What are the five greatest 'New World' wines you have ever had the pleasure of drinking?

[mike_pobega]

My entry (since I posted in the ‘other’ thread).
I will only add one.

2009 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon SunSpot Vineyard

[Dav_d_Parta_n]

68 BV Georges de Latour
74 Sterling Reserve
74 Monte Bello
85 Phelps Insignia
92 Williams Selyem Allen PN
74 Heitz Martha’s
77 Mondavi Reserve CS

I can’t count, or reed, or spel.

[CJ_Beazley]

2004 Rochioi West Block Pinot
2009 Zepaltas Hanzell Chardonnay
2007 Ramey Hyde Chardonnay
2001 Chappellet Pritchard Hill
1992 Phelps Insignia

[Ken_V]

Off the top of my head (with a peak at my CT notes):

1991 Maya
1968 Mayacamas Cab
2005 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah
2001 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
2006 Sine Qua Non Grenache Raven Series
1988 Stags’ Leap Winery Reserve PS
1996 Turley Aida PS

A separate list for Ch. Montelena Estate Cab: 1991, 1987, 1994, 1986, 2001, 1997.
Dominus: 1994, 1991, 1987
Monte Bello: 1997, 1991, 1994

I’m with D@v!d.

[NED_VALOIS]

'78 Mondavi Reserve Cab Mag
'78 Insignia Mag
'92 La Jota 11th Anniversary Mag
'07 Kapscandy Grand Vin
'02 Peter Michael Les Pavots

Honorable Mention; Any Phelps Backus

[Pat_Burton]

@CJ Beazley

2009 Zepaltas Hanzell Chardonnay

Outstanding wine. That was #6 on my list.

[S_Lancaster]

1974 Sterling Estate Cab
1978 Heitz Fay
1991 Shafer HS
1991 Ridge MB
2005 Araujo Eisele Cab

[Howard_Cooper]

1970 BV Reserve
1974 Sterling
1978 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill
1986 Dominus
1991 Ridge Monte Bello

Some that are close are

1973 Inglenook Cask
1978 Heitz Bella Oak
1984, 1985, 1996, and 1999 Ridge Monte Bello
1978 Montelena Sonoma
1991 Montelena
1975 Chappellet

[Frank_Murray_III]

@Ken V

Off the top of my head (with a peak at my CT notes):

1991 Maya
1968 Mayacamas Cab
2005 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah
2001 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
2006 Sine Qua Non Grenache Raven Series
1988 Stags’ Leap Winery Reserve PS
1996 Turley Aida PS

A separate list for Ch. Montelena Estate Cab: 1991, 1987, 1994, 1986, 2001, 1997.
Dominus: 1994, 1991, 1987
Monte Bello: 1997, 1991, 1994

I’m with D@v!d.

Atta boy, Ken, on the Switchback.

[PaulM]

@Larry P

@Robert Alfert

@Dave McCloskey

1968 Beaulieu Vineyard George de Latour Private Reserve Cab.

A phenomenal wine.

[thread drift]
Glad to hear, since this is my birth year (and my wife’s) and we have a few bottles of this we’re saving for our 50th. Not much great from 1968 unfortunately.

Find the Lopez de Heredia 68s - it’s not that hard (relatively speaking). At my 40th, the Bosconia beat out BV, Inglenook, and Vega Sicilia - obviously at this stage it’s bottle by bottle, but both the Bosconia and Tondonia were great wines. La Mission was surprisingly OK given the year, but more a curiosity. My last bottles (I think I have both LdH, Inglenook, and Vega Sicilia left) are going down at 50 too, then it’s 68 Glenfarclas until they use it to embalm me.

I’d love to try some of the 68 Italians too (particularly the Mastroberardino Taurasi, but I understand the Baroli are very good as well), but I haven’t found them at prices I was willing to pay.
[/thread drift]

[Larry_P]

@Paul Marquardt

Find the Lopez de Heredia 68s - it’s not that hard (relatively speaking). At my 40th, the Bosconia beat out BV, Inglenook, and Vega Sicilia - obviously at this stage it’s bottle by bottle, but both the Bosconia and Tondonia were great wines. La Mission was surprisingly OK given the year, but more a curiosity. My last bottles (I think I have both LdH, Inglenook, and Vega Sicilia left) are going down at 50 too, then it’s 68 Glenfarclas until they use it to embalm me.

