WOTYs--2019 Edition--TABULATIONS COMPLETE (OP)

Thanks to everyone for playing again for 2019. With 653 entries, I think I had a new record to work with. I also did have to make a difficult executive decision when pulling notes from Laurent’s thread. Because he started it so early in the year, I decided to only add wines from that thread where the poster had posted 5 wines or less on this thread. Sorry if that left some wines out of the mix, and I take full responsibility.

Now. As predicted early on, 2008 Dom and 1998 Jamet were in the top 3. The 08 Dom shattered any previous record for my tabulations threads with TEN votes for WOTY. 08 Cristal was 2nd with 6 votes and the 1998 Jamet was third with 5 votes. 09 Cristal (and these were the only 2 vintages of any Roederer that earned mentions) came in with 4 votes, as did 1989 Montrose.

The Montrose highlighted a trend this year. There were at least 125 entries in the Bordeaux category, and that’s not counting Sauternes. 1978 La Miss ended up with 3 votes and so did the 1982 Gruaud Larose. The other wines getting 3 votes were the familiar 1996 Salon and…2016 MacDonald Cab

In terms of house mentions, you would imagine that Dom led the way there too and you’d be correct with 19. Champers swept the top 3 spots here with Krug in at 12 and Roederer in at 10. Others receiving 5 votes or more:

Bollinger (7)
Bruno Giacosa (5)
Beaucastel (5)
D’Yquem (8) (low for them)
La Miss (8)–strong showing for them after a couple off years
Margaux (6)
Montrose (6)
Mouton (7)
Chave (6)
Clos Rougeard (5)
Comte de Vogue (5)
Comte Ligier-Belair (5) (first time they’ve shown up in a tabulation mention)
Dauvissat (6) (ditto here, I think)
DRC (8)
Huet (8)
Jamet (8)
Lopez de Heredia (7) (definitely first time for them too)
MacDonald (5)
Ridge (5)
Rivers-Marie (5) (it was almost 6–the 17 Occidental PN was my last cut from my list)
Taittinger (6)

Screaming Eagle? No votes. Surprised that board faves Aubert and Rhys garnered just one each. Kutch had 2 votes and that’s it. Bevan, just one vote. Keller had 3. No Abreu, but we had Colgin and Harlan entries this year. SQN only 4. No Lafon and only 2 Roumiers and 2 Rousseaus and 2 Leroys and 2 Raveneaus. White Burg in general didn’t seem to make it on to too many lists—there was some, but not as much as perhaps in past years.

Anyway, there you go. I leave my OP below. On to 2020.

Mike


Well, will you look at the time. How time flies. Here we are, the beginning of November already.

Many thanks to Laurent for starting an early-bird thread, I will add that in here for reference. Best wines since the beginning of 2019 - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers

Most of you know the drill by now—post away, revise as needed until end of year, I will tabulate and report on the results in this OP in early January.

Another fine year. Really, the 2015 Meo Camuzet Corton Charlemagne was again the first star. However, since I have a strict rule about not awarding WOTY to the same wine twice, we’ll go with something else. The 04 Dom Rose made a strong push to try to nudge out the Port. Scores included where my note prompted me to that extra level of description

1970 Taylor Fladgate VP Pretty easily (after further thought and reflection) the best port I’ve ever had.
2016 Chateau Pichon-Comtesse
2008 Cristal
1995 Chateau Angelus (94)
2004 Dagueneau Pur Sang
2015 Meo Camuzet Corton Charlemagne (97)
2013 Emmanuel Rouget Vosne Romanee
2014 Kutch Santa Cruz Chard (93)
2007 Huet Le Mont Demi-Sec
1997 Dow VP
A Margaine Premier Cru NV (92+)
1998 Giacosa Barbaresco Rabaja
Argyros 20 year Vin Santo (94)
2010 Emrich-Schonleber Halenberg Grosse Lage Ries (93)
2012 Emidio Pepe Colli Apurtini Pecorino
2005 Domaine Maillard Corton Les Renardes
1978 Remoissenet Clos St. Denis
2007 Williams-Selyem Litton Estate PN
1977 Chappellet Cab
2004 Dom Perignon Rose
1998 Alzinger Loibner Weingarten Gruner Veltliner Smaragd
2003 Huet Cuvee Constance (93)

Discovery was the Pepe Pecorino, but the real discovery was Scramm’s Red Agnes Mead. Wow. The Snowden wines in Napa also deserve a mention here.

My full note on the Taylors:

1970 Taylor Fladgate VP

This was the WOTD for me. One of many generous brings by Mark Golodetz. This was an absolute beauty to sniff and taste. A port in its full bloom after the requisite 50 years or so, power has been traded for complexity with chocolate, fig, buttercream and toffee all having a say. Not in any way thick or heavy at all, there is still some alcoholic excitement at the back of the throat. Easily one of the best ports I’ve ever had.


Mike

I do not keep notes anymore, and so, based on recollection…I would have to say my discovery of the year was the Anderson’s Conn Valley Eloge 2007. Absolutely gorgeous right now. Now, I am quite familiar with ACV so if that disqualifies it as a discovery, let me know, but I never had this particular bottling in this vintage, and never expected such a gorgeous wine as this.

Anderson’s Conn Valley Eloge 2007.

