Now that I’ve finally managed to hit a five-digit number in CT tasting notes, I decided to check out what I’ve drunk over the last 10 years. I’m not sure if anybody is interested, but I decided to post them here anyway just to see how things looked like at this moment.
First of all, of those 10,000 notes 945 are on beer, cider, sake and fruit wines; 9,055 are on wines.
86 different vintages, the oldest one being 1874.
Top 5 most notes on a vintage:
2011, 875 notes
2013, 873 notes
2012, 868 notes
2015, 825 notes
2014, 697 notes
Top 10 countries from which I’ve drunk stuff with the top region:
France 26,6% / 2 659 notes; Champagne 5,3% / 526 notes
Italy 19,3% / 1 927 notes; Piedmont 7,3% / 731 notes
Germany 10,5% / 1 050 / notes; Mosel Saar Ruwer 4,2% / 422 notes
Spain 7,8% / 776 notes; Catalunya 2,5% / 248 notes
Portugal 4,3% / 430 notes; Douro 1,5% / 151 notes
Australia 3,6% / 360 notes; South Australia 1,7% / 175 notes
USA 3,0% / 296 notes; California 1,8% / 181 notes
Chile 2,3% 232 / notes; Rapel 0,4% / 43 notes
Austria 2,3% / 226 notes; Niederösterreich 1,2% / 117 notes
Finland 2,1% / 206 notes (only a few wines here; most of these notes are on beers and ciders)
The rest: 18,4% / 1838 notes
A total of 485 different grape varieties tasted, of which 350 varieties (72,2%) I’ve tasted as varietal wines.
Unsurprisingly, the top 10 looks like this (I removed malt and different “blends”):
Riesling 9,5% / 945 notes
Pinot Noir 5,5% / 550 notes
Nebbiolo 5,4% / 536 notes
Chardonnay 4,9% / 490 notes
Syrah 3,0% / 302 notes
Tempranillo 2,2% / 219 notes
Sangiovese 1,7% / 167 notes
Sauvignon Blanc 1,6% / 157 notes
Cabernet Sauvignon 1,6% / 157 notes
Grenache / 1,5% 147 notes
And then, my favorite list: my top 50 highest-rated producers! I removed all the producers who had less than 10 notes just to concentrate on those who produce consistently good stuff.
1: Azienda Agricola Valentini; Italy, Abruzzo. 94,0 points with 11 notes.
Comment: I’ve had mainly the Cerasuolos, which are hands-down among the best rosés I know. Can age easily for several decades.)
2: Claude Moine; France, Loire. 93,6 points with 10 notes.
Comment: Claude Moine is an old fellow who runs a small family domaine in Vouvray and has an endless stock of back vintages. All the Moine wines I’ve tasted are from a one single tasting where we tasted wines from contemporary vintages back to 1893. These wines seem to be eternal. Exceptional.
3: Girolamo Dorigo; Italy, Friuli. 93,6 points with 10 notes.
Comment: I’ve had just the old vintages of Dorigo’s whites, which might explain the high rating. However, these wines are easily among the best in Italy and can age ridiculously good for decades. A top-class producer.
4: Nervi; Italy, Piedmont. 93,3 points with 25 notes.
Comment: Most of the Nervi wines I’ve tasted have been older vintages (1980’s-1950’s), but I’ve tasted quite much of the more recent vintages (2000’s-2010’s) to acknowledge Nervi as some of the best producers in Piedmont. Ridiculous value in the past, but not anymore after Conterno purchased the winery; now the wines are merely priced according to their quality.
5: Bollinger; France, Champagne. 93,3 points with 17 notes.
Comment: Probably not the best producer in Champagne, but the older vintages and outstanding wines like VVF and RD tend to pull the average score up. Nevertheless, I do love their bold, vinous style and Bollinger is easily among my favorite Grande Marques.
6: Nicolas Joly; France, Loire. 93,3 points with 11 notes.
Comment: Some of the most singular producers in the world. The wines are definitely very idiosyncratic and not always successful. However, when the wines manage to show their best, they can be some of the most captivating wines in the world. I understand why Joly is such a divisive producer, but his wines can age wonderfully and become truly otherworldly with enough age.
7: R. López de Heredia; Spain, Rioja. 93,1 points with 58 notes.
Comment: There are old-school Rioja producers and then there is R. Lopez de Heredia. At 58 notes RLdH is one of my most-tasted producers and I’ve had their wines from the past six decades. It’s an exceptional feat to keep this high score with this many wines. They are wonderfully old-school, made in a style that hasn’t budged one bit for over a century. Outstanding quality from the lowest tier up.
