Changes

I told you it was going to happen.. here's the new new 25-40 and 40-56... There was one I forgot that needed to go pretty high up, plus the addition of the 1990 Lafite to 40-56 and the 1995 Haut-Brion in the #38 spot.

40-56 (in no particular order)2004 Didier Dagueneau Silex, Pouilly-Fume*1998 Penfold's Grange (I expect as this integrates and matures this will be one of the great wines in the Grange lineup, but it's still too tightly wound to merit a higher placement this year).*2005 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet (see above... too young at the moment)1999 Cristal en Jerobaum (again, too young)1994 Ca'del Bosco Cuvee Annamaria Clementi Franciacorta - had over an amazing lunch.2004 Tignanello (again, too young... I need one of these)1979 Krug Collection en Magnum2003 Phelps Backus (again, too young)1999 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux (I struggled with this one and before I'm done this may break into the top 30)1989 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron1990 Penfold's Grange1970 Chateau Latour1990 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne (special note on this one... as great as it is, I had a tremendous number of wines this year that blew me away. I own a bottle of this) *1990 Dom Perignon Rose en Magnum (really great, but not this year)1999 Cristal Rose (again, really great... but not this year) 1990 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (I’ve had much better bottles of this… could be a top 25-wine)

26-40
26 - 1995 Pahlmeyer Red en Magnum - had in California. Beautiful and round... awesome stuff.
27 - 1999 Gaja Sugarille Brunello di Montalcino - one of the great Brunello's and the best I had in 2007.
28 - 1990 Chateau d'Yquem - such a monstrous baby. Tons of minerals and botrytis. Yes, the quality is there, but the excitement wasn't. It's easy to make d'Yquem one of the favorites. This position may change, though. Had at lunch in March.
29 - 2004 Gaja Barbaresco - The wine is far too young to merit anything higher, but it is a hell of a wine. Awesome power with elegance. Time will be kind to this one... Tasted at the winery. *30 - 2004 Sassicaia - again, far too young. The best Sassicaia I've had since the great 1990. Tasted at the winery.
31 - 2001 Gaja Sperss - See 28, but even more closed. Tasted at the winery.*
32 - 1996 Salon "Le Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Champagne - Getting the picture? This is where the great young wines go... simply stunning Champagne full of minerals. Just hints of brioche. Needs many, many years.
33 - 1998 Alvario Palacios L'Ermita Priorato - what a great wine - earth and power. Tasted several times over the year, with the best bottle being just a few months ago.
34 - 1994 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon - Tasted several times. Would have been higher if the last bottle or so hadn't been a slight disappointment.
35 - 1971 Weingut Norbert Eser Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Auslese, Rheingau, Germany - had in the car with a great friend only a few weeks ago (PS, I wasn't driving)
36 - 1900 Irmes & Borges Colheita Port - bottled in 1947. This wine morphed faster than any other wine I've ever tasted... It drink beautifully right out of the bottle, then dies, then comes back. It's like a caterpillar into butterfly.
37 - 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, Ribera del Duero - The bottles have closed down slightly, so it's not drinking as well as it was last year. Try again in 5 years.
38 – 1995 Chateau Haut-Brion – really beautiful wine here… I’d love to try it again in another 10 years when it unleashes its “fury”.
39 - 1995 Poggio all'Oro Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva - tasted at the winery during lunch. Wowzers. Full of Sotto Bosco and dried leaves... so good I had to get a bottle for myself.*
40 - 1998 Von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - had this at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, it was our last bottle. What a stunner this one is... full of life, drink in 30 years.