Yep, the more I think about this, the more I think it is the most complete white I have ever had…
Struggled to just fit these two in, but I thought whilst the '99 was very closed (with great potential though), the younger vintages just seemed to have that extra x factor…
The '69 was amazing and technically much better, however the better of the two bottles of '47 had that something about it that is undefinably magic…
100pt potential plus, and a VP that will out live us all…
2002 Torbreck Shiraz The Factor (2011 WOTY)
2006 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla El Nido
2008 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard
2003 Torbreck Grenache Les Amis
2007 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul
2009 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese
2003 Blankiet Estate Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard
2001 Bodegas J.C. Conde Ribera del Duero Neo Punta Esencia
2003 The Standish Wine Company Shiraz The Standish
2001 Torbreck Run Rig
We had a couple of early posts on this, so I don’t feel so bad putting my 2c in late. CT notes are linked where I have them.
1: 1998 Eyrie Vineyards South Block Reserve
Despite my adventures, the #1 slot this year goes to a hometown favorite. The South Block Vertical tasting held this summer was a true once in a lifetime event. I don’t imagine we’ll ever see anything like it ever again. For me, it cemented a profound respect for long term aging of Oregon Pinot Noir, and for The Eyrie Vineyards. I have enjoyed their wines in the past, but to see such quality so consistently across the entire vertical was just jaw dropping. I’ve really enjoyed some wines from 1998 before, and this bottle was spectacular at the tasting. It solidified my love for the vintage as well. 97pts.
https://www.cellartracker.com/new/event.asp?iEvent=15174
2: 1999 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese
I struggled a lot with this one, as it could easily be considered cliché for me to pick the most expensive wine I tasted this year. This was the final wine at the VDP auction in Trier, Germany this year. It makes the cut because I had heard a lot about the quality of Egon Müller’s wines, but I hadn’t had remarkable experiences until I tasted this. It truly is among the top few wines I’ve ever tasted. Every time I second guessed myself, trying to fight off the inevitable influence of suggestion associated with such a lauded wine, the flavors kept rolling around on my palate, asserting that I wasn’t imagining this amazing experience. In the end, I can’t deny that I did fall in love with it. 99pts
3: **1995 Jos. Christoffel Jr. Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese *****
I was fortunate enough to taste through a huge lineup at the winery this summer, which came to include a sizable selection of Urziger Wurzgarten Auslese after the winemaker, KaJo, discovered how fond I was of the '92. It blew my mind that both the '92 and '95 were such amazing wines. I haven’t had anything else like it from Urziger Wurzgarten, and these experiences captured my attention for anything coming out of this winery. There is real variation from vintage to vintage, and having the wines age in the winery guarantees perfect storage condition to let the years work their magic on the Riesling. Add to it that this would probably be around $30 in the US market, and you’ve really got something to grab your attention. Beyond liking the wines, I now consider this winery to be among the best in the Mosel. That’s serious praise coming from me, and I mean it. If you like Mosel Riesling, you owe it to yourself to seek out and explore a few of these wines. 97pts
4: 2005 Laderas de Inurrieta
As difficult as it was to pick 10 wines for this list, this is one was sure to be on it from the beginning. My visit to Navarra really turned me on to the quality of wines being produced there. Unique to the experience was the Graciano grape. I had never heard of this grape before, and a couple of Graciano wines really captured a unique and delicious expression of the region. The Laderas was foremost among them, cementing my interest in the grape. It demonstrated that Navarra not only produces great examples of more commonly known varieties, but produces fantastic wines from lesser known varieties that deliver unique experiences that wine nerds crave. 92pts
5: 2008 Johan Vineyards Nils Reserve
Here’s one that probably comes as a bit of a surprise. We gave a lot of love to the 2008 Johan Vineyards Three Barrel in our Christmas episode, and I’ll even concede that I think the Three Barrel is a better wine. However, the Nils Reserve makes the list because of consistency, availability, and the fact that I had more experience with it this year. It made an impression on a number of other people as well. It’s a wonderful expression of the unique vineyard site that Johan Vineyards is working with, and it does a great job of showing dark fruit flavors without being a heavy wine. So, the greater breadth of experience with this wine, and the fact that it showed well consistently, and it’s overall quality despite being the little brother to the Three Barrel, gets it on the list for 2011. I don’t have a published score for this, but we did review it in episode 66.
