No lists. No honorable mentions. No “for one region it’s …”. Just one wine. The single wine that vaulted to the top of your list for the best wine you had all year. Feel free to put into context why it was your wine of the year as well.
For me 1978 rousseau chambertin.
3 of us got together. Watching TV on the big screen and crushing sushi. Hanging out, completely relaxed with two good friends. A perfect intersection of company, wine and environment. Savoring the bottle (and a few other amazing wines) over 4 hours. Watched it go from a good bottle to one of the most amazing wines I’ve ever had.
It’s funny, was thinking about this in reference to a prior thread, and just could not come up with one wine that just stopped me in my tracks this year. I’ve had a killer year with wine and friends, and drank many bottles of excellent wines, but nothing that just stood head and shoulders above everything else.
2010 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Roussanne Vieilles Vignes. Discovered more of northern and southern white rhones to my liking.
This was the best of a stellar group of wines consumed this year. Drank at Republique with friends and this bottle was just smoking. Other very nice wines were consumed that night including a few Morey St Denis 1ers and a few Jamet, and this was by far the best. Opaque; this resembled a cab, with just fantastic aromatics that were quintessential Volnay. However, it had immense power to go along with the grace and elegance. Finish was crazy long. I poured it blind for a buddy who guessed mature Bonnes Mares, which was not really far off. What a great wine. I tried to find more but haven’t been able to locate a single bottle
In a flight that also included the Rionda and Montefico 71’s the SS just had that edge of elegance that made it an emotional wine, enjoyed a few months after my favorite winemaker Bruno Giacosa died.
2010 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne- France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (5/24/2018) Manresa (Los Gatos, Ca.): Awe inspiring wine! Had with the 04…started out pretty coiled and subtle, no reduction like the 04 had…but BOY did this wine snowball into and avalanche with some air and time! Amazing subtle power and elegance…the purest of pure fruits, seamless and perfectly ripe and creamy, yet energized with the very florals citrus acidity. Tons of chiseled minerals, kaleidoscope of spices, truffle, white flowers…just gigantic in every which way by the end of the night. As good as white Burgundy gets, and should only get better! Can’t help but give this a perfect score now, yet will deserve even higher. (100 pts.)
2008 Marcassin Chardonnay
My wife’s birthday dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. This was our starter wine with zucchini flowers.
The wine is in a perfect spot. Magical.
Martin Ray Santa Cruz Mountain Cabernet 1995. Bought from winebid and was everything I want from a well aged cab, velvety mouth feel, great blend of fruit and forest floor. The best red wine I have had in several years.
So many great reds it’s impossible to put one at the top of the heap. As I often end up doing its gonna be a white wine that was so unique and stood out so much. Rescued from the Mondavi Library by AMac I’m going with 1996 Robert Mondavi To Kalon I Block Fume Blanc