8: Leon Beyer; France, Alsace 93,1 points with 26 notes.
Comment: I love the traditional, powerful and bone-dry style of Alsatian whites and Leon Beyer manages to make some of the most impressive wines for such a big producer. Especially their Comtes d’Eguisheim range has some spectacular whites that can age gracefully for years.
9: Francis Boulard; France, Champagne. 93,1 points with 12 notes.
Comment: Probably my favorite Champagne producer. The wines are impressively complex and vinous, made in a bold, slightly oxidative style. Especially Les Rachais wines can be really out of this world.
10: Domaine Weinbach; France, Alsace. 93,1 points with 10 notes.
Comment: Another Alsace traditionalist, making wonderfully dry, bold and mineral wines, yet often showing less weight and more finesse than those of, say, Leon Beyer or Trimbach. Beautiful, ethereal wines.
11: Schlossgut Diel; Germany, Nahe. 92,9 points with 11 notes.
Comment: My favorite Nahe producer and one of my favorites in Germany. Impressively tightly-knit, powerful and mineral wines made in a dry and very acid-driven style. Often require some time to show their best. I’ve yet to taste a disappointment in the Diel range.
12: Tissot (Bénédicte et Stéphane / André et Mireille); France, Jura. 92,6 points with 16 notes.
Comment: A producer making consistently wines of very high quality, throughout their range and in all kinds of wine styles made in Jura. I think there are producer making more exceptional wines; Tissot is just a very solid and reliable producer - no matter what you pick from them is going to be good.
13: La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri; Spain, Rioja. 92.6 points with 11 notes.
Comment: Remelluri is mainly here because of the older vintages I’ve tasted quite a bit + their fascinating whites, which are some of the best ones in Spain. The younger Remelluri reds are good, but ultimately nothing too special and require some time in a cellar to show their best.
14: Albert Gessinger; Germany, Mosel. 92,5 points with 28 notes.
Comment: I admit Gessinger is rated this high most likely because of Caldo Infernale Zeltinger Sonnenuhr 2010, which is some of the most stunning Rieslings I’ve tasted - and I’ve tasted it so many times. Gessinger makes some wonderfully lean and unapologetic dry Rieslings, but they can be rather austere and lacking in humor when drunk too young. Gessinger’s strength is definitely the seductively delicious sweet Rieslings.
15: Produttori del Barbaresco; Italy, Piedmont. 92,5 points with 25 notes.
Comment: I hope I don’t have to explain anything here.
16: Birrificio del Ducato; Italy, Emilia-Romagna. 92,5 points with 14 notes.
Comment: The first non-wine producer in the list. Probably the most unique brewery in the Italian craft beer scene, making some very funky, outside-the-box brews. Lots of sour ales and experimental beers that are right up my alley.
17: Argyros; Greece, Santorini. 92,5 points with 10 notes.
Comment: Having visited multiple Santorini wineries, I came to the conclusion that Argyros is my favorite. Lots of fine stuff, but Argyros’s wines tend to be a notch above right from the entry-level wine. They make some of the most stunning Vinsantos and although I tend to dislike the oak-aged Assyrtikos, Argyros Oak Fermented Assyrtiko is one of the most impressive dry Assyrtikos I’ve tasted.
18: Marguet Pere & Fils; France, Champagne. 92,4 points with 16 notes.
Comment: Since I love the burly, vinous Champagnes, it really isn’t a surprise Marguet - one of the masters of this style - is this high in my list. Often these wines prefer weight and concentration over elegance, but they still come across wonderfully balanced with their cool mineral core and high acidity.
19: Blandy’s; Portugal, Madeira. 92,3 points with 17 notes.
Comment: Well, if you drink enough Blandy’s Vintage Madeiras, the producer is bound to end up in the list. The wines are just silly good.
20: Zind-Humbrecht; France, Alsace. 92,3 points with 12 notes.
Comment: Some Zind-Humbrecht’s wines can be quite ponderous, heavy and lacking in humor, but when they are good, they are really good. The best ones are of true distinction and can age remarkably well. Definitely one of Alsace’s top producers.
21: Chateau Musar; Lebanon, Beqaa. 92,2 points with 95 notes.
Comment: At almost 100 notes Musar is hands-down my most often-drunk producer. Both their older reds and whites pop up often in my lists of best wines I’ve ever tasted. They must know how to make great wines, if they can produce wines that get +92 average score over a course of 100 wines.
