End of the year reflection - Best of 2011

WINE TALK
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What was your favorite wine of the Year?
2001 d’Yquem X 2

What was your favorite red wine of the Year?
1994 Karl Lawrence Reserve Herb Lamb Vineyard

What was your favorite white wine of the Year?
2007 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese

What was your favorite effervescent wine of the Year?
1996 Krug

What was your biggest new producer discovery of the year?
Donnhoff

What was your favorite tasting of the year?
At Outpost with TRB and Segui

What was region did you start getting into this year that was new for you?
German Riesling

What wine disappointed you this year?
The new Mark Herold wines…specifically the reds. He needs to stick to cabernet sauvignon and not try to get creative.

What was your favorite QPR this year?
Take your pick from the nice Cameron Hughes lineup of Northern CA reds

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I am fascinated at how many people said they started getting into Riesling or wines from Germany or Alsace this year. What has been the catalyst?

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Reading about it here, and actually being able to source the wines. TX is notorious (to me at least) as a barren wasteland for riesling and Champagne. I was able to get some from Garagiste, Posner and a couple local shops that happened to have some. As of last weekend, I had physical possession of seven cases of “higher” end German Riesling. That is up from zero bottles a year ago. I think my holdings now are on par with Napa Cabs for me.

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Disclose local shops please.

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Bill, here is your assignment for 2012:

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I’ll answer as many as I can…

What was your favorite wine of the Year?
ENJOYED EVERY BOTTLE OF ALLEMAND REYNARD I TASTED THIS YEAR. 06,05, 04 VINTAGES - CANT PICK A FAVORITE

What was your favorite red wine of the Year?
SEE ABOVE

What was your favorite white wine of the Year?
DIDN’T HAVE ONE AS I DRINK SOOOO FEW WHITES - BUT EXCITED ABOUT EXPLORING THE WINES OF ROULOT IN 2012

What was your favorite effervescent wine of the Year?
DIDN’T DRINK MANY - BUT SHARED A STELLAR BOTTLE OF THE NV ANDRE CLOUT CUVEE 1911 (95,96,97) WITH FRIENDS - IT GAVE ME MORE PLEASURE THAN A RECENT 96 SALON

What was your biggest new producer discovery of the year?
DIDNT DISCOVER HIM THIS YEAR, BUT DRANK A BIT MORE ALLEMAND - NOW A CORE LIST PRODUCER FOR ME
LEVET - BRAND NEW TO ME - ENJOYED FIRST EXPOSURE - AND WILL EXPLORE FURTHER

What was your favorite tasting of the year?
A RECENT BURGUNDY GATHERING HELD AT MY HOUSE - THE WINES, FOOD, AND PEEPS WERE ALL GREAT! Or all the barrel tastings in Burgundy!

What was region did you start getting into this year that was new for you?
REALLY BEGAN FOCUSING ON BURGUNDY - VISITED THE REGION - AND STARTED A TASTING GROUP TO FOCUS ON THE WINES

What wine disappointed you this year? SOMEONE BROUGHT A 61 BDX TO A TASTING I ATTENDED- CAN’T REMEMBER WHICH PRODUCER - IT WAS COOKED - WOULD HAVE BEEN MY FIRST 61.

What was your favorite QPR this year?
2009 GUION BOURGUEIL CUVEE DOMAINE

I add to the list…

Favorite New Wine Book?
Jasper Morris’ Wines of Burgundy

Favorite Newsletter?
John Gilman’s View from the Cellar

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I’m lazy and only answering one question. But was fairly surprised when I sorted my CT notes for 2011 to find this was my top scoring wine. I bought it from a bargain bin and figured it might be over the hill. Perhaps my low expectations contributed to its high performance. But IIRC, it really was pretty damn good.

2003 Clendenen Family Vineyards Petit Verdot “Bien Nacido Estate Plantings” (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley)

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The Spec’s mothership in Houston on Smith St.