6: 2010 Weingut Ackermann Zeltinger Scholossberg Spätlese
This wine’s place on the list is tied to the vineyard it comes from. As I began to learn about Mosel vineyards, I was very quickly struck by the quality of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard. For whatever reason, this was an easier name to remember than some of the others, and I stuck to it. This created an early bias for the Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. I mean, it shares a word with one I already like, right? While this certainly did lead me to some good wines, it also led me to short change the Zeltinger Schlossberg vineyard. The time spent with Harald and Anne Junglen of Weingut Ackermann this summer helped me to see that Zeltinger Schlossberg is truly among the top handful of Mosel vineyards. The slopes produce wonderful wines for many well regarded producers, and there is a lovely tangy zip to the acidity that I absolutely love. The Weingut Ackermann’s Spätlese delivers the excellent character of this vineyard at an amazing price point. I’m not sure what it would translate to in the US, but my guess would be somewhere around $20. It’s great to find compelling wine at this price point, and it’s really special when it carries with it a memorable impression of where it comes from.
7: 2010 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube GK Auslese
Another German producer makes the list for cementing my opinion of him, and one of his main vineyards. Wolfer Goldgrube is a vineyard I haven’t heard much about. Indeed, the only wines I’ve tasted from Wolfer Goldgrube have come from Vollenweider. I had enjoyed enough of the bottles in the past to inspire me to make an appointment during my visit. The wines were wonderful, with the wines from Wolfer Goldgrube showing fantastic character across the board. It’s truly magnificent wine, and the excellent character of the vineyard is evident in the less expensive 2010 bottles as well. This bottle was my favorite of the stop, and one of the best wines of my visit to Germany as a whole. 98pts
8: 2009 Rasa Composer Riesling
American Riesling makes the list in 2011! This time, a wine from Washington set a new bar for me. I’ve enjoyed Riesling from Washington before, but this was interesting and downright delicious. It’s the best Washington Riesling I’ve tasted yet, and it suggests fantastic potential as the region continues to develop Riesling as a serious wine, not just a low priced quaffer. It delivered an expression of Riesling that struck me as different from what I see in Oregon and New York, and that’s exciting as well. 90pts
9: 2010 De Ponte Cellars DFB Estate Melon
This wine has been a stand-by for a number of vintages. Isabelle Dutartre always makes excellent wine, and the Melon from De Ponte Cellars is always a unique, interesting, and refreshing Oregon white wine. What really caught my attention is that this wine seems to be getting better and better with every vintage. I asked Isabelle about this, and she replied that the vines are really becoming mature now, and that it’s no surprise that the flavors are becoming more interesting. To see the improvement year over year makes me so excited about the future of this wine. Combining that with the excellent quality of the 2010 release, this bottle makes my list for 2011. 90pts.
10: 2009 Cameron Dundee Hills Chardonnay
This wine is so approachable, and so good. It’s exceptional quality didn’t really settle into my mind until later in the year, and I regret that fact. In the show linked below, you can see that we both enjoyed it quite a bit. I should’ve picked up more on the spot. I tasted another bottle later, in a very social setting. Despite my lack of focus, the quality of the wine came rolling out of the glass displaying fantastic complexity and balance. This wine was retailing for under $20, and it was delivering like a $50 bottle. To experience that quality twice, under different circumstances suggests that this experience is reliable. I love to see Chardonnay’s potential in Oregon expressed, and to see it at a price point that lots of people can indulge in is even more endearing. It also highlights the fact that the prime sites are capable of great things! This is such a lovable Chardonnay that I really wanted to give credit to this overachiever in this year’s top 10. 90pts