2014 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon #1 WOTY
1989 Château d’Yquem #2
a hartford fog dance chardonnay, for the sole reason that it was the first chardonnay I actually liked. I’ve had countless over the years expensive and cheap, this is the first time I’ve been interested to try more.
Looking at my scores I have a tie between the 59 Latour and the 74 Ridge Monte Bello. Wish I tried them side by side to pick a winner.
For me it was :
1988 La Tache
1991 Guigal La Turque
1863 Blandy’s Malmsey
But honestly a great year for wine consumption
JF
I think I drank too much wine this year to remember my favorite. Can’t say off hand I had one that stood out head and shoulders above the rest.
For me, toss up between 90 Latour or 98 Chave
Looking at my scores it’s a broader field: 82 Pichon Lalande, 88 Guigal La Mouline, 09, 10, 15 Margaux (all twice tasted with consistent notes), 10 Mouton.
Looking like a tie between 1980 La Tâche and 1980 Ponsot Clos de la Roche for red
1999 d’Auvenay Narvaux for white with honorable mention to 1985 Guffens-Heynen La Roche
1952 Clos des Goisses for Champagne
+1 on both. Also:
1970 La Gaffeliere
2007 Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
2009 López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
Maybe 1982 Calon segur, because I wasn’t expecting it to be half so good.
This is an unusual year and I am going with less than normal picks. For me, this year, the most memorable wines I had were not necessarily the grandest wines I had but the ones that made a real impression on me:
Off dry White - 2017 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Euchariusberg Riesling Spätlese
Dry White - 2016 Domaine Heitz-Lochardet Meursault En La Barre
Red - 2014 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Clos St. Jean Rouge
But, I do have to list a couple of grand wines as well:
1988 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny
2017 Trapet Chambertin
2002 Domaine Truchot-Martin Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes Vieilles Vignes
2014 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot
2014 Bouchard Montrachet
In Red,it will probably be a pristine bottle of 2009 Anne Gros Echezeaux. This is purely due to the fact that I wasn’t expecting it to be so incredibly good. Terrific wine.
For White, it is more difficult. A recent 2014 Arnaud Ente Meursault Gouttes d’Or is up there. Also the 2017 Vincent Dancer Chassagne Tete du Clos. A 2002 Paul Pernot Bienvenue Batard Montrachet in perfect form however is my choice at this point. This was just singing. The premox gods were with us that night.
Somewhat similar to Don, have to go with the '07 Domaine Dujac Echezeaux for red; for white a 2014 H. Boillot Puligny Clos de la Mouchère, though an '09 Paul Pernot Batard, was a close second.
1998 SQN E-raised, opened on a ridge in the Massanuttens as I cooked pizza made in an “oven” of rocks heated by the campfire. Ambience was definitely in play here, though the wine was delicious all on its own.
Close second:
1996 Léoville-Las Cases
2000 Mouton
Just received one from the Domaine so glad to hear this was wonderful.
I didn’t drink much this year but fortunately had a good first quarter with some incredible wines:
Red: 1990 DRC Richebourg or 1988 Rousseau Chambertin
White: 1988 DRC Montrachet (en Magnum)
2012 Larkmead LMV Salon comes to mind. Wife’s BD dinner.
Honestly, too many good wines this year to possibly whittle it down to one bottle. As bad as a year this has been, the quality of the wines has been great.
Post Covid wines only:
2004 Carillon Bienvenue Batard Montrachet
1990 Pousse d’Or Cailleret
2012 Rousseau Clos de la Roche
2002 Mugnier Fuees
2014 Mugnier Fuees
1989 Bruno Giacosa Santo Stefano
2006 Allemand Reynard
2012 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spatlese
As far as discovery, I’m drinking more Jura, and while it’s still pretty uneven, I’ve found a few new producers I definitely like.
1989 Zind Humbrecht Heimbourg Pinot Gris VT
1947 Monfortino
1990 Dujac Clos de la Roche
1997 Bryant Family
1955 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo
2009 Roumier Bonnes Mares