Would like to know what is best red/white/champagne this group has tasted?

Best red: 1968 Heitz "Martha's Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon. Close second:

1970 Heitz "Martha's Vineyard" Cabernet.

Best white: 1972 David Bruce Chardonnay. Close runner up: 1976 Martin Ray "Winery Lakes" Chardonnay.

Best champagne: Wasn't from France; it was Mirrasou 1971 "Natural". A fine, yeasty nose, an explosion of bubbles in the mouth, and intense fruit (Pinot Blanc, I believe) with great length.

Best Port: 1994 Croft. WOW is all I can say! Runner up, 1963 Quinto do Noval.

Food? Who cares? ;^D

Tom S

Best red '49 La Tache DRC

Best white '62 Le Montrachet DRC

Best Champagne Salon de Mesnil

Best Port '45 Grahams

Sorry - forgot the food!

Ron Lel

It is difficult for me to say which wine was best, especially for whites. How can you compare Montrachet, Yquem, top TBAs, and top Tokaji? I can say the best sweet French wines I have tasted are the 1959 and 1967 Yquem, but Huet's Cuvee Constance 1989 Vouvray could replace these after it ages some more. There are several German TBAs from the

1959, 1971, and 1976 vintages that would be near the top. The best Austrian white I have ever had was Brundlmayer's Langenloiser Taubenberg Weissburgunder TBA 1969. I will quit whites here, but I could add several more.

For dry red wines, I would have to say 1959 La Tache. However there are several 1961 Bordeaux wines very close to this.

Champagne is not on my list of top wines, although I enjoy some Champagnes very much. Likewise, vintage Port is not at the top of my list. I like vintage Madeira better, but perhaps Madeira should be on a brown wine list.

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Should also point out the best sweet whites I guess - '59 Rauenethaler Baiken Trockenbeernauslese '28 Moulin Touchais

1962 Penfolds bin 414 Show Sauternes - amazing wine!!

and the best fortified

1857 Malmsey Madeira

All drunk at home, not on the same night!!

Ron Lei mentions: "- '59 Rauenethaler Baiken Trockenbeernauslese"

Do you remember who made this wine? My single bottle of the 1949(unopeed yet) was from the state domain. I also have some 1976 made by Schloss Eltz.

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No not really to be honest. I think it was Schloss Eltz, but could not be

100% certain on this. Enjoy the '49.

Ron

I think what you say is exactly right, even when it comes to red wines. It might be meaningful to say that of two Burgundies, one is better than the other, but it's not really meaningful to say that this Burgundy is better than that Bordeaux; if you do say that, what it probably means more than anything else is that you prefer Burgundy to Bordeaux.

With categories as broad as red wines and white wines, stating which is best isn't much different from saying which is better, steak or lobster. Such a statement identifies nothing more than personal preferences.

At a Bordeaux tasting while I was in Sommelier school... an '83 Muton....yum Mathew

En Vino Veritas

>

I don't think that was exactly what the original poster was asking. I inferred that he wanted to know which wine really impressed you the most within your entire experience. Seems to me we should all have a memory of and a pretty strong opinion about that.

Tom S

That wasn't the way I read it, but perhaps you're right.

70 Latour on my 40th. 89 Cuvee Anne, Sclumberger, on Christmas eve a deux a few years back, with no children in. 47 Y'quem, this year at our clubs 25th dinner 90 Dom Perignon on a New years Eve a deux.

Best of 2004

Red (tie) 1995 Trotanoy (A+) 1989 Codeillan-Bages (A+) - paid $100 less than Trotanoy!!!

White 1983 Chateau Climens (A)

Champagne Only once, at a wedding; name not noted (C-)

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1931 Quinta De Noval Nacional-In Seattle courtesty of Dick Peterson. 1945 Ch Mouton-with a friend in his cellar for his 50th 1989 Jadot le Montrachet-at Boyer Les Crayeres with grilled Rouget. Bi!!

I just had a bottle at a holiday dinner with friends. What a wine! Bi!!

My wine highlights this year have included:

1970 Ch. Latour (magnum) 1982 Pichon Lalande 1985 Gruaud Larose 1970 Taylor Port 1991 Shafer Hillside Select 1974 Sterling Reserve (magnum) 2002 Dageneau Buisson Renard Pouilly Fume 1978 Ch. Palmer 1989 Ch. La Mission Haut Brion 1981 Grange Hermitage 1991 Dominus 1974 Heitz Martha's Vineyard 1974 Mondavi Reserve 1974 Mayacamas Cabernet 1990 Ch. L'Evangile 1988 Ch. Climens 1982 Mouton 1986 Mouton 1987 Dominus

All time greats have incuded:

1985 Sassicaia 1934 Hermannhoff Niersteiner Rehbach Riesling Auslese 1878 Cockburn's Port 1967 Yquem 1937 and 1947 Rayne Vigneau (the 59 was damn good too) 1928 Dr. Barolet Collection Grands Echezaux (Henri de Villamont) 1959 Margaux and Montrose 1968 and 1969 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard (hard to choose between them) 1949 Cheval Blanc 1918 Ch. Calon Segur 1928 Ch. Palmer (outstanding!) 1927 Taylors Port

probably some others I've temporarily forgotten.