WOTYs--2018 Edition -- TABULATIONS COMPLETE

Again, thanks to everyone who participated across a few different threads. From that collection of data, I was able to parse through 610 entries.

We sure do have a pretty broad diversity. Somewhere around 250 different wineries were mentioned. There was some fun in that a 3-year vertical of MacDonald, 2014, 2015 and 2016 got different people’s vote for one of their wines of the year. The Pax, the 3 votes for that were the ONLY votes for any Pax by anyone, also fun. I think the oldest wine was from the 1860s and the youngest from 2017.

Soooo… [winner.gif]

Well, 2 winners actually. My early line prediction held. With four votes each, the 2010 Coche-Dury Corton Charlemagne and the 2002 Krug carry the day. The 02 Krug was one of a number of wines in the show position back in 2016. This is Coche’s first time to crack the top 3 in any year since I’ve been keeping track (2013)

Two wines also shared the “show” position this year. I well remember some people’s comments when I talked about my first taste of the only wine in the 16,500 or so that I’ve tried which has yet merited a perfect score from me. The statements were something like “this is the one wine that doesn’t seem to have any but the highest praise from everyone”. So it has been through these WOTY compilations, with the 2001 D’Yquem getting 3 votes this year after finishing top of table last year and in 2014 and in the 2nd place position in 2016.

The other show wine was a big surprise for me! The 2016 Pax Sonoma Hillsides Syrah picked up 3 votes. There were at least 8 wines with 2 votes each, but I won’t list all those here.

In terms of house numbers, D’Yquem is best with 15 mentions, then Krug with 13 and DRC with 12. Coche had 9 votes and Ramonet showed very strongly this year with 9 as well. Same with Latour, 9 votes. The other houses getting over 5 votes, many of them the usual suspects on this tour:

Allemand: 5
Arcadian: 6
Rousseau: 8
Giacosa: 6
Haut-Brion: 5
Rayas: 6
Chave: 8
Dom: 6
Domaine Leflaive: 6, a nice comeback for them
Giuseppe Rinaldi: 6, also very nice to see!
Huet: 5
Mugneret-Gibourg: 5
Rhys: 5
Trimbach: 6

Cults? Well, Scarecrow, Abreu, Colgin each got one vote. Screaming Eagle and Harlan? NA-DA. Schrader? one vote.

Biggest surprise for me was SQN checking in with only 3 votes. That is very low for them. Bevan has been up a little in the past, but only one mention this year. Just one Rouget, two Roumiers, one Dagueneau and one Clos Rougeard. No Prager–none at all. In Bordeaux, a li’l surprised that Ausone did not make anyone’s list. And there was no—ZERO–Roulot. Super-surprised at that.

OK, c’est tout. My OP is below. Until next year everyone.

Mike

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As always, if anyone knows of any “halfway through the year” threads that I have missed, please post the links and I will be happy to incorporate those threads/wines into the final tabulations.

Let’s get to work. No surprise there was huge difficulty paring the list down to 22. Some really fine stuff did not make it on.

DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR: I continue to think back on how much fun I had drinking the Rucksack Barbera Rose from El Dorado county. Boy that stuff was good. A 2011 Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannsholle Ries Spat basically completed my conversion to German Ries as a good thing. Am I allowed to nominate a non-wine? If so, Cava de Oro Gran Anejo Tequila absolutely knocked my socks off. It is unlike anything I’ve ever had before.

WOTY LIST (scores beside the wines where the description moved me to score)

The 01 D’Yquem had the highest score but I disqualify any previous winners from coming first again. My note on the current leader, the Meo CC

“Sniffadeedoodah aromatics which are part pear, part ginger, part almond extract and mostly mystery. A sensational delight dans la bouche, so sleek yet subtle power here too, with requisite freshness and already very sublimely expressive. All you can want in a white burg and in the WOTY discussion for me. Pure magic.”

