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

[Howard_Cooper]

I did as well. American Wine of The Year - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers Beautiful wine.

[RyanC]

My red wine of the year was a 2011 Ridge Monte Bello, brought to an offline at my house this summer by Joe Duncan - his first offline that I know of, and he came guns a’blazing with that amazing wine, which he double decanted prior to arriving!

Fabulous wine.

I remember David Z raving about this wine.

It really is so good. One of the better young CA wines I’ve had.

[joeduncan]

Since half this thread is courtesy of Charlie, I’ll add to it, as I just had my Champagne of the year, courtesy of him. In fact, it’s my Champagne of all time, as far as I can recall. Jerome Prevost La Closerie Les Beguines Extra Brut Climax


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My red wine of the year was a 2011 Ridge Monte Bello, brought to an offline at my house this summer by Joe Duncan - his first offline that I know of, and he came guns a’blazing with that amazing wine, which he double decanted prior to arriving!

Very glad you enjoyed it, it’s a great early drinking vintage for monte bello!

[Eric_Ifune]

Posted by Rich Brown
Wow, that sounds incredible! You have any pics or detailed notes you can pass along?

San Leonardo is the brand name for Quinta do Mourao. Tasted at the Quinta. A blend of 7 wines ranging in dates from 1863 to 1872 with an average age of more than 150 years. 75 liters made and bottled in 500ml bottles.
Enormous color. Darker than an old Malmsey Madeira. Aromas of smoke, earth, damp forests. Lots of citrus. Toasted Almonds and hazelnuts. On the palate, incredible density. Very sweet but balanced by enormous acidity. A cornucopia of citrus fruits. Also dried fruits; dates, figs, sultanas. Pralines. Unbelievable concentration but with impeccable balance. Fantastic length.

[Rich_Brown]

Posted by Rich Brown
Wow, that sounds incredible! You have any pics or detailed notes you can pass along?

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San Leonardo is the brand name for Quinta do Mourao. Tasted at the Quinta. A blend of 7 wines ranging in dates from 1863 to 1872 with an average age of more than 150 years. 75 liters made and bottled in 500ml bottles.
Enormous color. Darker than an old Malmsey Madeira. Aromas of smoke, earth, damp forests. Lots of citrus. Toasted Almonds and hazelnuts. On the palate, incredible density. Very sweet but balanced by enormous acidity. A cornucopia of citrus fruits. Also dried fruits; dates, figs, sultanas. Pralines. Unbelievable concentration but with impeccable balance. Fantastic length.

So awesome. I think that’s my vicarious WOTY!!

[Tran_Bronstein]

I always both love and loathe this thread. Love it because I enjoy reading about all the amazing wines people have tried during the year. Loathe it because it means I’ve gotten another year older. Ah well.

Wines of the Year:

• Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2008 Champagne
• Argyros 20 Year Old Vinsanto
• Pol Roger 2006 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill
• Egon Muller 2018 Scharzhofberger Spatlese
• Robert Biale 2017 Royal Punishers Petite Syrah
• Hugel 2010 Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive
• Quinto do Crasto 1999 Vintage Porto
• Chateau de Rayne Vigneau 2009 Sauternes
• Loimer 2007 Riesling Kamptal
• Kracher 2003 #1 Nouvelle Vague
• 2007 Huet Le Mont Demi-Sec
• Gernot Gysler 1990 Huxelrebe Trockenbeerenauslese
• Muller-Cattoir 2003 Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Rieslaner Spatlese
• Anselmann 2013 Edesheimer Rosengarten Riesling Beerenauslese
• Domaine Huet 2009 Clos De Bourg Moelleux 2009 Premiere Trie Vouvray

Discoveries of the Year:

• Rioja Vega 2017 Tempranillo Blanco – my first ever white Tempranillo
• Hugel 2012 Pinot Noir Grossi Laue – my first ever Alsacian Pinot Noir
• Nonino Prunella Mandorlate – Italian plum eau-de-vie based liquor that tastes like chocolate covered cherries
• Peller Estates Clarity 2017 Ruby Red – local Niagara region off-dry table red
• Tablas Creek 2004 Vin de Paille – Italian passito style dessert wine made from French white Rhone varietals that have been grown and dried in California
• Meo Camuzet 2015 Grand Cru Corton Charlemagne – literally made me both rethink and regret my love affair with Chablis and Meursault as this completely blew them both away
• Redbreast 21 Year Old Irish Whiskey – Should never have touched Scotch with this whiskey existing in the world
• 2015 Kiralyudvar Tokaji Furmint Sec – my first ever dry Tokaji
• Duke Spirits The Duke 24 Year Old Special Reserve Brandy – the best American brandy I have ever had in my life
• Tokajska Vyberova 2003 Tokaji Essencia – a rare Tokaji from Slovakia

[Howard_Cooper]

If you have spent the year drinking good wines with friends, you may have gotten another year older but at least you have not wasted the year.

