What Wine was THE WINE that got you into serious wine in the first place

WINE TALK
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1989 Caymus

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My dad opened a '75 Yquem for me that changed everything. Then maybe a few weeks later, he opened a '71 Leroy Echezeaux that cemented the deal.

Can I meet your dad?

Back to the point, it was a 1986 Lynch Bages, drank around the year 1990. I paid around $30 full retail for it, did not have a cellar so I drank it, alone, at room temp(too warm) out of a weak glass. It was closed and ungiving for the first two hours, but it sprung virtually wide open at the 2 hour point, and my life changed. [worship.gif]

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1947 Clos des Lambrays magnum in the early '70s comes to mind. 1970 Giscours and 1968 Mondavi Reserve are also in running.

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Never really had an “epiphany” wine.

However, 94 Duckhorn made me start to pay attention to what I was drinking, and pretty much stopped the swill from accumulating in my house.

Couple years later, 94 Bryant Family at Union Square Cafe for $100 was a world shaper…

For me, each region, e.g. Bordeaux, then Burgundy, has had a cumulative effect through multiple bottle. There has never really been a single wine that made me take the nosedive.

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The one that really got me going was 1982 Pichon Lalande…

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I’m definitely not “into serious wine” to the same degree as most on the board, but I still remember a few bottles that got me paying attention to what I drink:

  • 1990 Borgo Pretale Chianti Classico - the first wine I ever had with some age on it, a great experience when tasted in Tuscany in 2003
  • 2002 Turley Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard - an early “wow” tasting experience; by far the richest, longest wine I had experienced at the time

…and two from a tasting series I did with friends in 2007 which really opened my eyes to wines of the world…

  • 1999 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric - young at the time but still great; mmm nebbiolo
  • 1990 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese #13 - I had no idea what to expect from a 17-year old sweet white wine and was fairly sure I’d be disappointed…wrong wrong wrong
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1997 Sanford Sanford & Benedict Barrell Select pinot noir. Good bottles of that wine are still terrific today.