WOTY so far: Pergole Torte Riserva 1990 (enjoyed twice in 2019, on both occations just great)
Discovery of the year: Cascina Roccalini Barbaresco 2016 - incredibly elegant
1996 Verset Cornas
2006 Gonon Vieille Vignes
2008 Roulot Mei Chavaux
1985 Chateau Magdelaine
In terms of discovery, I’ve been introduced to the Pinots of Williams Selyem and have dug them.
Champagne: Selosse Bout de Clos
White Burgundy: Ramonet Montrachet 2008
Red Burgundy: Rousseau Chambertin 1993 (and overall WOTY)
Italy: Gaja Barolo Sperrs 1989 (and overall 2nd)
Bordeaux: LLC 1986
A bit early to declare these as WOTYs or best in class, but I shall be extremely lucky to do any better in the last couple of months!
So far:
1995 Cos d’Estournel (thanks Lori!)
1983 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle (thanks Paul!)
1970 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Reserva
2013 Radio Couteau Dusty Lane Syrah
1986 Adelsheim Elizabeths Reserve
2016 Kelley Fox Maresh Vineyard Pinot
1993 Felsina Vin Santo (vin santo was my discovery of the year)
Objectively, 2001 Beaucastel Hommage a Jacque Perrin. The surprise would be 2004 Etude St. Helena (scarecrow). Although I’ve had so many great glasses/bottles with friends new & old, it is impossible to pick one.
Yes. Yes it does. Of the 21 bottles I’ve currently listed, only 6 of them were mine—the others were generous contributions of friends on this board. Funny that both you and I have our WOTY connected with counselor Hack—the Taylor was drunk at his blowout party this past summer.
Pat–just glad you had a great visit at A&O. And yes, I do like the Era bottling a lot…though I may prefer the Thomas SVD even more!
![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
You do realize it is only a short step from there to Burgundy? 
Ha. I will admit to ordering some afterwards.
It’s going to be a tough job for me to settle on one WOTY. I got married in September and as a friend said, “It was a wine weekend…and then you got married on Sunday.” Wines that really stood out to me were the following:
1996 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne
2015 Henri Jouan Clos St. Denis
2016 Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Bâtard-Montrachet
2014 Domaine Ponsot Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants Très Vieilles Vignes
If I had to call a WOTY it would probably be a 2007 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Buisson Renard from Magnum that my best man brought as a gift to share during the wedding weekend.
Discovery of the year is probably not a positive one…it’s that I have zero interest in Salon Champagne after a really poor performance of the 1996 which was blown out of the water by the '96 Comtes.
02 Rougeard Bourg
02 Rougeard Poyeux
13 Laurel (Priorat) mag
01 Jamet C-R (mag)
For many years I had pretty much dismissed Cristal as a wine best for rapper videos, and given the cost, it was easy to simply ignore it. A bottle of the 2009 a few months ago really opened my eyes. Sensational wine, as good as any champagne I have had in recent memory. The 2007 Bollinger Grand Anneé Rosé was also a revelation. Both PAME.
What did you order? ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Surprised about the ‘07 Bollinger Grand Annee Rose showing so well, have to buy some then.
We had a lot of good wine this year. Two that come quickly to mind as candidates are a 2007 Pegau Cuvee Reservee CdP (no surprise there), and a 2012 Paolo Bea Arboreus (if you ever come across this, buy every bottle!). 2019 isn’t over, and we have many nice wines on deck…
I had an excellent Arboreus 2011 last summer. A classy delicate orange wine (trebbiano spoletino).
It’s been a tremendous wine year, but these three candidates for WOTY were all amazing:
1945 Haut Brion
1985 Valentini Trebbiano
2010 Roulot Meursault Perrieres
Discovery for me was Enfield, who is making consistently stunning wines at fantastic value.
That’s the best wine that I ever tasted, also the only perfection in my book.
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Roccalini produces excellent wines (2011, 2014).
I’d like to add these “discoveries” :
Bellet blanc Clos St-Vincent « Vino di Gio » 2016 : a very interesting Rolle, produced near Nice (Bellet is a tiny territory)
Château de Villars-Fontaine Hautes Côtes de Nuits Le Rouard 1996
Giovanni Montisci Cannonau di Sardegna Barrosu Juan 2015
New-Zealand Canterbury - Pyramid Valley Vineyards “Angel Flower” Pinot Noir 2015
Ribera del Duero Dominio del Aguila Canta la Perdiz 2015 : a classy Ribera del Duero
Discovery: Elio Sandri, thanks to Bob Tai for the introductory bottle he gave me, and to visiting Elio in May.
A couple of WOTY that come to mind:
1995 Cos d’Estournel
1999 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia
2009 Azelia Barolo Bricco Voghera Riserva
2009 Poderi Oddero Brunate
2001 & 2008 Luigi Oddero Vigna Rionda
any Cappellano Rupestris I opened.
2011 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto
1999 Michel Ogier Cote Rotie, Rhone schtank, blood & meat, amazing mature Cote Rotie.
and maybe the most remarkable so it gets the not as WOTY: 1975 Alfonso Scavino Barolo. I had moderate expectations here given the age and vintage (Good, not outstanding) but took the bottle to share with Lorenzo Scavino on a visit to Toronto for a tasting. Stunning and WOTN for me despite a great lineup of Azelia Barolo going back to about 2005 from Magnum.
Probably some others but will have to brush out some cobwebs to remember…