Rest of the Top 10...

I guess I better finish the top 10 of 2008 before the end of 2008, huh?

And we start with... a tie (so no number 8)

#7 - 1987 Dominus/ 1987 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - had these wines within month of each other and they were both blockbusters - still both youthful and bright, with a purity of fruit found only in these special vintages from California... wish wines were still made this way (though both of these producers make wine more like this now than almost anyone else out there).

#6 - 1955 Chateau Haut-Brion - what else can I say about this extraordinary wine? I am more than privledged to have tried this wine so many times, and I shall remember each bottle if I should never get to try it again.

#5 - 2004 Weingut Robert Weil Keidricher Grafenberg Riesling Spatlese en Magnum - had this in August as well with the perfect group to share it with... the wine was pure as any wine I've ever tasted in my life. As one of my collegues said... "In Magnum, this is a 50-year wine" - I think he's right...

#4 - 1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild - I have never completely "gotten" this wine - it's always been closed - for hours on end after opening - and to me it has not revealed all of its glory - almost- until this bottle. This opened relatively quickly (for 82 Mouton, at least) - and was simply glorious. My guess is this wine won't be fully developed for another 10-20 years... I hope there's some left for me to taste...

#3 - 1976 Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese - I hope the 04 Keidrich is half as good as this as it develops... complete experience - I only got to try this to confirm it was sound... and wow... was it.

#2 - 1990 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild from 1/2 bottle - Lets me look into the window of what a magnum of this wine will age like - breathtaking. A momentus Lafite - pure in spirit.

#1 - 1996 Champagne Krug - As if there was any doubt... when I got to taste this, I was simply in shock. Without question the greatest Champagne I've ever gotten to try - and I tried it with the winemaker. Purity doesn't even begin to describe this. As much as I love the 1990 and 1988, I think this far surpases those... Wines like this are the reason I'm in this business...

Well, cheers and Happy New Year!!!!