What is the most COMPLEX wine you have ever tasted?

BobH · August 10, 2011, 10:57pm

Even for a guy who loves complexity, not always. I love Shafer HSS as one of my favorite wines, certainly my favorite Cali Cab, but as a Cali cab it does nto have the complexity of so many other wines.

MattBerto · August 10, 2011, 11:03pm

Late 70’s (I think 76) Eyrie Vineyards Chardonnay. All kinds of crazy changing flavors and aromas I never thought you could get out of one wine.

Mark_Golodetz · August 10, 2011, 11:15pm

This was one of the easiest wines to decide; nothing I have had before or since came remotely close :

1926 Robert Weil Kiedrich Grafenberg Beerenauslese eiswein. The last wine when Weil was doing a lunch, and I had a decent pour. I finally wrested myself away after spending nearly an hour nursing the contents of my glass. Malt, orange peel, honeysuckle, cinamon, apricots and white peaches, married to a finish that had more length and more layers than anything I had ever tasted before. Not only the most complex, but also the best wine I have ever tasted.

Paul_Seah · August 10, 2011, 11:41pm

Very difficult question to answer… three recent bottles come to mind…

1982 Pichon Lalande
1990 Dujac CdlR
1971 Schlossgut Diel Goldloch BA

ToddFrench · August 10, 2011, 11:46pm

One that was surprisingly complex to me was '94 Ravenswood Cabernet Franc - note was posted here some time back

Joe_Hauck · August 10, 2011, 11:56pm

'73 Freemark Abbey Johannisberg Riesling Edelwein

Larry_P · August 11, 2011, 12:15am

TomHill:

Eric Gerber:

Tom, I understand the dilemma. I could list several examples myself and I’ve only been at this wine thing seriously for about 8 years. Thanks for offering your thoughts/experiences. One I want to ask about that is new to me - what is Angelica?

Eric,
Angelica…a very sweet dessert wine made in Calif. Usually from the Mission grape, back in ancient times (Spanish). You take fresh grape juice & add grape brandy
up to 18%-20% alcohol level to kill off a fermentation. In France, the same wine is known as Ratafia and Pineau des Charentes.
Back in the days of the Spanish missions, it was a way of making a stable wine, rather than thru fermentation. In the late 1800’s, they would make angelica and age it in glass
carboys for years. I’ve had several from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that were incredible.
Back in the '70’s, both SanMartin Wnry and EastSideWnry had some old/incredible stocks of Angelicas. SanMartin bttld theirs up in a cute square btl under
the name Montenico.
Currently, there is a lady down in the StaRitaHills, Deborah Hall, who has an old Mission vnyd she revived, probably dating to the days of the Spanish mission nearby,
makes a traditional Angelica under her LostCanyon label. It is very authentic, quite good, but not that much age on it.
The Quady Elysium (Muscat Hamburg) and Quady Essencia (Orange Muscat or Fior d’Arancio) are both made as an Angelica. The orangeMuscat grape has an incredible
aroma of orange blossoms, which doesn’t always translate into its wines. So AndyQuady makes it as an Angelica in an attempt to capture in Essencia that
elusive orange blossom fragrance.
JimOlsen made some authentic, Mission-based, Angelicas under his JWMorris Port Works label.
Now you know the rest of the story.
“Experience”…sometimes that’s all old-folks have to offer up!!!
Tom

Tom, a correction: the label is Gypsy Canyon. I’ve followed 'em from the very… actually just a few weeks ago I did get the opportunity to taste the Gypsy Canyon Angelica with Deborah Hall, and it is a stunner even at a young age. Reminiscent of a tawny port with lots of caramel/hazelnut flavors, but showing fresher fruit and more full-bodied.

http://www.gypsycanyon.com/Traditional.html

David_Glasser · August 11, 2011, 1:22am

Reds:
1929 Bouchard Pommard Rugiens
1959 Lafite
1989 Haut Brion

White:
1947 Bredif Vouvray

dave_cuneo · August 11, 2011, 1:58am

It is clear to me that most of you people have never had a complex wine if your answer is not a Barolo of some sort.

1961 G. Conterno, “Monfortino”, in 1987 at a restaurant in New Jersey.

Everything else is a wannabe.

Harry_C · August 11, 2011, 2:19am

David G. We MUST taste more together. Our tastes match. Anyway-1929 Bouchard Pommard Rugiens, 1961 Haut Brion, 1989 Haut Brion. For white-1931 Massandra Ai-Denil Tokay, 2001 Yquem.

GregT · August 11, 2011, 2:40am

Usually they’re sweet and older.

