It has for one or another reason been a year of comfort wines - less exploring new wineries/wines and more wines I have like for a longer time. Partially related to the cellar inventory reduction drive, but might also have something to do with times in general (?). Probably my worst year every in terms of taking notes, will have to correct that in 2025!
Some of the wines could be called simpler, humble or something in that direction but they have been exactly what the doctor prescribed, and more.
Red WOTY - hard pick, but today it would be in this order
- 2015 Enderle & Moll Liaison - the Xmas bottle that was just terrific (freshest in mind as well) and shared with my brother and mother.
- 2013 Colombera & Garella Bramaterra Cascina Cottignano - Drinking really well, fast evaporating
- 2015 Burlotto Monvigliero - a special wine, shared with special people
- 1996 Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino - timeless and a special wine made by special people
- 2019 Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d’Alba - A great dolcetto that drank really well
- 2016 Milos Plavac - Singing at the moment and a singular wine, the best of Dalmatia in a bottle
White WOTY:
- 2022 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kugel Peter - Tight upon opening, though drinking really well, AND a month later a lot more going on and just terrific!
- 2022 Weingut Seehof Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling trocken - loved everything about it
- 2018 Ronchi di Cialla Ribolla Gialla - continues having that terrific drive and substance and feels like it will keep going for ages
Champagne:
- NV Henin-Delouvin Champagne Harmonie Brut - for the price, excellent
- Suenen Oiry BdB GC - Probably the better wine of the two but had less focus and time to follow this bottle
Since, except very minor explorations this year, I’ll add a learning of the year - Grk might not age as well as I had expected, hope. The acidity and its structure, together with the fruit profile had me thinking they would age really well. Perhaps related to the winemaking (?), as almost all are made to be enjoyed quite early.
So what has been the issue - they develop some sort of at times pronounced milky/lactic flavors, it faded a bit with one bottle (out of three), but for the other two it remained quite prominent. 2016 was the vintage. Not sure I have come across this in any other wines, and two independent producers showed this character. Lets see how they develop over the coming years, but will try some of the more recent vintages to the mix in 2025.
Discovery of the year - How good many of my favorite wines that I have had less of in previous years (in the cellar but been focused on exploring) are!
