Coming in hot

Been a loong time. Coming back.... Watch this space. 

Fun times in Sioux Falls - Bordeaux and Champagne

Best drinking weekend in a long, long time... Good stuff right here. 96 Lafite was stunning, as was 86 Mouton. Best Petrus I've had in a while... L'Evangile stunning wine - beautiful and sexy. Leoville has finally started to open and La Mission was all tobacco, cigar box and cherries. Cristal was yummy, Cos bretty, Lynch good, Comtes beautiful, Ace of Spades - well, it had bubbles.

2002 La Mission Haut-Brion
2000 Cos d'Estournel
1998 L'Evangile
1995 Lynch Bages
1995 Leoville Las-Cases
1986 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
2002 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
2004 Cristal
2005 Armand de Brignac "Ace of Spades"
1996 Chateau Lafite Rothschild
1988 Chateau Petrus

Been awhile...

Lots more content coming soon, I promise...

Back from South Africa...

Too many to list...

2001 Leflaive Batard-Montrachet
1996 Leflaive Batard-Montrachet
2001 Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet
1996 Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet
1998 Girardin Vougeot
1998 Girardin Mazis-Chambertin
1998 Girardin Charmes-Chambertin
1975 La Mission Haut Brion
1993 Drouhin Musigny
1990 Jadot Bonnes Marres
1998 Pegau Cuvee da Capo
1995 Valendraud
2000 Jm Boillot Batard
1999 JM Boillot Batard
1991 Chapoutier Ermitage "Le Pavillon"
1998 Chapoutier Ermitage "Le Pavillon"
1994 Jim Barry Armaugh
2001 Raveneau Chablis "Vaillons"
1998 Raveneau Chablis "Valmur"
1994 Quintarelli Valpolicella
1993 Pommard "Epenots"

plus many, many more...

2006/05/04/03 Chave Hermitage Blanc
Krug
1996 Dom Ruinart
2006/05/04/99 Chave Hermitage Rouge
2000 Chave Hermitage Cuvee Cathelin

Wines of the Decade...

My wines of the last 10 years in no particular order... not sure if I've even rank 'em...

1990 Champagne Dom Perignon
1975 Petrus
1990 Romanée-Conti
1989 Beaucastel CDP
1996 Conterno Barolo "Cascina Francia"
1994 Dominus
2004 Robert Weil Keidricher Grafenberg Riesling Spätlese (Magnum)
1990 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune
2004 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Silex
1970 Vega Sicilia Unico
1982 Penfold's Grange
1990 Krug (Magnum)
1978 Petrus
1990 JF Mugnier Le Musigny
1990 Guigal La Mouline
1996 Gaja Sperss
1991 Dominus
1998 von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslesee
1989 Trimbach Cuvee Frederick Emile
1999 Tirecul Cuvee Madam Monbazillac
1994 Vega Sicilia Unico
1998 Penfold's Grange
1996 Krug
1955 Château Haut-Brion
1990 DRC Echezeaux
1990 Guigal La Turque
1989 Gaja Barbaresco
1987 Dominus
1964 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg feinste Auslese
1976 Gewurztraminer "Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre" 350th Anniversary
1998 Alvaro Palacious L'Ermite, Priorat
2004 Penfold's Grange
1990 Krug Clos du Mesnil
1961 Château Latour
1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne
1989 Jaboulet "La Chapelle" Hermitage
1985 Braida "Bricco del Uccellone" Barbera
1987 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
1998 Wolfberger Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Grand Cru, Vendange Tardive
1952 Castille Ygay Rioja
1998 Yalumba "Octavias" Shiraz
1979 Krug Collection (Magnum)
1982 Château Latour (ex-Château)
1999 DRC Montrachet
1990 Chave Hermitage
1982 Sassicaia
1987 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon
1985 Penfold's 707
1985 Salon
1990 Château Latour
1988 DRC Montrachet
1989 Chave Hermitage
1990 Tignanello
2001 Harlan Estate
2004 Henschke Hill of Grance
1985 Cristal (Magnum)
1982 Château Mouton-Rothschild
1983 DRC Richebourg
1988 Chave Hermitage
1967 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo
1995 Harlan Estate
1986 Penfold's Grange
1988 Krug (Magnum)
1955 Château Lafite-Rothschild
1995 Leroy Richebourg
1971 Ogier Cote Rotie
1994 Ca'del Bosco "Cuvée Annamaria Clementi"
2001 Shafer Hillside Select
2004 Penfold's Block 42
2002 Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Vieilles Vignes de Cramant
1990 Château Margaux
1952 Bouchard Charmes-Chambertin
1999 Guigal La Landonne
1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino
2002 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon
1990 Dom Perignon Rose (Magnum)
1961 Château Haut-Brion
1976 Leroy Romanee-St.Vivant
1999 Guigal La Turque
1987 Ridge Monte Bello
1988 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill
1990 Château Gruaud-Larose
1989 Romanee-Conti
1999 Guigal La Mouline
1985 Phelps Backus
1982 Dom Perignon Rose
1947 Château Cailloux Sauternes
1989 DRC Romanée-St. Vivant MM
1995 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Cathleeen
2002 Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Vieilles Vignes de Cramant
1953 Château d'Yquem
1985 DRC Echézeaux
1999 Peter Michael Moulin Rouge Pinot Noir
1990 Château d'Yquem
1999 DRC Richebourg
1994 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon
1982 Château Cheval-Blanc
2001 DRC La Tâche
2001 Dominus
1982 Château Pichon-Lalande
2000 Bouchard La Romanée
1994 Colgin Herb Lamb Vineyard
1989 Château Haut-Brion
1966 Leroy Meursault "Poruzots"
1982 Chalone Pinot Blanc
1989 Château La Mission Haut-Brion
1998 Comtes Georges de Vogue Musigny VV
1959 Inglenook Charbono
1982 Château La Mission Haut Brion
1978 Hospices de Beaune "Beaune", Magnum
1952 Château Margaux
1992 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet
1988 Calon-Segur
1995 La Tache
1990 Château Lafite-Rothschild
1982 Château Pichon-Lalande