A few Tokaji wines, a botrytized wine from Zweigelt made in Eger, a few Muscat de Rivesaltes from the 1920s and 1940s, some older Madeira.

It’s hard to beat the combination of age, oxidation, sugar, and botrytis.

For still wines, it’s a very different story, but again age adds something that you just don’t get in younger wine.

Ken_Rudman · August 11, 2011, 2:56am

63 Croft Port
76 Bernkastler Doktor TBA
89 Haut Brion

Larry_Stein · August 11, 2011, 4:47am

Don’t be a troll. It’s unseemly.

I’ve had '78 Barolo “Riserva Speciale”, Giacosa (purple label). It was magnificent. It still wasn’t in the same league as '49 La Tache.

Fred_Daniels · August 11, 2011, 5:57am

Great question. I think this is distinctly different from the most COMPLETE wine that I have tasted, but I’ll provide both answers:

Complex: 1995 Pahlmeyer Cab, 1921 Doisy Dubroca (try to locate a bottle of THAT wine), 1964 Dom (about 20 years ago), 1947 Lafleur

Complete: 1990 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, 1920 Lafaurie Peyraguey, 1928 Coutet, 1947 Lafleur, 1953 Lafleur, 1964 Lafleur, 1986 Mouton Rothschilds, 1990 Dom, 1971 Yquem, 1990 Yquem, 2006 Carlisle Montafi Ranch, 2005 Aubert Lauren Chard, 1971 Volnay Taillepieds de Montille. To me, these wines are a complete package, some complexity, great concentration, great balance, makes a statement, and fantastic finish. Just danced across the tongue (except the Carlisle was more assertive) and absolutely left me wanting another sip every time. Also, held up beautifully and evolved during the time it was consumed.

David_Glasser · August 11, 2011, 1:29pm

Harry , if you’re ever in DC/Baltimore…

I can still taste that Pommard if I close my eyes and think about it. That was an awesome trip.

Howard_Cooper · August 11, 2011, 2:34pm

1986 Muller Catoir Rieslaner TBA
1971 d’Yquem
1952 Chateau Haut Brion
1999 Truchot Clos de la Roche

Nick_Gangas · August 11, 2011, 4:34pm

Awesome Howard. I picked up a few of the Truchot recently. Most complex is hard to pin.

1964 La Grand Rue
2000 Leflaive Chevalier
1989 Conterno CF
1990 Beaucastel

Larry_Stein · August 11, 2011, 4:38pm

Add '89 and '90 Hermitage Blanc, Chave (tasted a couple of years ago) to the dry whites.

Hey, I said I might have different answers!

EricG · August 11, 2011, 4:45pm

TomHill:

Eric Gerber:

Tom, I understand the dilemma. I could list several examples myself and I’ve only been at this wine thing seriously for about 8 years. Thanks for offering your thoughts/experiences. One I want to ask about that is new to me - what is Angelica?

Eric,
Angelica…a very sweet dessert wine made in Calif. Usually from the Mission grape, back in ancient times (Spanish). You take fresh grape juice & add grape brandy
up to 18%-20% alcohol level to kill off a fermentation. In France, the same wine is known as Ratafia and Pineau des Charentes.
Back in the days of the Spanish missions, it was a way of making a stable wine, rather than thru fermentation. In the late 1800’s, they would make angelica and age it in glass
carboys for years. I’ve had several from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that were incredible.
Back in the '70’s, both SanMartin Wnry and EastSideWnry had some old/incredible stocks of Angelicas. SanMartin bttld theirs up in a cute square btl under
the name Montenico.
Currently, there is a lady down in the StaRitaHills, Deborah Hall, who has an old Mission vnyd she revived, probably dating to the days of the Spanish mission nearby,
makes a traditional Angelica under her LostCanyon label. It is very authentic, quite good, but not that much age on it.
The Quady Elysium (Muscat Hamburg) and Quady Essencia (Orange Muscat or Fior d’Arancio) are both made as an Angelica. The orangeMuscat grape has an incredible
aroma of orange blossoms, which doesn’t always translate into its wines. So AndyQuady makes it as an Angelica in an attempt to capture in Essencia that
elusive orange blossom fragrance.
JimOlsen made some authentic, Mission-based, Angelicas under his JWMorris Port Works label.
Now you know the rest of the story.
“Experience”…sometimes that’s all old-folks have to offer up!!!
Tom

Many thanks, Tom.

J_a_y_C_a_i_n · August 11, 2011, 4:56pm

I had some guy (forget his name) set me up with futures of Phelps Insignia a few years back. The 2001 was pretty complex.

Man, I wish I could remember that guy’s name.