It’s that time of year again; we all know the drill. It’s inevitable. It’s predictable.
No, I’m not talking about the holidays. I’m talking about the annual lists of the best wines of the prior twelve months. All the wine magazines carry them. Lots of regular-interest magazines carry them. Some newspapers and television programs even come up with them. So, I thought, why shouldn’t I?
So, I did. I’ve assembled a list of my “Top 10 Wines of 2011.” But this isn’t just a list of the best 10 wines I’ve had this year. You see, wines are a little like books to me – just because something is well-done from a technical perspective doesn’t necessarily make it interesting or enjoyable to me. Just as I recognize that Great Expectations is a classic novel, I can also say that it’s boring and far too long. Similarly, while I recognize that Veuve Clicquot is a well-made champagne, I can also say that it’s boringly predictable and far too expensive for what you get.
All this is to say that my list is about enjoyment, not about rankings. The following are not the absolute best wines I’ve tasted this year, but they are all very good, and they all stand out for some special reason.
For reader benefit (and to add a little hint of suspense) this list begins with my tenth favorite wine of the year and counts down to the best wine I tasted this year, so be sure to read all the way to the end.
10. 2007 Ramey Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (California; $35). The price doesn’t make this one cheap, but it’s better than bigger name Napa cabs that cost more than three times as much. I was fortunate to try this one at a tasting I led for a friend (which meant I didn’t have to buy the wine!), and it reminded me why Napa has become so famous for its cabernet. It tasted of blueberries and black currants, and spice and cedar that all married perfectly.
9. 2008 Oak Ridge Vineyards OVZ Zinfandel (California; $12). If you have read my column more than a couple times, you know I love America’s varietal – zinfandel. This wine is a great illustration of why. It’s brambly and jammy and full of fruit, making it easy to enjoy without having to spend any energy analyzing what you’re tasting. But it also has enough tannin, acid and complexity to reward a little analysis!
8. Maragas Central Oregon Beat Red (Oregon; $18). The first commercial wine made from Central Oregon grapes, this dessert wine gives us a hint of what the future might hold for winemaking here. It’s a sweet, juicy, flavorful wine that is great with dessert or as dessert
7. 2008 Pfaffl Austrian Pepper Grüner Veltliner (Austria; $12). Did you know that a wine could taste like pepper? And be enjoyable? Me neither. But it did and it was. And it turns out, this food-friendly varietal (Grüner Veltliner) often makes wine with white pepper notes (as well as citrus and peach flavors). It was unlike anything I had ever tasted, and after discovering that the reasonable price of this bottle is fairly typical for Grüner Veltliner, I’ll be buying more in the future.
6. 2009 Don Pascual Tannat (Uruguay; $10). Ever get tired of the omni-present cabernet or merlot in stores and restaurants? Me too. Tannat is a great (and affordable) alternative. I loved this one – blueberries and pomegranates jumped out of the glass. It was great by itself, but equally good with some red meat.
5. 2008 Beaulieu Vineyards Rutherford Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (California; $30). Feel free to laugh at me, but I can taste the “Rutherford dust” when I drink a cab made from the Rutherford region of Napa. Wine snobs argue among themselves about why wines from this area do have a “dust” flavor and why it’s a good thing, but when I drink this wine, I can see and hear a little girl riding her horse among the vineyards, kicking up the Rutherford dust. Images like that are why I love wine.
4. 2008 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Merlot (Washington; $12). I don’t generally like merlot, but it’s virtually impossible to hate this one. It’s easy-drinking, great with food (especially red meat or tomato sauces), and fruit-forward. And did you notice the price? The Washington wine industry is really suffering from this economic downturn. As a result, there are some bargains right now, such as this one.
3. 2008 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington; $12). Everything I wrote about the merlot above applies here, except this one is more complex. It’s drinking beautifully now, but it will also age nicely – which is pretty rare for a $12 bottle of wine. Serve it to wine snob guests without the label, and they’ll think you paid two to three times as much for the wine!
2. 2008 Stone Hill Norton (Missouri; $16). Yes, they make wine in Missouri. And, yes, some of it is quite nice. Though the Norton grape (aka Cynthiana) came from Virginia, Missouri has perfected it for wine-making. I’ve served this wine to friends who thought it had to be a high-end California wine – until they saw the bottle. The Stone Hill offering has dark fruit flavors (blackberries, black currants) with a little spice and some subtle oak flavors. In addition to being delicious, the Norton grape is naturally high in anthocyanins, which are believed to be antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic. Yes, wine can be good for you!
1. 2009 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis (France; $14). I have never been a big fan of chardonnay, largely because I’m tired of the winemaking techniques that are so commonly used with this grape and that result in one-dimensional wines that taste of oak, butter and cream (although, inexplicably, some people like these styles). To me, these wines all taste the same, regardless of where the grapes were grown (California or Australia or South Africa) or who the winemaker was. This wine – by itself – changed my mind about chardonnay. It’s not just that it was a beautiful wine (citrus, melon and ripe red apples together with flinty notes and oyster shell aromas). It’s that I couldn’t believe how a chardonnay could make me experience a place I’ve never been. That wine took me to Chablis in France, along the Serein River. A wine that can transport you somewhere else? That is a very special wine, well worthy of number 1!
Several of these wines can be found locally in Central Oregon, including in Prineville. If you’re interested, and you don’t see what you are looking for, ask the store manager or wine buyer. They may be able to order it for you. If that fails, there are several good online wine merchants (I have used K&L at www.klwines.com with success in the past.) Happy Tasting!
2 comments:
I will be trying these wines!
I will be trying these wines!
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