe Rosso di Valtellina - best value
2016 Domaine de Belliviere Hommage a Louis Derre Pineau d’Aunis - most inspirational.

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2017 Anselmo Mendes Alvarinho Parcela Única: I always liked Alvarinho but this was a step up. It showed me that this is a grape to take seriously. It can take on wood (new wood) and show wonderful texture. It’s the first time I purchased an Alvarinho to cellar as I want to see it evolve with age. I had a similar aha moment with Melon de Bourgogne, some years ago, when I drank a 2006 Domaine du Haut Bourg Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu Origine.

2013 Radikon Oslavje: I love Radikon.
2014 Radikon Jakot: I hate Radikon.

1999 Musar in magnum. I dropped it on my toe. Kept the bottle from breaking, but damn it hurt!

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2018 Failla Occidental Ridge Pinot Noir - Changed my understanding of what can be achieved for pinot noir in California. While I’ve had many many CA PNs, none previously at this stunning level and balance of intensity and grace.

2011 Pegau Cuvee Reservee CdP - After years of flirting elsewhere, came back to an old friend and it made me realize how much I’ve been missing. Nothing from anywhere else is like this.

2008 Dom Perignon - I previously posted this ruined me since I want every Champagne to drink like this but be priced like a daily drinker. Now exploring the genre a whole lot more.

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Some lessons from 2021:
1985, 1996, 2016 Lynch Bages: I like LB
2001 Le Vieux Donjon: Don’t chase and buy a lot of bottles based on one showing, especially of an older wine
2004 Giuseppe Rinaldi Ravera: With current wine prices, its not always chase producer, producer producer
2005 Montrose: Trust in William Kelley I do
2011 Faiveley Beze: A fool and his money are soon parted
2012 Rousseau Charmes: So this is Rousseau! Amazing stuff
2013 Alessandria Monvigliero: I need more experience in following wines over time (this wine evolved darker than I expected it to)
2013 Arlaud Clos de la Roche: 2013 burgs are coming around/better than I expected (although not my thing)
2015 Allemand Chaillot: So this is what Cornas can do
2016 William Mary Shifflet Ranch: The gap between California and riper quality Bordeaux is not that wide
2016 Vietti Ravera: Opening a wine too young for curiousity is foolish (and his/her money is soon parted)
2016 Burlotto Monvigliero: When double blinded, the herd fragments violently
2017 Mugneret Gibourg Vosne: First time I appreciated the Sisters
2019 Burlotto Langhe: An awesome time can be had for $30
2019 Goodfellow Lewman Heritage: Oregon is not Burgundy, but is underpriced to Burgundy

I had a lot of great wines that I kinda knew i would love. Some even blew my mind like aged Allemand, Conterno and some Ganevat’s… but the wine that i had which will have the biggest impact going forward was:

2014 Baudry La Croix Boissée.

I had kinda disregarded Loire CF because the handful i had tasted was disappointing/uninteresting. But this was an amazing wine.

Bought 25 bottles of Baudry or so, for aging, after that.

And 2022 will be the year where i explore CF more and find the producers i will buy going forward.

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1996 DRC Richebourg was a revelation: excellent, but angels didn’t descend from heaven. It didn’t transcend categories, nor haunt my dreams. The whole experience partially cured me of my DRC FOMO, and I owe the person who brought it a debt of gratitude

2017 Louis Michel, Grenouilles - as impressive a young Chablis as I’ve ever had.

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More directly to the question as it was asked - with a red, white, rose and sparkler

2016 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon Sunbasket Vineyard - yes wines like this are still made in Napa, with precision, grace and balance

2010 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia - compelling wine

2015 Benoit Dehu Champagne Cuvée De L’Orme - 2015 gets a bad rap in Champagne, but this was utterly delicious

2016 Ramey Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard - Puligny in California