The Monfortino gave it very strong competition


1961 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
2001 Chateau Suduiraut
2001 Nicholas Joly Coulee de Serrant (94-95)
2008 Chave Hermitage Blanc (94)
1998 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow PN
1998 Elio Altare Barolo Brunate
2012 Hospice Meursault Genevrieres Cuvee Philip le Bon (Drouhin Elevage)
2001 Chateau D’Yquem (98+)
1996 Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux 1er Trie
2005 Jacques Prieur Musigny
1995 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou
2010 Pichler M Gruner Veltliner
2009 Copain James Berry Roussanne
2015 Meo Camuzet Corton Charlemagne
1993 Chateau Pazjos Tokaji Eszencia
2016 Rhys Alpine Chard
2016 Limerick Lane Rocky Knoll Zin (94)
2012 Coche Dury Bourgogne Rouge (96)
1995 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino (96+)
2007 Chateau Rieussec
2005 Drouhin Griottes Chambertin
2015 Damien Laureau Les Genets Savennieres (93)

Looking forward to everyone’s submissions. As in past years, I will tabulate everything once New Year’s is past.

Sante,

Mike

Discovery of the Year: 2006 Renato Keber Friulano Collio. Just wow, amazing complexity, full bodied with good acid, spicy and stony while still showing nice “stone fruitiness.”

Wine of the Year (so far): 1999 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sorì Tildìn. Nose for days…smelled so good I didn’t want to drink the last glass.

You can probably copy/paste the responses from my post if you want

My woty:
2005 Nicholas Rossignol Volnay 1er Chevrets
2007 Tor Kenward Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa Mast Vineyard
2013 Ramonet Chassagne Montrachet 1er Clos de La Boudriette
2010 Pierre Yves Colin Morey Corton Charlemagne
1990 Krug
1990 Margaux
2001 Rieussec

Discovery of the year was the Ramonet.

Not a discovery, per se, but my overarching mantra again this year was to continue with a quality over quantity mindset in both purchasing and consumption.

Much thanks, Michael, and apologies for missing your OP. I’ve cross-posted there. Anyone who responded there need not repost here (unless you want to, of course!).

Good to have some people out of the starting blocks on this.

I don’t know if anyone handles the Boudriotte plot better than Ramonet.

Mike

Discovery of the year: 2012 Biondi-Santi BdM Rosato (never had Biondi-Santi’s rosato before - the only rosé I’ve had so far that threatens to dislodge Tempier’s from being my favourite rosé).

Runner-up discovery: 1985 Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs (from a friend; my first time to have Delamotte’s BdB this old, which I preferred to the ‘96 Krug he served along side it).

Wines of the year:

1999 Mascarello Monprivato (from a friend);

1995 Biondi-Santi BdM Annata (my first time to try Biondi-Santi’s regular bottling of BdM; purchased from Enoteca Vanni in Lucca, Italy in June);

1989 Château Palmer (a particularly good bottle thereof purchased in February at K&L, SF);

1985 Col d’Orcia BdM Riserva Poggio al Vento (from the wine list of Osticcio in Montalcino this June);

1990 Château Angelus (hadn’t had it in a while; a friend’s bottle served blind at a dinner);

1989 Champagne Alain Robert Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs (Magnum, from a friend); and,

1990 Chapoutier Côte Rôtie La Mordorée (from a friend).

Like most everyone else, it is almost impossible to single out a definitive “WOTY”; but, if I had to, at this point, my choice would be the young and unassuming 2014 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve for its sheer balance, purity, clean lines and food-friendly lift (from the wine list of Ristorante Cibreo, Florence, heavily recommended by the sommelier - I liked it so much that I made sure to buy more to bring back to Manila).

My discovery this year was that not all Champagnes will age well, even top producers in good vintages…

Liking well aged Dom does not mean that I’ll like other well aged Champagnes…

My discovery of the year: Australia is making some brilliant Chardonnay wines. The 2016 Penfolds Chardonnay Reserve Bin 16A is a beauty.

Shortlist for WOTY is:

1959 Jadot Musigny
1937 Armand Naulot Clos Vougeot
1983 Ramonet Montrachet
2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chevalier-Montrachet
1985 and 1986 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
2008, 2010 and 2012 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne
1990 Faiveley Musigny
2009 Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche
2016 Comte Liger-Belair La Romanee
2002 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti
1999 Domainede la Romanee-Conti Romanee St.Vivant
1934 Giacomo Conterno Barolo
1955 Wynns Michael
1928 Chateau Latour
1988 Krug Clos du Mesnil Magnum
1985 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie
1967 Quinta do Noval Nacional
1861 Chateau Vigneau, Sauternes

The 1861 Chateau Vigneau, Sauternes is my WOTY thus far.