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What was your favorite wine of the Year?
- 2001 Armand Rousseau Chambertin

What was your favorite red wine of the Year?
- 2001 Armand Rousseau Chambertin

What was your favorite white wine of the Year?
- 2000 Dauvissat Les Clos

What was your favorite effervescent wine of the Year?
- 1995 Taittinger Blanc de Blancs CdC

What was your biggest new producer discovery of the year?
- Ghislaine Barthod

What was your favorite tasting of the year?
_- Without question, this one: Invalid event - CellarTracker

What was region did you start getting into this year that was new for you?
- None really…got even more into Burgundy which is still kinda new for me.

What wine disappointed you this year?
- 1994 Guigal La Mouline - a very off bottle…not corked, didn’t seem cooked, just was off.

What was your favorite QPR this year?
- 2009 Shannon Vineyards Pinot Noir Rockview Ridge

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To really get into German wines, drink more “lower” end German Riesling. I love good Kabinetts and Spatlesen and the values they provide.

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What was your favorite wine of the Year?

1997 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss

What was your favorite red wine of the Year?

1997 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss

What was your favorite white wine of the Year?

1996 Château de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes Vendanges Tardives

What was your favorite effervescent wine of the Year?

1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon

What was your biggest new producer discovery of the year?

Not all that applicable, as this is my first year in to being serious about wine consumption and purchasing. Nearing the end of the year, I’ve been trying to get more of a grasp on Burgundy.

What was your favorite tasting of the year?

A toss up between a tasting of 1982 Bordeaux on my birthday, or a tasting done with Joe Gallo last month. Both exceptional experiences

What was region did you start getting into this year that was new for you?

Again, not really applicable.

What wine disappointed you this year?

Not a tremendous disappointment, but the 2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne was not worth the money

What was your favorite QPR this year?

Not really QPRs by most people’s standards, but I received an immense amount of pleasure and joy from consuming the 2000 Château Brane-Cantenac, 2001 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle, and 1996 Château de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes Vendanges Tardives at reasonable costs (~$80, ~$100, $39, respectively).

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What was your favorite wine of the Year?
1990 Leroy Romanee St. Vivant
What was your favorite red wine of the Year?
1991 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze (these wines were both, essentially, perfect and enjoyed with great complay. Impossible to choose between one or the other).

What was your favorite white wine of the Year?
Not a banner year, at least to this point, but a 1993 Trimbach Frederic Emile Vendage Tardive with a great piece of foie stands out in my memeory. Either that or a '93 Ramonet Batard.
What was your favorite effervescent wine of the Year?
So many to choose from. Maybe 1999 Egly-Ourier Grand Cru.
What was your biggest new producer discovery of the year?
Domaine Fourrier. Easy pick.

What was your favorite tasting of the year?
Rousseau dinner with Cyrielle Rousseau though anything in Tuscon is right there!

What was region did you start getting into this year that was new for you?
Hmm, I’m pretty much settled into what I drink and buy. Had a couple nice Juras though.

What wine disappointed you this year?
Probably something that was corked that I only had one of. A recent 1996 Prieur Roch Clos Vougeot was terrible/compromised.

What was your favorite QPR this year?
2010 Domaine de la Canourge Provence Rose. Cases disappeared at our house.

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What was your favorite wine of the Year?
Not sure yet.

What was your favorite red wine of the Year?
Under consideration:
'89 Beaucastel
'78 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Fay
'85 Tempier Bandol Cuvee Speciale La Tourtine
'09 JP Thevenet Morgon Cote du Py
'96 Genteat Pansiot Charmes
'66 Leoville Las Cases

What was your favorite white wine of the Year?
Under consideration:
'83 Weingut Baumann Oppenheimer Sackträger Riesling Auslese - shared with a great friend
'83 Trimbach CSH
'08 Chidaine Montlouis Habert

What was your favorite effervescent wine of the Year?
'88 Krug

What was your biggest new producer discovery of the year?
Domaine Causse Marines
Henri Prudhon

What was your favorite tasting of the year?
Probably the LDM tasting at Tasting Kitchen (trade event) although my tasting group’s (the EWG) year end tasting is always awesome.

What was region did you start getting into this year that was new for you?
Marcillac & Gaillac

What wine disappointed you this year?
Domaine Matrot for it’s crazy high incidence of PM.

