The Top 10

Picking the Top 10 this year was easy... as was putting them in order, for the most part. As the year is not over yet, I reserve the right to change a few things around... but I doubt it. I went back and forth with #1 & #2, switching them a few times until I was completely comfortable with my final result (while as I'm typing this, I'm not 100% comfortable..) So, here we go.


10
2002 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

Despite being one of the most concentrated wines I've ever tasted, this wine is balanced in every way. While it doesn't have the purity of texture the 2001 Harlan Estate has, for a young wine, this is stellar stuff. This was top 3 last year, but only #10 this year...

9
1982 Chateau Latour, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux France

A monumental wine - simply perfect - yet, very young. If there was a bottle on this list to put away for another 100 years, this is the one. The bottles I had this year didn't have weightlessness of the bottles last year, so it's not as high up… another top 3 last year.

8
1994 Colgin Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

Until I tried this, I thought the 1994 Bryant Family was the best mature California Cab I've ever had. The Colgin was more youthful, layered and complex than any other older Cali Cab I'd ever had (notice the qualifiers… the 2001 Harlan still takes the cake). Silky texture, amazing length. Simply pure.

7
1990 Krug "Clos du Mesnil" Blanc de Blancs, Le Mesnil sur Oger, Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France

The second time I've had this - the last about a year and a half ago - the wine has become racy yet elegant with a pure Chardonnay nose - perfect Champagne. As a Champagne freak, this drove me crazy… tasted next to the 1979 Krug Collection en Magnum and there was no comparison, in my book. Had at Lunch in March.

6
1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux, Flagey-Echezeaux, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France

This is pure bottled earth. More mature than Romanee-Conti (as expected), this wine has layers and layers of ripe fruit with clove, black olive, cedar, tobacco leaves, violets, roses, hibiscus, etc. An almost perfect Burgundy.

5
1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti, Vosne-Romanee, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France

If this wine were mature, it could go higher… unreal nose… weightless, silky, perfect palate. I will always be able to taste this wine. Needs lots more time.

4
1955 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

The single greatest example of Lafite I've ever had the joy of tasting. Tremendous fruit with all of those beautiful Lafite cedary/cigar box/dusty, dried tobacco leaf aromas. The finish went on forever….

3
2004 Sea Smoke "Southing" Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California

A California Pinot higher than 1990 Romanee-Conti??? You bet… I broke this out on my trip to California, where it was obviously the wine of the trip for me. The nose is something like a perfectly mature La Tache (silky-smooth ripe fruit) combined with the power of Richebourg. I can and always will be able to smell and taste this wine. It was simply perfect and the greatest Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy I've ever tasted. Came from my cellar.

2
1961 Chateau Latour, Premier Grand Cru, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

One of the great bottles of wine I've ever drunk in my life… Better than any other 1961 Latour I've ever had. I am simply without words describing this bottle. It took the other 1961's I've had to a completely other level. Drank at lunch in March.

1
1990 E. Guigal "La Turque" Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhone Valley, France

The wine of the March Lunch and one of the three best bottles I've ever drunk in my life… read my notes from March. 93% Syrah, 7% Viognier. Combines the best of Burgundy with Bordeaux and you end up with this monster.