2003 - The Wines that Impressed me the Most This Year

Nice list of very impressive wines.

1986 Rausan Segla is one of my favorites and still resides in Cellar. The 1989 however is weird. 1985 Phelps Insignia was great also. 1991 Montelena was excellent but that and the 1990 I plan to let remain in cellar another few years.

Great year for wine it looks like.

Regards

dick

Me too (I have a 6 pack) - the one we drank was from someone else's cellar ;-)

I like to do a year end list of (wine) things to be thankful for, and each year seems to offer some great tasting experiences.

When I compiled that list, I also pulled my previous lists out of the files.

Just for fun, here is 2002:

1978 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1990 Rayas 1975 La Mission Haut Brion 1982 Leoville Las Cases 1982 Cheval Blanc 1967 Jaboulet Les Cedres 1952 Chateau Ygay Rioja Gran Reserva

I couldn't find all the years (I should look if only to remember what I was fortunate enough to taste), but here is 1997:

1 - 1978 Sassicaia 2 - 1957 Clos St. Denis (Ponnelle) 3 - 1971 Domaine Romanee Conti Grands Echezaux 4 - 1961 and 1970 Ducru Beaucaillou (tie) 5 -1986 Ch. Margaux 6 - 1918 Ch. Calon Segur 7 - 1928 Ch. Palmer 8 - 1970 Ch. Palmer 9 - Taylor's 1966 10 - 1975 Ch. DYquem

Both your 2003 and 2002 lists are incredible. I think it was also June of this year that I had the opportunity of hosting a Black Teeth Tasting with Black Pepper, Dead Arm and Fox Creek as part of the selections here in Vancouver. "BIG" was an understatement.. Wow, a 1918 Calon! mt

The reason he eats the Foie Gras as he posted was like stem cell research. He figures it might repair his liver.:)

dick the dick:)

Bill, I couldn't help but notice the infantcide you committed on d'Arenberg wines :-) Seriously, I thought the 2000 Dead Arm needed some major time in the cellar when I had it this year. On a sad note, Parker rated the 2001 Dead Arm a 98+, which means we may have a difficult time procuring this particular vintage, or at least at a reasonable price.

Still, d'Arenberg has turned into one of my favorite wineries, pumping out excellent wines at all price points. Dead Arm, Coppermine Road, Laughing Magpie, Custodian, Footbolt, Twenty Eight Road, Olive Grove - the list goes on and on.

Happy Holidays,

Dark Helmet

I'll throw my 2 cents in, for what they're worth....this being the first year I've seriously begun to drink fine wine.

I don't know if I could put these into any particular order but my most memorable wines of the year

1997 Solaia - Amazing, though somewhat of a shame to drink it so young! Massive tannins, rich smoke and oak. I think they'll be better balance between fruit, oak and tannins in a few more years. Showed better than the 1997 Sassicaia but again, the wine is so young... 1997 Poggio alla Mura - unfortunately don't have this but made me glad I have some 97 Brunello in the cellar. 1993 Valpolicella, Quintarelli (just blew away the Amarone 1997 Single Vineyard I tasted just minutes before) 1998 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc...great complexity 2000 Gewurtztraminer VIelle Vignes, Ruhlmann. Amazing, floral, texbook gewurtz from Alsace. 1989 Vouvray Moelleux La Coulée d'Or from Domaine Bourillon D'Orléans. Ethereal, quince, camomille, balance and long finish. Fantastic. 1982 Hermitage La Chapelle - Exotic spices, smoke, long rich finish, still has time. 1984 Penfolds Grange - a veritable atomic bomb of fruit. I'm still amazed so much ripe red/berry fruit could come from such a small amount of liquid! (The Fox Creek Shiraz Reserve 1998 stood its ground against the Grange) 1985 Domaine Georges Roumier, Morey-St.-Denis Clos de la Bussiere. Beautiful aroma's of black cherries, acidity, oak and a long finish. Great burgundy vs. the many so-so I've tasted this year. 1982 Lafite - lead pencil, full smokey, rich and tannic, I thought this showed better at the moment than the Mouton, but this wine has plenty to go. 1982 Mouton - Vanilla and oak, plenty of tannins unbelieveably, but beginning to see what the fuss is about as it enters maturity. 1978 Margeaux (My birth year so holds a special significance) Full earthy, truffles? Great balance, though surprisinly plenty of tannins. Drink up. 1983 Pichon Lalande - Completely ready, jammy rich, lively and fresh, this was showing very well (vs. some better wines from Bordeaux 89)

My two favourites? One I've already mentioned in another post; it was the King

Pedro V Port, 1853. Amazing to taste such an old, pre-phylloxera wine. It had wonderful plum, spices, wood/oak, sweet but balanced with good acidity, rich and just breath-taking.

and the

1997 Ceretto Barolo Bricco Rocche Brunate. Absolutely perfect as far as I'm concerned. Full rich, creamy with finesse and power, glycerin and great balance at this early stage with soft tannins. Was glorious to drink.

Peter

Great - still have 3 bottles

This one has fooled me with the big oak in the nose into thinking it to be an American wine, although tasting it sorts that out. The first good vintage after the Ginestet debacle. I'm down to one bottle :-(

I just bought a case for $65./bottle Bi!!

I've been looking at the Dead Arm for awhile not wanting to put out the $50 per. After viewing some of the posts and reviews I thought I'd better find some.

I got the last six bottles in all of Ontario(maybe Canada). Had to phone head office's gift services and I lucked out big. Delivered to my door even!

This is one of my biggest(best) buys for my new cellar. I'm a happy camper. ;-)

Larry Stumpf, S. Ontario, Canada

Larry wrote in news:ivr5vv0ia0cj1u1561rj66suir6gb7i1bf@

4ax.com:

Hmmm. Note to Dark Helmet - here in Pennsylvania, we can get it for $53.59...throw in 8% tax, still, $58...what's that you say, Bi!!, about PA prices? ;) Happy New Year!~ d.

Where??????

Dark Helmet

May I ask where? I would be willing to make the drive across the border if I knew who had it in stock.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

Dark Helmet

Winecommune.com It opened at $40.00 but got to $65 at closing. I see current prices at $70 Bi!!

"Dark Helmet" wrote in news:SRDIb.228$ snipped-for-privacy@news1.news.adelphia.net:

Email me, okay? Don't want to bore the others... d.