More on 09...

As the year comes to a close, I feel incredibly fortunate to be doing what I do and I enjoy it more and more every day... As I said before, while I was fortunate enough to taste some amazing wine this year (probably more quality wine than any other year I've been in the business... but less "buzz" names...), I got to really enjoy wine this year...

So, for 2009... 1.) 1990 DRC Romanée-Conti 2.) 1967 Scarpa Barolo 3.) 1990 Paolo Conterno Barolo Riserva "Ginestra" 4.) 2002 Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Vieilles Vignes de Cramant 5.) 1999 Massolino Vigne-Rionda Barolo Riserva, Serralunga d'Alba 6.) 1986 Villa Sparina Gavi Spumante, LD 7.) 2004 Penfold's Grange 8.) 979 Lagler Gruner-Veltliner 9.) 2003 Lagler Steinworz Gruner-Veltliner (Magnum) 10.) 2004 Lagler Gruner-Veltliner Beerenauslese (still fermenting) 11.) 1993 Ridge Monte Bello 12.) 2004 Leeuwin Art Series Riesling 13.) 2004 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay

Best of 2009

Well... 2009 can be characterized by a year of transition... a year of change. While the overall quality and rarity of the wines I drank this year dropped off a cliff from the past several, those that I was fortunate enough to try sang to me in different ways... I was truly able to enjoy them this year rather than purely assess them. Here is the first part of the list (I'm still compiling my notes for the year...) This is by no means the final (or even initial!) order of the wines...


Top Wines of 2009
1990 DRC Romanée-Conti
1995 Harlan Estate
2005 Reveana
1967 Scarpa Barolo
1990 Paolo Conterno Barolo Riserva "Ginestra"
2002 Champagne Larmandier-Bernier Vieilles Vignes de Cramant
1990 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill
1990 Château Les Ormes de Pez
1999 Massolino Vigne-Rionda Barolo Riserva, Serralunga d'Alba
1986 Villa Sparina Gavi Spumante, LD
2004 Penfold's Grange
2002 Leth Gigama
2001 Wimmer-Czerny Gruner-Veltliner Eiswein
1979 Lagler Gruner-Veltliner
2003 Lagler Steinworz Gruner-Veltliner (Magnum)
2004 Lagler Gruner-Veltliner Beerenauslese (still fermenting)
1993 Ridge Monte Bello
2004 Leeuwin Art Series Riesling
2004 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay