You’re the second person I’ve heard say this about this wine in the past two days. I’m paying attention.
My WOTY was a beautifully aged bottle of Cabernet Sauvignonthat I got to share with my brother in law. I also have several honorable mentions
WOTY - 1982 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Honorable Mentions:
2016 Desire Lines Griffin’s Lair Syrah
2016 Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah
2017 Domaine La Bouissiere Gigondas
2005 Bernard Gripa Saint Joseph
Will need to add 1982 Comtesse Lalande to this list.Prestine bottle… probably WOTY
The most mind-blowing wine I tried this year was the 2023 Jasud Own-Rooted, which I know is on other folks’ lists - I’ll just add that I drank it with my non-wine-guy brother. He had a choice of a dozen different high-end wines that night (it was quite the party) and this was the only one he wanted to come back to.
Also:
Red: 2019 Eymin-Tichoux Coteaux de Seyssuel L’Arène
White: 2019 Jules Desjourneys Pouilly-Fuissé Vignes de la Cote
Edit: BTW, these can both be had for about $80-90.
I’m going to buy all I can of the new vintage next BerserkerDay: 2022 Claire Hill Chardonnay Lolonis Vineyard [about $32]
And one last thing: 1984 Ritchie Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine of the year, wine dinner companion of the year, discovery of the year, will probably never find it again of the year. I suspect this is what Beta will taste like in 40 years. [This is one of those unobtanium things, apparently.]
I feel very fortunate to have met some amazing people and drank very well this year. In no particular order.
- 2010 Roumier Bonnes Mares
- 2005 Chateau Rayas
- 2008 Raveneau Valmur
- 2008 Raveneau Blanchot
- 2008 Raveneau Montee de Tonnerre
- 1999 Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
- 2017 Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
- 2009 Lamy Pillot Montrachet
- 2019 Fourrier Clos St Jacques
- 2012 Arnaud Ente Les Petits Charrons
- 2012 Roulot Clos des Boucheres
- 2013 PYCM Chevalier-Montrachet
- 2015 Bernard Moreau Chevalier-Montrachet
- 2002 Robert Arnoux Les Suchot
- 1997 Chave Hermitage
- 1990 Gentaz Cote Rotie, Cote Brun
- 1990 Jamet Cote Rotie
- 2017 Roumier Les Cras
- 2014 Roumier Les Cras
- 2022 Roumier Amoureuses
- 2022 Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes
- 2020 Lamy Caillat Les Caillerets
- 2020 Lamy Caillat Chassagne Montrachet
- 2012 Dauvissat Clos
- 2010 Hudelot Noellat Clos Vougeot
- 2019 Antica Terra Ceras
Discovery of the year
- Vincent Dureiul-Janthial - Meix Cadot
That Drouhin was nuts. So was the 1991 Gallet Cote-Rotie we shared with @Ken_V
1991 Gallet Cote-Rotie
That was great.
That Drouhin was nuts. So was the 1991 Gallet Cote-Rotie we shared with @Ken_V
yup! had another of those 98 Vallouit Greffieres a few days ago that wasn’t far off in quality either (though I think I liked it more than a couple of others - I think @Ken_V found it a bit more rustic/feral and didn’t enjoy it as much as I did, though I loved the old school power/blood and iron). Got a few more, that’s drinking so well now. We’ll have to pop one soon.
It was a lot like the Gallet… if someone took a crap in it.
if someone took a crap in it
Paging @Robert.A.Jr to the brown courtesy phone.
As per my notes in this thread: TN: Time traveling through Bordeaux (Mouton Rothschild 1955 MG, La Mission Haut Brion 1959, Chateau d'Yquem 1943 etc.)
I have to add the d’Yquem 1943 to my list! Possibly at the very top…
Into the home stretch, everyone. Please do keep posting. I anticipate doing the tabulation around Jan 4 or 5
Drouhin made crazy good 1987s but it’s probably been 20 years since I had one. Never had the GE but Musigny and Griotte were incredible.
For a fairly young Berserker this was very much a formative year, with many mid-range mountains to ascend despite knowing that the high peaks are probably in the years to come.
My WOTY is probably a tie between:
- the fascinating x2 bottles of 1983 Brane-Cantenac I had this year
- a deeply layered, fresh, and vivacious 2000 Branaire-Ducru
The easy third place is a 2012 Vajra Ravera that simply shocked me with it’s sheer pleasure, a cascade of fruits, and secondary/tertiary development.
Many other notable and wonderful bottles that were all steps along the way to palate discovery!
A few highlights this year which I’m sure excludes far too much and some of which are influenced by whom I drank the wines with (only a few of these were at large events). A few were drunk with the producer or for a special occasion (birthday, friend’s wedding), which may make the wines taste better
1995 Cristal rose (magnum)
2013 Cristal rose (magnum)
1982 Cristal rose
2019 Bouchard Boloree (good on 3 continents)
2019 Bouchard Haut Lemblee
2014 Collin Roises 60 months
2014 Collin Enfers 60 months
2016 Collin Pierrieres
2015 Egly Coteaux Champenoise (magnum)
1999 Leflaive Chevalier
1983 Lafon Desiree
1992 Lafon Perrieres
2018 d’Auvenay Aligote
2004 Duvissat Clos
1990 Raveneau MdT
2013 Dauvissat Forest
2013 Dauvissat Sechet
2021/2019/2013 Schaefer Frohlich Felseneck
2013 Keller Absterde
1990 Cheval Blanc
2004 Allemand Reynard
2007 Allemand Reynard (magnum)
2014 Allemand Reynard
1976 Pousse d’or Cailleret
1993 Rousseau Beze (magnum)
1995 Rousseau Beze (magnum)
2010 Mugnier Fuees
2009 Fourrier Griotte
1996 Dujac Clos St. Denis
2021 Tremblay Chappelle Chambertin
2002 Gibourg Clos Vougeot
Not a big discovery year for me - Elise Bougy and Pandavoine are really the two that stand out.
Serious question and with all due respect did you not drink one wine that was not a heavy hitter that you enjoyed enough to include in this list? For example I opened a mag of 2016 Ulli Stein Blauschiefer at the Ulli Dinner that was just glorious. I also opened a Clos Roche Blanche at a dinner that Justin Chearno (RIP) was supposed to be at that moved me to tears as it was one of his favorite wines. I also drank tons of heavy hitters and could come up with a similar list but honestly these days I am enjoying the simple wines just as much or more.
Some thematic discoveries for me:
German Chardonnay - This was a break out year for German Chardonnay, unlike Pinot that takes years to get right, German Chardonnay is progressing by leaps and bounds.
The New Burgundy! Yes Burgundy! - There are so many new producers making great wine that are drinkable young and at fair prices. Many of these are somewhat in the Natural camp. Many are making wines from the secondary regions. Just last night I had an incredible Bourgone Blanc from Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne.
CRB is/was very special, as was Justin Chearno. Which cuvee did you have?