#9

Back for more...

As great as this wine is, it is sad to put it up here... the 2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex Blanc Fumé de Pouilly (Pouilly-Fumé) is a stunning homage to a one of the greatest winemakers that ever lived. Intense in every meaning of the world, but effortless at the same time. This is a wine that hurts your brain... If it were a ski slope, you'd need an avalanche transmitter and a shovel... Let's hope his son is 1/2 as good as his father was...

#10

1999 Chateau La Graviere Tirecul Vendange Tardive Cuvee Madame - this moved up quite a few places cine last year... this is simply stunning stuff. Botrytised Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc... I'm not sure what else to say... One of the greatest sweet wines I've ever tasted.

Top 18 Countdown...

Ok... so let's go 18-11 today...

#18 - Penfold's Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvingon, Australia - one of the most profound yound Cabernet Sauvignon's I've ever tasted. Simply stunning... Power, spice, finesse - this is a just plain sexy wine. I wish I had a bottle to try in 40 years...

#17 - 1982 Chateau Latour, Bordeaux - Wow. Just had it the other night... see the notes from there.

#16 - 1988 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Grands Echezeaux, Burgundy - Wowzers... my favorite '88 from DRC. Still powerfully tannic, but less so than the RSV. Lovely earth notes that just screamed from the glass... What mature Burgundy should be, and this one still has time.

#15 - 1982 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Bordeaux - Yes, better than the Latour. A great wine, and I usually like Latour better... this year, though, the 82 Lafite was better than the 82 Latour I had. Incredibly intoxicating with the cedar box and tobacco leaf aromas. Timeless.

#14 - 2001 Dominus, Napa Valley, California - Yup, there it is. Not the best Dominus I've had this year, but the best young Dominus I've ever tasted. I don't usually like it when it's young (too anise-y and brooding), but this one was just perfectly balanced. I need to find a bottle - this might be Merry Christmas to me...

#13 - 1967 Mascarelli Barolo, Piemonte, Italy - this was one of those "No, no, no, no, yes, no, no, yes, no, no, no, no, no, no, no - wait a minute - YES!" It was alive, and it was glorious... Sotto Bosco maximus...

#12 - 1998 Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita, Priorato - oh my... I'll never forget this taste. One of those legendary wines I've had the priviledge of drinking many times. Mr. Palacios is a master...

#11 - 1992 Krug "Clos du Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Champagne - two intoxicating bottles of this otherworldly Chardonnay... Like smelling a box of the finest dried brioche, apple skin, citrus and pears. Perfection.

Birthday Dinner

Had a great night last night... started with 1995 Veuve Clicquot La Grand Dame Rosé which was drinking beautifully... toasted cherries, brioche, iodine, rose petals - really lovely. The 2001 Jones Family Cabernet Sauvignon was drinking so well... this is a great bottle, but glad I opened it. When I got home, finished the night off with some Johnny Walker Blue Label... beautiful smoky peat. Awesome!

Wine of the Year

Well, it's that time again... and though I haven't had as much time in the last few months, there was still a lot of great wine this year. So, let's break it down... some of these wines were never written about on my blog, but I'll describe them if they make it. More to add as I find more notes that I don't have right now... I've got a great idea of what #1 is, but haven't really thought about the rest... can you guess???

Champagne
1996 Krug, 1992 Krug Clos du Mesnil, 1990 Krug, 1998 Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Fleur de Champagne, 1988 Piper-Heidsieck Cuvée Rare, 1998 Dom Perignon Rosé

California
1987 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 1987 Dominus, 1991 Dominus, 2001 Dominus, 1995 El Molino Pinot Noir, 2005 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer- To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Schraeder T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Harlan Estate, ZD Abacus 10, 2005 Blackbird Vineyards Merlot Illustration

Bordeaux
1982 Chateau Latour, 1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, 1988 Chateau Calon-Segur, 1978 Chateau Haut-Brion, 1997 Chateau d'Yquem, 1975 Chateau Suduiraut, 1985 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion, 1988 Chateau Le Pin, 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1955 Chateau Haut-Brion, 1990 Chateau Latour, 1985 Chateau Latour, 1996 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, 1982 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, 1990 Chateau Figeac

Burgundy
1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux, 2006 Louis Latour Batard-Montrachet, 1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne, 2002 Bonneau de Martray Corton-Charlemagne, 2001 Domaine de la Romaneé-Conti Romaneé St.-Vivant Morey Monge

Other France
1989 JL Chave Hermitage, 1990 Chateau Beucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2004 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote-Rotie, 2000 Guigal La Mouline Cote Rotie, 1999 Tirecul La Gravieres "Cuvee Madame" Monbazilliac, 1998 M. Chapoutier Hermitage Le Meal Blanc, 1999 Guigal Cote-Rotie "Chateau d'Ampuis", 2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex Blanc Fume de Pouilly, 2000 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote Rotie

Germany
1989 Herm Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshole Riesling Auslese, 1979 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese, 2004 Robert Weil Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling Spatlese (magnum), 1976 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese, 1983 RvK Scharzhofberger Auslese

Italy
1967 Mascareli Barolo, 1997 Solaia, 2001 Gaja Sperss, 2004 Antinori Tignanello, 1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino

Spain
1991 Pesquera Reserva, 1998 Alvario Palacios L'Ermita Priorat, 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico

Rest of World
2003 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz, 2000 Penfold's Grange, 1937 Quinta do Noval Colheita Port, 2004 Penfold's Kalimna Block 42 Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 1999 Clos Apalta

1997 Solaia

Oh my... what a stunner. The 1997 Solaia is so young (had the Latour last night - Saturday - and the Solaia Friday night.) but so Italian at heart... dusty dry earth and black turned gravel with cedar, truffles, anise and black cherry. A long dusty finish...

82 Latour

Ho hum... another bottle of 1982 Chateau Latour.... wow. wow. wow. This wine is still a baby - more like a 1995 with its big tannins. Of the bottles I've had (somewhere in the 10 bottle or so range), this one falls in the middle. Not the best, but very nice. Opened up slowly, first revealing coffee bean and mocha notes (the oak seemed fairly unintigrated at this point), with truffles, leather, pencil shavings, and just hints of black plums and currants and a smoky-rotting tobacco leaf finish that lasted minutes. As it opened over 1 1/2 hours, the bright cherry notes started to come, then faded off. It went from sublime to nearly dead very quickly. Still, the wine was too young and I would hold off drinking any for another 10 years. Probably had 8 ounces.

How Time Flies...

Wow... it's really been two weeks. I've been so crazy busy, I haven't had time for anything... Quick rundown... 1983 RvK Scharzhofberger Auslese - Killer. 2004 Weil Kiedricher Grafenberg Spatlese... stunning... 1990 Figeac - took forever to open, and then was amazing... 1983 Chateau Gruaud Larose en Magnum - massive, tannic beast... time to drink, but outstanding. 1981 Chateau Beychevelle en Magnum - elegant and beautiful... amazed it was still alive, but still had loads of life left in it. 1996 Krug... what can I say. Perhaps the finest Champagne I've ever tasted. 1998 Krug... "something" to drink while the 1996 evolves. Krug Rosé... elegant and lingering - behaves like a fully mature Rosé... Krug Grand Cuvée... wonderful how it blossoms over time. 1999 Dom Perignon - evolved yet steely. 2000 Dom Perignon - ready to drink bowl of hazelnuts. 1993 Dom Perignon Oenotheque... never my favorite, but drinking well. 1998 Dom Perignon Rosé... perhaps the finest Rosé Champagne produced... no one does it like Dom Rosé. Many more than that...