Probably my favorite winery in California for consistency.

2003 Truchot Clos de la Roche
2003 Truchot Charmes Chambertin
2003 Truchot GC Combottes
1996 Taittinger Comte de Champagne
1996 Taittinger Comte de Champagne Rose
2008 Ramonet CM Ruchottes
1978 La Mission Haut Brion
2011 d’Yquem
2015 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Kabinett

Discovery of the year. Despite the fact that I have been drinking them for a while now, I am going with Ramonet Reds. I have a couple this year that have really hit home how much I like these wines. In the world of Burgundy, IMHO they are very underrated.

2016 Keller Abts E GG
2015 Thierry Allemand Reynard (thanks, Charlie!)
2015 Chave Hermitage (thanks, Charlie!)
2015 Xavier Gerard Cote-Rotie La Landonne (thanks, Charlie!)
2008 Thierry Allemand Reynard
2008 Cristal
2002 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill
1998 Jamet Cote-Rotie
1964 Dom Perignon
1949 Mouton Rothschild

Discoveries:
2015 Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Néore
2003 Juge (and once again, thanks, Charlie!)
1983 d’Yquem (thought for sure it’d be a top 10 wine, but… nah)

I’ve been blessed to taste a lot of great wine and share with friends and family.

Elvio Cogno “Ravera” Barolo 1999 and the meal that accompanied it was very special.

Favorite discovery was Cremisan Wine Estate, Star of Bethleham.

I have one left. Will open it soon.

Grams, I gotta go with 2017 Rivers-Marie Platt Pinot as my discovery of the year. For the first vintage of that plot, the RM team nailed it. Awesome wine.

For my WOTY list, as it stands now, this is it. Still 2 months to go and some good wine is left to find.

2014 Marie Courtin Eloquence BdB Extra Brut
2017 Rivers-Marie PN Platt SC
2017 Kutch Pinot Noir SC PN
2009 Roederer Cristal Brut
2017 Carlisle Zin Mancini Ranch RRV

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WOTY so far: 2005 Trollat St Joseph

Discoveries:
2010 Marcel Deiss Altenberg de Bergheim (holy crap who knew this could be on the level of great Sauternes)
2007 Foillard Morgon 3.14 (dangerously, seductively drinkable)
1973 Fratelli Francoli Gattinara (wow old Alto Piedmonte is spectacular)

Yeah, I know. I can hardly wait to open the 11 Deiss next summer. Lots of Champers early on in these lists!

I need to think about my wines of the year, but my discovery is definitely Valtellina.

Discovery of the year, old Beychevelle.

To date for me…

2014 Michel Niellon Batard Montrachet
1966 Palmer x 2 … wonderful
2008 Bouchard Montrachet
1959 Negociant Label Charmes Chambertin (wished I could remember the negociant)
2008 Dom Perignon

Want to take a minute to think about WOTY, but our Discovery of the year was thanks to the OP…Alpha Omega ERA. Mike set us up with a tasting when we were in Napa in September, and we went through a dozen or more wines. The Rockstar was the ERA, which I had never had or heard of before.

Thanks again Mike for setting this up.

Rayas red 2005 : 20/20
Pure perfection …

Discovery - Emotion :
Bourgueil Lamé Delisle Boucard 1911 : still alive and a great moment with the producer in his cathedral-like cellar (he also offered us to taste wonderful 1964, 1959, 1947)

WOTY: Solaia 2015, among the best I’ve ever tasted
1982 Spottswoode, inaugural vintage
1999 Spottswoode
2004 Lamborn Howell Mountain
1986 Chateau Duhart Milon
2004 Penfolds Bin 407
1983 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard
1970 Borgogno Riserva
1978 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
1978 La Mission Haut Brion Graves
2014 Regusci Block 8 Zinfandel
Added 11/4: 2012 Hartford Court Hailey’s Block Pinot Noir.


Discovery: Red Cap Howell Mountain. We had a tasting with Tom in his home earlier this year with fresh baked bread. Amazing hospitality and great wine.
Poggio Antico, winery we visited in Montalcino. Excellent and reasonably priced Brunello

Chiu, you lucky one! [cheers.gif]

I always enjoy this thread and all the work Mike does on it. Thank you. I won’t commit until later in the year, but right now my WOTY was a Mag of the 2005 Saxum Rocket Block. Great wine of course, but also it was in the Jets Parking lot with Jay Hack and my son, before a Monday night Jet vs. Browns game that the Browns actually won. Context matters.

And so far, my discovery has been a 2014 Hors Catégorie Vineyards Syrah Hors Catégorie Vineyard. A wow wine for sure. Also, though I have known Will for years, trying his William & Mary for the first time was exciting and should count too.

Surprise crusher: 2009 Guigal St. Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice.
Wines of the Year: 2002 Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicky Francis, 2006 Colgin Tychson Hill, 2015 Beaux Freres Upper Terrace, 2008 Dom P.

For WOTY, not saying these are the best wines, but these are the ones that stick out in my head when I think back.

So far…
'14 Rieussec “a full on Jayne Mansfield of a sticky - everything is dialed up to 11”
'79 Blandys Verdelho

Discovery - Poiron-Dabin Muscadet. Crazy dialed up aromatics on this one.