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Bordeaux Vintage Guide

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Wine-Journal 痴痴痴痴 Memorable Wines of 2009

So, we come to the round up of what has been another outrageously fecund year

of what I like to call: professional libation. Trust me, there is not a single moment

when I do not appreciate how fortunate I am to have tasted wines that were made

in Heaven rather than Earth, but remember that for every post-war Claret or DRC,

you have to tasted 200+ dilute Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008s or a

succession of Priorats that were (s)oaked for four years in barrel and leave your

teeth tasting of Taransaud.

This list is just for fun and as the title

says: these are the most memorable

wines, not necessarily the best. I have

tried to limit myself to one wine per

producer, which means that although

sumptuous verticals offered several

candidates for inclusion, wines like

Jadot’s Le Corton 1865 and the

Penfolds Grange 1955 were omitted.

All wines were tasted between January

1st 2009 and the day I finish penning

this piece and therefore, you will find

wines that are either due for publication

on Wine-Journal in 2010 or Pomerols

that are destined for my book, due out

sometime in the vague future.

This year, the wine that made the

deepest impression was a Bordeaux:

Domaine de Chevalier 1953, served

from ex-château magnum at Taillevent.

The bottle was never on the order of program, offered by Olivier Bernard as

compensation for a tainted ’55. Yet it represented everything I love about

Bordeaux, the way it matures into something that sends shivers down the spine,

the unheralded greatness of mature Graves (which remains almost as

unforgivably unfashionable as Sauternes!)

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My runner up is an otherworldly Mosel Riesling. Willi Schaeffer nipped down to

the cellar after a tasting of 2008s and returned with a bottle of Graacher

Himmelreich Riesling Auslese 1971, which like the Domaine de Chevalier, simply

encapsulated the ineffable brilliance of mature wine, whilst keeping within the

boundaries of its regional style.

Sensational.

I have split the wines into three categories.

The aforementioned belong to “Dreams”:

wines that are predominantly

mature…once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

The second is “Reality”, not necessarily

cheap wines (though I have no hesitation

including them), but ones you could

feasibly go and buy. These include some

of the wonderful 2008 Grosses Gewächs

from Germany, lovely dry Furmints from

Hungary, stunning Pinot Noirs from New

Zealand, decadent Malbecs from

Argentina, some undiscovered gems from

the Bandol 2007 vintage or unbeatable

values from the Loire. The final list is

“Oddities”, those off-piste, “existential”

bottles that whilst not meriting

superlatives, deserve a mention for their

mere existence. Gruaud ’14,

Calon-Ségur ’25, Clinet ’40, Yquem ’60, Le

Pin ’80. They are all “tangential” wines but offered varying degrees of pleasure.

Will 2010 turn out to be as bountiful? Well, it kicks off in fifth-gear with Burgundy

2008s, Bordeaux 2006s in barrel (all blind), more New Zealand travels and a

mouth-watering vertical of Chateau Batailley…in the first 21 days.

Wine of the Year: Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 1953

Runner Up: Graacher Himmelreich Auslese 1971 – Willi Schaeffer

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Dreams

Sparkling

Krug Collection Privée 1959 - “Great Britain” export foil in (magnum)

Dom Pérignon 1971 - Moet Chandon

Cristal 1979 – Louis Roederer

Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1995 – Moet et Chandon

Whites

Montrachet 1898 – Louis Jadot

Wehlener-Sonnenuhr Feinste Auslese 1969 - Jos. Jos Prüm

Graacher Himmelreich Auslese 1971 – Willi Schaefer

Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1988 - Domaine Ramonet

Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1993 - Domaine Louis Carillon

Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1996 – Domaine Jean-Noel Gagnard

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 1997 - Domaine Anne-Claude Leflaive

Riesling Clos Ste Hune 1983 - Domaine Trimbach

Montrachet Grand Cru 2007 – Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Reds

Chateau Langoa-Barton 1904

Domaine de Chevalier 1916 (magnum)

Chateau Ausone 1929

Chateau Pichon-Lalande 1934

Chateau Beychevelle 1949

Domaine de Chevalier 1953 (magnum)

Vieux Château Certan 1953

Clos de l’Eglise-Clinet 1954

Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1959

Chateau Haut-Bailly 1961

Chateau Latour 1964

Chateau Trotanoy 1971

Clos de Tart 1887 – Louis Jadot

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 1996 – Domaine Fougerey de Beauclair

Chambertin Grand Cru 1996 - Domaine Armand Rousseau

Musigny Vieilles Vignes 1969 - Domaine Comte de Vogüé

Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru 2001 – Domaine Leroy

Echezeaux 2002 – Domaine Rene Engel

Hermitage La Chapelle 1978 – Paul Jaboulet Aine

Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 1988 - Etienne Guigal

Barbaresco 1961 - Gaja

Dominus 1994 - Moueix

Cask J-3 Cabernet Sauvignon 1954 - Inglenook

Cabernet Sauvignon 1966 - Robert Mondavi Winery

Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered 1970 - Robert Mondavi Winery

