The Top

Of The Heap... There was only one wine of note tonight, but I'm finding it very difficult to be anything but overjoyed at the 1994 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. While this is the the 2nd time in the last month I've had the extreme joy of tasting this magnificent wine, I can not be anything but amazed. This is it. This is The One. When expectations are this high, it's tough to be anything but disappointed. Not in this case... this bottle was better. As I've written about in the past, the best wines have a certain texture and simply overwhelm the palate. This wine is more 1989 Romanee-Conti than 1982 Chateau Latour - it's soft and supple, though there is still a very impressive, and powerful, tannic structure. The nose is pure mint, eucalyptus, cedar, black fruit and earth. The palate is simply stunning... the wine hits your mouth and it's like "OK, this is good, but it's not... HOLY CRAP!!!"... and it just explodes - making all of your tastebuds scream at once (in a good way)... It's a silky, powerful wine with immense fruit (still, at 13 years of age!), and at the same time is so light and sexy... this is stunning stuff and while I'm not ready to proclaim this the best wine I've ever had, this now is in the Top 10... which I haven't recapped in a while... so, lets... 10. 1999 DRC Le Montrachet 9. 1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne 8. 1955 Chateau Haut Brion 7. 1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 6. 1990 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Riesling 5. 1994 Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 4. 1961 Chateau Latour 2. 1982 Chateau Latour & 2001 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1. 1990 Jacques Frederick Mugnier "Le Musigny" Vieilles Vignes - I'm not really sure what, if anything, can ever beat this wine for me... There are so many wines that come close - 1990 Margaux, 1982 Cheval Blanc, all of the DRCs that I get to try, Shafer Hillside Select (1994, 2001, 2002), old Spottswoode (1987, 1991, 1994, 1997 - all from Magnum), old Dominus (1987 from Magnum - I am a self-proclaimed Dominus hater, but this wine is incredible), 1990 d'Yquem, 1998 von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer TBA, 1964 Eitelsbacher BA, 1982 Pichon Baron, 1989 Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage, 1990 Guigal La Mouline Cote Rotie, 1975 Petrus... I could go on and on. All of these wines are legendary - but they're not the Le Musigny. By the way, the Anchor Porter I'm drinking right now rocks... awesome chocolaty-flavor!