22: Dönnhoff; Germany, Nahe. 92,2 points with 29 notes.
Comment: One of the most acclaimed German producers, and for a good reason (although when it comes to Nahe producers, I tend to favor Diel over Dönnhoff). Making beautiful, vibrant and remarkably ageworthy wines ranging from bone-dry to very sweet.
23: La Rioja Alta; Spain, Rioja. 92,1 points with 17 notes.
Comment: Although I’m no fan of American oak, LRA often manages to pull it off. The wines can show quite obvious American oak vanilla and spice, yet still come across remarkably complex and rewarding. The wines tend to require a lot of aging to come across as balanced, but when they do, they are some of the best in Rioja.
24: Jean-François Ganevat; France, Jura. 92,1 points with 15 notes.
Comment: Ganevat has some crazy collaboration wines and makes negociant wines that can be either amazing or less thrilling, but their wines produced from the domaine’s own vineyards are easily some of the most exceptional in not only Jura but in the whole France. For example wines like Les Vignes de Mon Père, La Cuvée du Pépé and Les Grands Teppes are simply extraordinary.
25: Cauhapé; France, Southwest. 92,1 points with 14 notes.
Comment: Definitely one of the most impressive producers in Jurançon. Their wines can be a tad oaky in their youth and some of their late-harvested dry wines can get rather boozy, but they make wonderful entry-level dry whites and their sweet whites are some of the greatest in France - although they often require +10 years to show their best. A real acid-lover’s producer.
26: Loberger; France, Alsace. 92 points with 14 notes.
Comment: A relatively unknown Alsatian producer. Making dry, serious and wonderfully complex wines in basically completely hands-off fashion. Very unique and captivating style compared to the general Alsatian style.
27: Oddero; Italy, Piedmont. 91,9 points with 15 notes.
Comment: A solid old-school producer making delicious reds that offer lots of pleasure in their youth and can age effortlessly for 40-50 years. Fine wines throughout their range
28: Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss; France, Alsace. 91,8 points with 17 notes.
Comment: Just like Loberger above, Kreydenweiss makes some very idiosyncratic wines that can get quite funky, but still manage to offer tons of freshness and intensity. Often bone-dry, occasionally even aggressively acid-driven and austere, but having enough fruit and complexity to retain the balance.
29: Mastroberardino; Italy, Campania. 91,8 points with 15 notes.
Comment: Probably the most notable winery in the continental Italy south of Tuscany. Almost single-handedly responsible of the resurgence of Taurasi and many local grape varieties. The red wines can be quite austere and inapproachable in their youth, but make some of the most impressive wines if given enough age. Having tasted several wines from the early 1970’s that have been relatively youthful for their age, it’s quite obvious that these wines can take on some serious aging.
30: Can Ràfols dels Caus; Spain, Penedès. 91,8 points with 12 notes.
Comment: I really didn’t see this one coming. This is a quite small producer making some quirky, offbeat wines in Penedès, often from local, less-known varieties. Often a bit funky, but consistently complex and of very high quality.
31: Schloss Gobelsburg; Austria, Niederösterreich. 91,8 points with 10 notes.
Comment: Easily among the top producers in Niederösterreich and probably in the whole Austria. Makes some of the most impressive Grüner Veltliners throughout their range, starting from the entry-level wines to the exceptional single-vineyard wines.
32: Cantina Terlan; Italy, Alto Adige. 91,7 points with 28 notes.
Comment: Some of the best co-operatives in the world, making some of the best whites in Italy. Especially their Pinot Bianco Vorberg is of exceptional quality and probably the best Pinot Blanc in the world. Although it might be a tad heavy and unimpressive in its first years, it can age like crazy and often requires some +15 years before starting to show its best.
33: Dr. Bürklin-Wolf; Germany, Pfalz. 91,6 points with 22 notes.
Comment: Making some of the most impressive dry Rieslings in Pfalz. If there is anything to criticize, it’s the prices - the wines have become ridiculously expensive over the past years.
34: Dow; Portugal, Douro. 91,6 points with 11 notes.
Comment: Probably my favorite of the big Port shippers. I’ve always enjoyed the slightly dried and spicier style of Dow’s. The Vintage Ports and LBVs often show wonderfully peppery quality and the Tawnies can exhibit seductive freshness that counterpoints their lush complexity.
35: Weingut Thörle; Germany, Rheinhessen. 91,5 points with 11 notes.
