Wines of the Year?

A lot to choose from, a lot of good drinking this year. List is weighted towards Bordeaux, but that is mostly because of a few Bdx-centric events, not any inherent belief that Bordeaux is superior. :)

Bubbly Award

Mature (or maturing) Reds

Gonna be Great Award

Overachiever/QPR Award , Red

Whites

Overachiever Award, White

Of course, I'm hoping that the wine of the year is still to be drink, there's almost 2 weeks left!

Mark Lipt> As 2006 draws to a close, I thought that it would be fun to hear from

As chance would have it, today I purchased a bottle of Jacquesson "Avize - Grand Cru" 1996 "extra brut." I don't know the house, they did have the 729 but this was recommended (and more expensive IIRC). Limited selection, this seemed worth a shot. Oh, I should add disgorged beginning of 06.

Do you know it? Anyone else with an idea of what to expect?

-E

Haven't had the Avize, but it has gotten good buzz. John Gilman gave it a 90+, but said that others might easily rate it several points higher (apparently its mostly barrel-fermented, and he felt the toasted oak notes distracted a bit). But Jacquesson is a very solid house.

Emery Davis wrote:

Mark Lipton wrote in news:em960t$b4f$ snipped-for-privacy@mailhub227.itcs.purdue.edu:

There we go:

La Bota de... 1. Amontillado Navazos

Pierre Peters Cuvée Speciale Brut Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Special Club Brut

Anjou Blanc Vielles Vignes des Blanderies 2002 La Ferme de la Sansonniere Saumur Blanc 2002 Domaine du Collier Grans-Fassian Trittenheimer Apotheke*** Auslese Goldkapsel 1990 (Mosel- Saar-Ruwer) Hermann Dönnhoff Niederhausener Hermannshöle Spätlese 2003 (Nahe)

Corton-Bressandes GC 1999 Antonin Guyon Vosne-Romanée 1999 Robert Arnoux Chateau Palmer 2002 Abreu 1995 Artadi Pagos Viejos 1999 (Rioja) La Mission Haut-Brion 1995 Valandraud 1995 Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional 2003 Douro Lavradores de Feitoria Tres Bagos Grande Escolha 2003 Douro Chateau Rayas 2000

Chateau d'Yquem 1996 Chateau d'Yquem 2001 Valdespino Moscatel Toneles Peter Jakop Kühn Oestricher Lenchen Eiswein 2003 (Rheingau) Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Trockenbeerenauslese 2003 (Rheinhessen)

S.

Mark Lipton wrote in news:em960t$b4f$ snipped-for-privacy@mailhub227.itcs.purdue.edu:

I haven't had any big special wines, but managed to obtain at least 7 bottles (3 left!) of the 1997 Leroy Bourgogne Blanc for $17.99 US, putting it into everyday range, and it was pretty darn good :) That and the 2000 Chateau Meyney was about the heights for me! Though *maybe* next year will be the year the Pol Roger Cuvee Churchill

Do you have notes on that 2000 Meyney? I have a couple and was wondering how they were coming along.

- Chris

Well my list cannot compete with many of those posted, but FWIW, in no real order really:

1. 1996 Raymond Generations Cabernet Sauvignon
2. 2002 Justin Isosceles
3. 2001 Clos d'Englora AV14 (Montsant)
4. 2003 La Tour Blanche Sauternes
5. 2001 Nelson Estate Cabernet Franc
6. 2003 Zind-Humbrecht "Zind!"
7. 2004 Schäfer-Fröhlich Riesling QbA Halbtrocken Nahe
8. 2003 Scagliola Barbera d'Asti "SanSi Selezione"
9. 2002 Duckhorn Estate Merlot

And my QPR winner would be: NV Pedro Romero Moscatel "Dark Sweet" Sherry. Great stuff at $8.49.

- Chris

Ack, oh my gosh, how could I forget??

I need to post my tasting notes on that '75 Gruaud-Larose at some point. In short though, from memory, hard for the first hour and 20 minutes or so, fruit started to come out but with firm tannins for the next 45 minutes, and then for about 35 minutes it was spectacular, spectacular, spectacular! Huge amounts of ripe red fruit, cherry, and loads of concentration, elegance, and a long finish. 45 minutes after that, it was crap.

I totally forgot that I had that this year, I thought it was last year when I first wrote the post.

- Chris

"Chris Sprague" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@i12g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Hi Chris, I'm afraid I don't, as it was for a special occasion and we were concentrating on other things. :) I had to find something that I could afford, that was available at a Pennsylvania state store that I could get to, within a limited timeframe, and it was the best I could do. Fingers crossed that it would not be closed up or anything. My Bordeaux experience is pretty limited, I don't have any sort of benchmark great ones that I can compare with, just that it was pretty yum :):) d.