Copain
Rhys
Trimbach
Dauvissat
Chidaine
Huet
JJ Christoffel
Vieux Donjon
Donnhoff
Puffeney
Dom
Donnhoff
Leflaive
Ramonet
Leroy (+ d’Auvenay)
DRC
Dujac
Rayas
Guigal
Quinta do Noval
If I had to limit purchases to 10, I would try to get some of the best of what I have had.
These 5 from the US would give me in my opinion the best Cab or Bdx Blend, Pinot, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and provide some fun variety.
Ridge
Montelena
Bedrock
Rhys
Windy Oaks
I love CDP and these are my favorite producers, can’t go without them.
Pegau
Donjon
Charvin
Haven’t had many Burgs, but the one’s I’ve had rank near the top of my list for all time wines. These are the 2 producers that I’ve had and loved.
Dujac
D’Angerville
Was debating Haut Brion as well as I’ve never had a better wine than the 1989, but since that is my only experience is limited somewhat in BDX, I’ll get my fix for cabs and BDX blends from Ridge and Montelena.
Based on what I currently buy and can afford:
Carlisle
Bedrock
Rivers Marie
Ridge
Chateau Montelena
Beringer
Vieux Donjon
Guigal
J J Prum
Chateau Suduiraut
Myriad
Sojourn
Realm
Sea Smoke
Williams Seleym
Kosta Browne
Schrader
Saxum
Rivers Marie
Rhys
I’d be sad if I could not fill in with some Eric Kent, Swan, Holdredge, Margerum,or Alpha Omega. These are actual lists and not from a wish list though the wish list would probably only add DRC and Scarecrow.
Based on what I currently buy and can afford:
Maison Ilan
Jadot
Trimbach
Ridge
Cedric Bouchard
Rheinhold Haart
Selbach
Cecile Tremblay
JJ Prum
Chandon des Briailles
Carlisle - for the day I need a reasonably priced outstanding wine and I want choices of varieties
Aubert - for the day I want a white wine oozing with flavor or an over the top pinot
Scholium - For an off the beaten track day when I want something from the road not taken
Saxum - Power, finesse and a wine to drink with great red meat.
Moet - I’ve never had a bottle of DP I did not enjoy and the lesser cuvees are to my taste when I want a cheapie.
Keller - For when I want an outstanding riesling around the pool, with spicy food, or just to enjoy.
Giacosa - Benchmark nebbiolo, but the barbera and the arneis are wonderful low priced, extremely well-made wines
Clos St. Jean (you know, the French one made by Cambie, not Ch. St. Jean) - For a WOW southern Rhone blend
SQN - Broad-based, wide collection allowing me to go from all sorts of fun reds to Mr. K for desert.
Mouton Rothschild - I know it’s controversial, but over the years I have had a lot of great wines from them. I could, however, substitute a variety of other top end left bank Bordeaux producers instead without getting upset.
Based on what I usually buy/drink (with one added splurge in Chave)…
Egon Muller
Alzinger
Hirtzberger
Donnhoff
JL Chave
Allemand
Haut Brion
Baudry
Jadot
Selbach-Oster
Charvin
Pegau
Ferrand
Coudert
Vissoux (though I’ve been liking Bouland recently and could see changing if I could only choose one)
Pepiere
Luneau-Papin
Huet
Some zinfandel (it could come from any number of producers really, I just like some around)
Puffeney (recently replacing Overnoy and could be replaced, but I have discovered a taste for Jura only recently)
Some years ago, that list would have included Beaucastel, some Cote Roties and Cornas, probably a couple of Bordeaux on the order of Pichon Lalande and Montrose. The Bordeaux went the way of price and then of preference. The Beaucastel and the Northern Rhones went the way of price. That could easily happen to some names on the above list.
Jadot
Taittinger
JJ Prum
Rhys
Donnhoff
Quite a few folks are throwing out the big names and big dollar wines…nothing wrong with that if you have the coin. Of course I would like to have a list of the First Growths and the original five California Cult Cabs, but alas I will produce a list of wines that I can afford annually, have purchased and will continue to purchase.
Carlilse
J.J. Prum
Donnhoff
Maybach
Outpost
Rivers Marie
Beringer
Concha y Toro (Don Melchor)
Larkmead
Herb Lamb
Guys,
Bota Box, Delicato, same producer. Pick a few more…
DRC
Ponsot
Rousseau
d’Auvenay
Coche-Dury
Raveneau
Clos des Papes
Rayas
Haut Brion
Yquem
I see no one has listed Sierra Carche.
Nice.
Cost/afforability is definitely an issue that everyone should consider. Of course for some that is less an issue for some than others.
I actually found this exercise VERY difficult. I buy deep and from several regions/producers, so limiting it to 10 was troublesome. Anyhow, here is my list in no particular order:
Trimbach
Lopez de Heredia
d’Angerville
Jadot
Dauvissat
Giacosa
Produttori
Jaboulet
Malescot St. Exupery
Leoville Las Cases
It killed me not to be able to include Dujac, Bize, Drouhin, Chave, Guigal, JJ Prum, Lisini and a few others …
… But I had to chooose 10 that I could buy over time and that would provide a lifetime of drinking.
Glad I really don’t have to choose 10 (at least for now)
My 10 would look something like this given affordability constraints:
Huet
Lopez de Heredia
Alvaro Palacios
Proddutori
D. Ventura
Azienda Agricola COS
Gruet
Westport Rivers (they’re local and quite good, and if I can only buy from 10, would be nice if one was around the corner)
FX Pichler
Boekenhoutskloof
A tough question and not the same as asking what are the top 10 in your cellar. You need to make sure all types of wine you’d ever like to drink (and, assuming I need to do this on my current projected income, all price ranges) are represented, and therefore producers with wide ranging portfolios are valuable:
Bedrock
Siduri/Novy
Ridge
Rhys
Chapoutier
Perrin
Trimbach
JJ Prum
Dow
Rieussec
Verset
Trollat
Gentaz
R. Michel
Truchot
H. Jayer
Damnit I cannot think of any others that I like…
Guigal
JJ Prum
Shafer
Penfolds
L. Roederer
Quinta do Noval
Vega Sicilia
Jadot/Drouhin/L. Latour
Tenuta del Ornellaia
Leoville Las Cases
I think I cover most regions, and each producer except LLC produces a wide range of very good wines in many varieties. Port, Duoro, Tempranillo, Bord. Blends, Pinot, Chard, Shiraz, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Riesling, Champy blend, etc. You couldn’t get bored with the wines produced by that lineup. Oh, and many of them are actually affordable…
(edited to mention affordability…which should be important, right?)