Jeremy

Never really thought of Aussie Chard’s, what would you compare them to style wise are they Chablis like, Cali oak/butter bombs, rounded but no oak/butter ?

I’ll go a different direction. I’ve had so many great wines at offlines and various local tasting groups it would be even hard to start. So many unicorns out there I’ve encountered lately. Life is good…

WOTY : Berserkers Offlines and more. Amazing California, Bordeaux and Burgs. The Silicon Valley Offline Crew Rocks!!! Twist my arm for a wine. Wes popped an 1970 Grand Cru burg on labor day that redefined my whole universe as to what was possible with ~50 year old wine. And, I thought the '86 Montebello custom unicorn from George couldn’t be beat.

Discovery of the Year: Easy, http://www.birichino.com from Santa Cruz. We’ve killed close to a few cases of their Malvasia Bianca Pet Nat, its yum! Everything John and Alex make works for my palate. These guys deal with unique terroir and vines, take risks, and make unique restrained wines. The results and the QPR speak for themselves. Thanks George!

Ws otY (top of my head)
75 Yquem
88 Yquem
86 Salon
02 Krug several times (even too young)
08 Rayas
15 MACDONALD

Ds otY
We were really impressed by WBer Kurt Beitler’s wines at Bohème
A friend imports a delightful cheap Rosé from Portugal–Quinta de Arcossó Bastardo Rosé

Sean- Jim Cowan has been touting Birichino for a couple years now. I trust his palate and I have been meaning to try them. Thanks for more inspiration. Cheers.

WOTY was a 1961 Gruaud Larose - a good head above the rest of the field. Easily up there with the best BDX of my life - drunk at home with my family (and parents/siblings visiting).

Discovery was probably Bouchard’s Montrachet 2014. One of the best Montrachet’s I’ve had and a revelation to drink it this young - it was superb. I’ve only ever had significantly older bottles (or occasionally tasted immediately on release, without the few years this has had in the bottle). If I had bought a bottle, rather than a glass at a bar in an airport, I would have kept it for at least 20 years before opening it. What this will be like in 20 years is of course another matter…

Got to ask which airport serves Montrachet ? NE UK, certainly not Tyneside airport !!

I’ve only tried a few times but weren’t good chards being made at Margaret River? I tried a leewin art series that was pretty good.

My guess is Schiphol, NL, at the seafood bar.

Best regards

///Martin

Too early for WOTY but my discovery is Rucksack Chenin Blanc.

Discoveries of the year. I posted back in April about Patria, Tony Biagi’s own label of cabernet/ blends. Really terrific juice. Another discovery that comes to mind is Seavey cabernet- I do not like the way they age. I was buyer starting 1990, and I love the power in their youth, and some, not all, are really nice with a few years bottle age, e.g., 2007. But other than that, not my wheelhouse (anymore).

Two votes for Rucksack as discovery–awesome! Paul would be very pleased. My notes on the Chenin and Rose from my visit in the summer

"2017 Rucksack Chenin Blanc

4 year vines, which we can see from the outside tasting area sloping down. Clay/loam soil, picked at 19.5 Brix. Quite aromatic with a bit of sea air playing in. nice and light, has appley freshness

2017 Rucksack Barbera Rose

Done Provencal style. Here, there’s some strawberry and pomegranate bits to scent. And this is fun. It has all the flash of barbera but without the searing acidity and it has all the fruit. Why haven’t more people done this? I grabbed a bottle."


There are a number of fine Aussie chards out there for my palate. Leeuwin Art Series (I’m opening a 2013 tomorrow) and (when someone else is paying :wink: ) Prelude, Penfolds Yattarna, Petaluma, Giaconda if you like a bigger style, and for super QPR in most years, Moss Wood. Voyager and Vasse Felix can be good too.


Sean, lovely thoughts there.

Discovery of the year? Easy…German Riesling…
Wine of the year?? 2013 Abreu Madrona Ranch