THE BEST OF THE BEST

WINE TALK
1

I was reading Kevin Zraly’s 2008 edition of Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. Towards the end, he had a best of the best segment where he wrote the following as the best (there were other categories):

Best Winery in California: Tie between Robert Mondavi and Beringer Winery

Best Wine in the World: Chateau Latour

I thought it might be fun to solicit the opinions of the board as to what they believe is the best winery in California and best wine in the world.

Give it your shot.

2

Always a very subjective topic but I would have to agree with him. When it comes to California, if one has to look at the enormous contribution to the wine world, Mondavi and Beringer sounds about right. From a wine standpoint, I am partial to Beringer because I think their Cab Private Reserve (and Chard as well), is a model of consistency, high quality, and fair pricing. Go find another one like that with that kind of pedigree. Does not exist. Most people don’t think twice about blowing $400 for the latest CA cult (not lately thankfully) when a great vintage of Beringer PR Cab like 1992 or 1994 still sells for a song.

As far as Bordeaux, yes, Latour. I love Haut Brion but again, for impeccable consistency and greatness, Latour is Latour and there is nothing else like it. The greatest wines I have ever had to this day are Latour…1899, 1900, 1905, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1945, 1949, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1982…and the list goes on.

3

1899? Damn Max. [notworthy.gif]

4

Hard to comment without knowing the context, but the thing about Kevin Zraly is that he writes for an audience that doesn’t want to be told that the best winery in California is a name they’ve never heard of that would cost them more than twenty bucks. Now, Max has a point that naming Mondavi makes sense if you are talking about the winery’s overall historical contribution or their ability to market something reliable from the top to the bottom of their range, but if the question is who makes (or made) the greatest wine in California it’s hard to make a case for Mondavi, even based on their excellent reserves from the '70s through the '90s. Just can’t see how these are on a higher plane than, say, Heitz, Diamond Creek, or Mt. Eden at their best.

Anyway, my nomination for the best in California is Renaissance. Best in the world, DRC, however much I wish it weren’t so.

5

I’m with Keith on this one. Yes, from an academic view which includes the history of California wine and the Napa Valley, Mondavi would warrant the list. But not today–and as I read it, he isn’t giving a treatise on a historical view of California viticulture, winemaking and marketing. Montelena, for me, might be on the top of the list. For France (or anywhere for that matter), there’s no contest–DRC hands down.

6

Too easy. I won’t bite.

7

Without Gallo, we would not have Burgundy and Chablis, so that gets my vote for all categories! [rofl.gif]