Monte Bello 1971 – Ridge

Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard 1970 – Heitz

Bin 60A Cabernet/Shiraz 1962 - Penfolds

Grange 1962 - Penfolds

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1979

Fortified

Bual 1869 - Blandy’s

Quinta do Noval – 1960

Sweet

Chateau Raymond-Lafon 1917

Chateau Climens 1929

Chateau d’Yquem 1950

Château Suduiraut 1959

Vin de Paille 1990 – Domaine J-L Chave

Gewürztraminer Gueberschwihr Vendage Tardive 1983 - Domaine

Zind-Humbrecht

Tokaji Essenzia 2000 – Royal Tokaji Company

Reality

Sparkling

Brut Rosé 1985 - Louis-Roederer

Whites

Ürziger Josephshofer Grosses Gewachs 2008 - Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt

Nackenheimer Rothenberg Grosses Gewächs 2008 - Gunderloch

Deidesheimer Kalkofen Grosses Gewächs 2008 - Dr. Bürklin-Wolf

Laumersheimer Steinbuckel Grosses Gewächs 2008 – Knipser

Niederausener Hermannshöhle Grosses Gewächs 2008 - Hermann Dönnhoff

Forster Kirchenstück Grosses Gewächs 2008 - Acham-Magin

Fie Gris 2008 - Eric Chevalier

Montlouis Remus 2008 - Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups

Sancerre Cuvee Flores 2008 - Domaine Vincent Pinard

Chablis Grand Cru Bougros “Côte de Bougerots” 2003 - Domaine William Fevre

Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2003 - Domaine Francois Jobard

Domaine de Trevallon Blanc – 2007

Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Gold Capsule Auslese 2001 - Fritz Haag

Hermitage Blanc 2006 – Domaine J-L Chave

Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2006 - Domaine Joseph Drouhin

Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Vergelesses Blanc 2006 - Domaine Simon Bize

Petite Arvine Vigne Champorette - 2007 Les Cretes

Kerner 2008 - Cantina Valle Isarco

Tokaji Furmint Locse (Dry) 2007 – Beres

Furmint Reserve (Dry) 2007 - Chateau Pajzos

Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascognes Gros Manseng 2008 - Alain Brumont

Chardonnay 2004 - Devil’s Lair

Art Series Chardonnay 2006 - Leeuwin Estate

Wilyabrup Chardonnay 200 – Lenton Brae

Chardonnay 2008 – Brookland Valley

Bilancia Viognier La Collina Tardi 2007

Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2007

Reds

Clos-Rene 1998

Chateau Poujeaux 1999

Chateau Pichon-Baron 2000

Chateau Langoa-Barton 2001

Chateau Rouget 2006

Chateau Berliquet 2002

Chateau Pichon-Lalande 2006

Chateau Margaux 2005

Chateau L’Eglise-Clinet 2005

Chateau de Bone 2005

Chateau Pontet-Canet 2006

Chateau Feytit-Clinet 2006

Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru 2003 - Domaine Rene Engel

Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2003 - Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 2007 - Olivier Bernstein

Côtes du Rhône Rouge “Parallèle 45” 2007 - Paul Jaboulet Aine

Hermitage Rouge 1998 – Domaine J-L Chave

Hermitage Rouge 2006 – Domaine J-L Chave

St Chinian la Gloire de Mon Pere 2000 - Clos Bagatelle

Bandol Rouge 2007 – Domaine de Vannieres

Bandol Rouge 2007 - Domaine La Bastide Blanche

Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes L’Extreme 2005 - Les Clos Perdus

Vin de Pays d’Oc Les Pomarèdes 2006 - Domaine de Clovallon

Vigna d’Alceo Vino da Tavola 1999 - Castello dei Rampolla

Schweigen Sonnenberg “Sankt Paul” Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2007 -

Friedrich Becker

Casal di Serra Vedicchio Classico Superiore 1998 - Umani Ronchi

Massa Vecchia Rosato 2006 - Maremma

Mas La Plana 2005 - Torres

Shiraz/Viognier 2008 - Clonakilla

Cabernet Franc Grand Reserve 2005 - Andeluna Cellars

Treinta Y Dos Pinot Noir 2008 - Bodega Chacra

Petit Verdot 2006 - Vina Alicia Cuarzo

Catena Alta Malbec 2006 - Bodega Catena Zapata

Malbec 2007 - Bodega Noemia

Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - Shafer

Clos de Tart Grand Cru 2005 - Domaine du Clos de Tart

Lytton Springs Proprietary Red Wine 2006 – Ridge

McDougal Ranch Pinot Noir 2007 - Kutch

Monte Bello 2002 – Ridge

Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 – Houghton Estate

“Nicolas” Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 – Woodlands Estate

Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 – Fraser Gallup Estate

Cabernet Reserve 2006 – Evans & Tate

Craggy Range Le Sol 2007

Villa Maria Ngakirikiri Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Mount Maude Pinot Noir 2007

Fortified

Dow Vintage Port 2007

Fonseca Vintage Port 2003

Sweet

Straw Wine 2008 - Mullineux Family Wines

Chateau de Malle 2002

Oddities

Chateau Gruaud Larose 1914

Chateau Climens 1918

Chateau Calon-Segur 1925

Chateau Climens 1939

Chateau Clinet 1940

Chateau Ausone 1942

Quinta do Noval 1950

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1957

Chateau d’Yquem 1960

Le Pin 1980

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