Comment: Probably my favorite producer in Rheinhessen. Wonderfully restrained, structure-driven and mineral style in all their wines, be they dry or sweet, red or white. Their bright, savory and relatively tough Saulheimer Spätburgunder Kalkstein is some of the best values in German red wine.
36: Le Macchiole; Italy, Tuscany. 91,4 points with 19 notes.
Comment: Most of the Macchiole wines I’ve tasted have been in one tasting where we tasted almost every vintage of Paleo Rosso ever made.
37: Castelgiocondo / Frescobaldi; Italy, Tuscany. 91,4 points with 14 notes.
Comment: Impressive blockbusters. Probably not my favorite style of wine, but the quality certainly is there. Especially the Brunello and Brunello Riserva wines can age wonderfully well.
38: Louis Roederer; France, Champagne. 91,4 points with 13 notes.
Comment: Cristal.
39: Serafino Rivella; Italy, Piedmont. 91,4 points with 10 notes.
Comment: Easily some of the best producers in Barbaresco. Both the Barbaresco and Dolcetto are stupendous, although both needs a lot of aging before starting to show their best.
39: Taittinger; France, Champagne. 91,4 points with 10 notes.
Comment: The basic NV Brut of Taittinger might be pretty forgettable, but I’ve enjoyed many of Taittinger’s higher-quality bottlings. Nothing exceptional, just a solid Grand Marque.
41: Martin Müllen; Germany, Mosel. 91,3 points with 49 notes.
Comment: At 49 notes Martin Müllen is one of my most-tasted producers. The wines might not be that interesting in their youth, but they pick up tremendous amount of complexity after 10-15 years from the vintage. Terrific dry and sweet Rieslings.
42: Francois Schmitt; France, Alsace. 91,3 points with 13 notes.
Comment: Another solid Alsatian house. Perhaps a bit drier, leaner and more mineral than most other houses there. The wines are quite tightly-knit in their youth, but start singing beautifully after some aging. Schmitt’s Coeur de Cuvée is hands-down the best Crémant d’Alsace I’ve tasted.
43: Jaanihanso; Estonia, Tartu. 91,3 points with 12 notes.
Comment: The first cidrery in the list. Making wonderfully lean, mineral and surprisingly ageworthy craft ciders in a relatively hands-off fashion that seem to benefit from cellaring. This is not Eric Bordelet, but this is not far off either.
44: Trimbach; France, Alsace. 91,2 points with 43 notes.
Comment: One of the oldest wineries in Alsace, making some of the most impressive wines in their top range and very attractive, well-made wines in their entry-level range. Many of these age fantastically for years in a cellar. Top-notch quality for such a big producer.
45: d’Arenberg; Australia, South Australia. 91,2 points with 17 notes.
Comment: My favorite producer in Australia. Very traditionalist style emphasizing structure over fruit or weight. Many 'stralian reds lack the tannins I so much love, but not d’Arenbergs. With their high acidities and very judicious (=often almost unnoticeable) use of oak, these are wines that are delicious in their youth and age wonderfully over long term in a cellar. Spectacular level of quality starting already from the entry level.
46: Azienda Agricola Montevetrano; Italy, Campania. 91,2 points with 11 notes.
Comment: Although I’m not the greatest fan of Bdx-blends, Montevetrano can make some very impressive wines - especially if they are given enough age.
47: Palari; Italy, Sicily. 91,1 points with 13 notes.
Comment: Another funky curiosity. I haven’t been that impressed by the other Palari wines, but Palari Faro is one of the most captivating Sicilian wines - and it doesn’t even come from Etna! A very singular wine that feels like a Etna red that is trying to be Musar.
48: Colonnara; Italy, Marche. 91,1 points with 10 notes.
Comment: For one of Marche’s biggest producers, Colonnara makes some very impressive wines and can produce some really stunning Verdicchios. They make very convincing sparkling wines to show Verdicchio’s potantial as a variety for making bubbly and their Cuprese is some of the longest-lived Verdicchios out there.
48: Graham’s; Portugal, Douro. 91,1 points with 10 notes.
Comment: Well, I’ve had a good deal of Graham’s wines and they are pretty solid stuff.
50: Pheasant’s Tears; Georgia, Kakheti. 91 points with 26 notes.
Comment: Pheasant’s Tears are one of the biggest reasons why Georgian wine has started to spread so effectively into the western world, since they were one of the first ones to be exported here and they certainly captured the unique winemaking style of Georgia. Since their style is pretty hands-off, not all their wines are successful, but when they are, the are some of the impressive Georgia has to offer. Furthermore, they can be wonderfully ageworthy for natural wines.
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