What was your favorite QPR this year?
'08 Pecina Rioja Joven

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I have had that wine once and it was shortly after it was released. Probably still one of the Top 10 wines I have ever had in my life or at least in the ballpark. Would love to know what it is doing like with 11~ years of extra bottle age. I bet it is glorious. Good pick.

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2007 Powers Champoux [haven’t tried the 2008 yet].

Current release of the Zardetto Prosecco [2010? - but I don’t think that LoCascio puts a vintage indication anywhere on the bottle].

Zardetto, as above.

Powers.

I guess it would have been following that bottle of 2007 Powers Champoux over the course of a week and being simply thunderstruck each night at what a profound wine it was.

Can’t remember whether it was calendar year 2011 [might have been 2010?] but I was shocked at how much oak that Pegau is using these days.

Also, the current release of the Donnhoff Tonschiefer, at about $30 locally, is over-priced by a factor of at least 3 [and maybe even by a factor of 6].


I dunno - I think that that 2007 Powers was something like $24.99 by the case, which landed it solidly in “back up the truck” territory.

[I seem to recall reading that the 2008 is gonna be slightly more expensive, though.]

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What was your favorite wine of the Year? Tie:91 Rousseau Chambertin and Beze,64 Cappellano
What was your favorite red wine of the Year? see above
What was your favorite white wine of the Year? 88 Krug Clos de Mesnil
What was your favorite effervescent wine of the Year? see above
What was your biggest new producer discovery of the year? Chidaine
What was your favorite tasting of the year? Drinking old Nebbiolo with the Balmer Boys
What was region did you start getting into this year that was new for you? Parts of Loire
What wine disappointed you this year? None
What was your favorite QPR this year? 09 Chidaine Montlouis Clos Habert
[cheers.gif]

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The particular bottle I had was a perfect wine to me, as well as some of the other tasters. I think there were a couple that rated it a mere 99 points. If you get an opportunity to taste this again, go for it. What an ethereal experience.

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Fav Red: 07 Beringer Private Reserve… tasted next to the 06 and the difference was night and day, despite both being babies.
Fav White: Chateau de la Bordiniere Muscadet
Fav Sparkle: Chandon Blanc de Noirs… Really good for $20
Fav Tasting: Harlequin but mostly because of the chat with the winemaker and the obvious dislike between him and my father in law. I bought the bottles I did to help preserve that memory.
QPR: Trader Joe’s sells this Chilean Sauv Blanc for like $3.50. Is it amazing? No way, but you can hide the bottles and serve it as an apertif to folks and nobody would ever guess you got it for so little $.
Region: Loire whites (esp. outside sancerre).
Disappointment: 06 Ridge Leighton Springs Zin. I like Ridge, I like Zin, the Geyserville better be an improvement or I don’t know what I’ll do with myself.

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What was your favorite wine of the Year?

Maybe not the best, but a favorite as an introduction to the label, a 2008 Rivers Marie Napa Cabernet

What was your favorite red wine of the Year?

Beyond the above a 2000 Seavey Napa Cabernet was a memorable experience.

What was your favorite white wine of the Year?

Not a big white drinker but a 2007 Guigal Condrieu was memorable.

What was your favorite effervescent wine of the Year?

I don’t drink sparklers so by default 2007 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel. And definitely not a favorite with its unexpected spritz.

What was your biggest new producer discovery of the year?

Rivers Marie. Joined in 2010 but didn’t try one until 2011.

What was your favorite tasting of the year?

Visiting with Mike Officer. Tasting thru his 2010 barrel samples was not only memorable but a great learning experience. Apologies to Mike for not listing one of his wines above, but I drink so many of them that it would be hard to pick one out. If there was a category of favorite producer, Carlisle would be it (with Bedrock moving up the list fast).

What was region did you start getting into this year that was new for you?

Not a region but a variety: Grüner Veltliner

What wine disappointed you this year?

2007 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel (see favorite effervescent)

What was your favorite QPR this year?

2005 Chateau Suduiraut ($20 for 750 ml)

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For 2012, under the category of newly discovered wines or regions, I will be looking out for those who fell in love with California Gran Cru.