What are the five greatest wines you have ever had the pleasure of drinking?

WINE TALK
21

Tough decision, It’s like the Sorting Hat at Hogwarts … [cheers.gif]

22

Not sure I would provide the same five tomorrow, but

1971 d’Yquem
1952 Haut Brion
1979 Ausone
1971 Francois Gros Richebourg
flight of Truchot Clos de la Roche (most vintages from 88-02 as part of a weekend of Truchot)

23

One of my goals is to drink more red Chassagne Montrachet.

24

1959 Salon on NYE 1989

1982 Quintarelli Amarone Bepe in the early 2000s

1985 Conterno Monfortino in a pizza joint in Desenzano in the early 2000s

Mid 50’s Louis Martini Barbera in the mid 90s

1964 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano from 4 liter bottle at a dinner with him in Verona

25

Always tough when this subject comes up, but…

1970 Petrus
1970 Cheval Blanc
1945 Taylor Fladgate

All three of those were part of the same blind tasting.

1998 J. J. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Eiswein
1971 Ridge Petite Sirah York Creek

26

Always an interesting topic.
(Not in any order)

  1. 2001 Fargues- A visceral experience. It beat out the 01 Yquem tasted alongside it.
  2. Selosse Blanc de Noirs Sous le Mont- Easily the best champagne I have ever tasted, and maybe will ever taste.
  3. 1997 Screaming Eagle - Maybe my only taste of this wine ever, but it definitely lived up to the hype.
  4. 1992 Dalla Valle Maya - One of my early red wine epiphanies. Superb!
  5. Yquem- So many vintages fit here. I think I’m particularly partial to the 88 and 03, but the 75 is very close behind.
27

Wow! Chiara said they will no longer release any 1964 because they have too little of it left in the winery. I don’t suppose you have a photo?

28

Come to New York. I have a few more of the '76, but the last one I opened was not as good, and I also picked up a bottle of the 2002 a few years ago. We can talk politics and drink red wine.
[popcorn.gif]

29

95 Krug clos du mesnil
99 coche corton Charlemagne
47 tokaji aszu esszencia
76 JJ prum wehlener sonnenuhr beerenauslese

Shocked that don’t have an reds here but top reds are

89 chave hermitage
78 d’angerville champans
50 CVNE vina real gran Reserva
47 Lopez de heredia Bosconia gran Reserva
61 giacomo conterno Barolo

30

  • 2001 Chateau D’Yquem – Proof positive that the legend is reality and not hype.

  • Argyros 20 Year Old Vinsanto

  • Taylor Fladgate 30 Year Old Tawny Port

  • 1983 Chateau Musar

  • 1977 Graham’s Vintage Port

This list is subject to change at any time pending what Jay Hack and any other visiting American Beserkers bring up to share. The last two wines on my list were in fact generous contributions from visiting American Berserkers.

31

1964 Château Coutet
1996 Château Latour Grand Vin
1970 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
1966 Château Angélus
1997 Roumier Bonnes Mares

32

Tough list to pare down, but…

1971 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling TBA (been fortunate enough to have this twice! Thanks Robert!)
2001 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein
Valdespino Moscatel Toneles
2000 Emmanuel Rouget Cros Parantoux
1959 Huet Le Haut Lieu Moelleux 1er trie

33

1973 Chevalier Montrachet Les Demoiselles Latour
1964 Corton Hospices de Beaune Cuvee Dr. Peste
1918 Ch. Gruaud Larose
1986 Ch. Mouton Rothschild
1964 Ch. Cheval Blanc

From a similar Top Ten topic in December 2103

34

Ken, sadly no. It was a giant sized version of those off kilter Gattinara bottles.

So far new world wines are decidedly in the rear here…

35

Did you bring that bottle to Matteo’s for that Don Dickman pig dinner??

36

No, that was a normale Amarone, I think it was an 88. That was the one that mysteriously materialized in my stash…I literally had no idea where I got it, if I bought it or it was a gift. The Bepe '82 we bought at a wine bar in Verona, drank half then took the other half to the bar at our hotel where it caused one of Marc de Grazia’s foot soldiers to say this in front of a bunch of his co workers:

“Jesus! This is f-ing WINE, compared to this we sell fruit juice!”

37

Not a surprise. Other than 2001 Yquem, there is very little listed in the current century and new world wines have, in my opinion, made their biggest strides forward in the past 15 years. I was tempted to list a 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard, but I would have to append the listing with a TBD.

38

In no order

Clos de Tart 1945
Wynns Michael Shiraz 1955
Krug Clos de Mesnil 1996
Chateau Latour 2010
Chateau Cheval Blanc 1934

Tricky exercise that! Can’t believe all the great Burgs I had to pass over.

39

'78 Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle
'48 Cheval Blanc
'82 Leoville Las Cases Mag
'92 La Jota 11th Anniversary
'95 Three Rivers Shiraz

and the beat goes on…

40

First aussie on the list…