Fascinating about the Gysler Huexelrebe TBA. I had (and drunk) a few of his sweeter wines back in the day, but never would have expected it to last this long.

[Bryan_Price]

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.

Now you’re talking my language Robert! Which WS vintages have you had?

[Bryan_Price]

I think another poster mentioned most memorable wines of the year (rather than “best”), and I think back to a a 2001 Arcadian Pisoni that stood up to the Peruvian meal I had with my wife in Sonoma during her birthday week. Another standout was a WS Rochioli on that same trip at Chalkboard in Healdsburg. Met up with a friend I hadn’t seen in 10 years and hadn’t lost a step in terms of conversation and rapport. I also think about my other most memorable experiences, and these were sharing wine with friends (and opening their eyes to the “good life”) and also every bottle I shared with my father who is 76 and already feeling his own mortality.

[B_Buzzini]

Discovery of the year - How much I really really really LOVE Champagne and sparking wines! I could drink Champs and eat pizza, seafood, and fried chicken EVERYDAY for the rest of my life…although might be a short life…I’d be happy!

Wine of the Year - I rated two wines 98pts this year…goes along with my DOTY…1969 and 2008 DomP.

[D0mi_S0pk0]

I’m a champagne/sparkling wine fan and would pick the 2002 Piper Rare. Although I have yet to try the 08 Dom.

[John_Glas]

On the cheap for under $15 with tax this one works:

2015 Domaine Christophe Cordier Mâcon-Charnay Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Charnay (11/7/2019)
Day 1: Sampled at Hennepin Lake earlier in the day and bought at 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits for much less. $14.99 on sale. This is really nice with saline, shells, orange peel and chalk. Short to medium finish. Picks up some nice Carmel elements on the finish. Very complex for a wine under $20.00! 91 points
Day 2: Honey, Carmel, saline, shells and orange peel. Very complex wine for $15. Medium finish and good acidity. Highly Recommended. 91 points
Day 3: Not as good as day 1 and 2 and lost some of the intensity. Drink on a pop and pour and enjoy.
Recommendation: This is a short term ager. Drinking well now so why wait. Drink now to 2021. (91 points)

[PCLIN]

Discovery of the year - How much I really really really LOVE Champagne and sparking wines! I could drink Champs and eat pizza, seafood, and fried chicken EVERYDAY for the rest of my life…although might be a short life…I’d be happy!

Wine of the Year - I rated two wines 98pts this year…goes along with my DOTY…1969 and 2008 DomP.

Champagne and fried chicken, a combo I learnt last year while visiting NY.

[Herwig_Janssen]

My wine of the year is ~Hermitage La Chapelle 1978 from Jaboulet .
Discovery : 2017 Puligny Montrachet Folatieres from Pierre Girardin and also the 2017 Riesling Pettenthal from KP Keller , what an awesome wine .

[Mike_Grammer]

Champagne and fried chicken, a combo I learnt last year while visiting NY.

A fine, fine combo–I was at a themed party that Leslie Fisher hosted on this theme and it was great.

Domi, welcome to the board.

Mike

[PCLIN]

Wines of the year.

‘62 Latour
‘66 Haut Brion
‘98 Jamet Côte Rotie
‘96 DRC Grands Echezeaux
‘66 Beychevelle
‘08 Rougeard Poyeux

[Rory_K]

Sad to say no real discoveries this year but the top wines I can remember

Paolo Bea Sagrantino Passito 2006
Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva ‘Pora’ 2008
Sean Thackrey Orion 2011
A. Rafanelli Zinfandel 2013

Now that I think about it my discovery is that I’m drinking more California wine than I used too. Not a change in taste it’s just all my Italian favorites are too young and I’m exercising better patience.

[Mattstolz]

New addition for a champagne revelation for me:
Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne, the most recent release. Just the best champagne I’ve had period.

[Howard_Cooper]

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.

Add to my list 1999 Truchot Clos de la Roche from last night. Very much a wow wine. Probably my single WOTY - so far.

[LMD_Ermitano]

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.

Same here with the ‘09 Cristal. I think it’s the first Cristal that I’ve genuinely enjoyed (though I’ve had many of their vintages). I don’t think I’ve had any ‘07 Bollinger though (not that I recall, anyway). Their ‘04 RD I enjoy now; as well as their regular ‘04, rosé included.