I’d love to try some of the 68 Italians too (particularly the Mastroberardino Taurasi, but I understand the Baroli are very good as well), but I haven’t found them at prices I was willing to pay.
[/thread drift]

Thanks Paul. I did in fact spot an LdH recently I was thinking about picking up. Reasonably priced especially compared to the Vega Sicilia Unico.

[CJ_Beazley]

@NED VALOIS

'78 Mondavi Reserve Cab Mag
'78 Insignia Mag
'92 La Jota 11th Anniversary Mag
'07 Kapscandy Grand Vin
'02 Peter Michael Les Pavots

Honorable Mention; Any Phelps Backus

I just got an email from BP wine, they bought a guys cellar and have two bottles of '92 LaJota 11th Anniversary .750’s for $139.00

[Ken_V]

@Paul Marquardt

I’d love to try some of the 68 Italians too (particularly the Mastroberardino Taurasi, but I understand the Baroli are very good as well), but I haven’t found them at prices I was willing to pay.
[/thread drift]

The 1968 Mastroberardino Taurasis are great, but 1968 was not a good year in Barolo. Not to say that some aren’t worth drinking, but it was generally a poor vintage.

[Jay_Miller]

This at least narrows it down a little. That 5 best ever was impossible for me to answer.

These are the wines that come to mind as I cast what remains of my mind back over the years…

1991 Mt. Eden Pinot Noir
1973 Mayacamas Cabernet
2010 Rhys Horseshoe Chardonnay
2007 Edmunds St. John That Old Black Magic (over all those '90s Durells? Yes.)
1991 Ridge Montebello


Lot’s of very, very close runners up.

[David_Bu3ker]

Hmm…still some of that Old Black Magic in the cellar. Question is where!

Still need to ponder this topic. Some recent experiences with Ceritas and Littorai have changed my perceptions a bit.

[Jay_Miller]

@David M. Bueker

Hmm…still some of that Old Black Magic in the cellar. Question is where!

Still need to ponder this topic. Some recent experiences with Ceritas and Littorai have changed my perceptions a bit.

I have one bottle as well. It was one of those that I kept buying to drink and then suddenly it was gone from the stores and I only had the one left. I stared at it for a bit and decided to put it away.

[David_Bu3ker]

CT says I have 2. It also says a friend of mine has 7. Going to have to see if I can get him to open one!

[Thomas_Keim]

1981 DAVID BRUCE Pinot Noir
1978 CAYMUS Cabernet Sauvignon “Grace Family Vineyard”
1980 CRONIN Chardonnay “Paragon Vineyard”
1978 SHAFER Cabernet Sauvignon
1970 RIDGE Zinfandel “Occidental Vineyard”

At least I think the Cronin Chardonnay was from Paragon Vineyard in the Edna Valley, they also produced an exquisite Chardonnay in 1980 from Ventana fruit as well - memories fade as we grow old -

[Doug_Hein]

@Robert Alfert

@Dave McCloskey

1968 Beaulieu Vineyard George de Latour Private Reserve Cab.

A phenomenal wine. The '69 ain’t bad, either!

Interesting that you chose this wine given your comments on the “other” thread. Were this wine made today exactly as it was made back in '68, would we say it was more “old world” or “new world” in style?

My bent is clearly “old world” but I no longer view old world as Europe and new world as everything else, like California, Australia, etc. I use those terms to connote a style. I would call the '68 BV PR old world. I would call recent vintages of Lascombes, Cos d’Estournel, totally “new world”. Pavie is clearly new world.

Some other California wines that have rocked my world, all of which I think are more old world in style, are:

1991, 1992 Dunn
Ridge Monte Bello (so many different vintages)
1991-94 Dalle Valle Cab Sav.

I agree regarding “style” vs origin, although most “old world” wines are originate in Europe and the US is mainly new world in style.

Pavie - more new world than the Cos, and I’m not sure I’d label either completely “new world,” but the Pavie is certainly more ripe than most Bordeaux. It still manages to retain the minerality and acidity, and the fruit is not yet jammy.

[Thomas_Keim]

I would add a few late 70s Pinot Noirs from David Lett at Eyrie Vineyards as well, along with a few '83s from Adelsheim and Ponzi -