The Melting Teapot

In December, over on the WineLibraryTV forums, Tooch asked,  "What are the 10 best wines you had in 2009?" I spent some time reviewing old tasting notes, thought back over the wines I'd been raving about and searching for, and then narrowed down my selection.  Eventually, I created the following list of ten.

Primarily, these are the most memorable wines I tasted in the past year.  A few wines will probably always appear on favorite lists of mine (Cayuse!), while other bottles stood out as a unique experience for me.  In some cases they represent a shift in my palate (the chard), while some were more about discovering a new style or region to love (Howell Mountain).  At least one belongs on a list of the best wines I've EVER had (the barolo).

• 1964 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva (Italy)
• 2001 Bodegas Mauro Vino de lat Tierra de Castilla y Leon (Spain)
• 2005 Cayuse Cailloux syrah -- tied with 2005 Cayuse Bionic Frog syrah (Washington)
• 2007 Côte Bonneville Chardonnay DuBrul Vineyard (Washington)
• 2002 Cote Bonneville DuBrul Vineyard (red bordeaux blend, Washington)
• 1988 Ridge Geyserville (California) -- really fell hard for all Ridge Geyservilles
• Dunn Howell Mountain cabernet sauvignon (California) -- especially those from the late 80s and early 90s
• 2006 Small Vines pinot noir, Sonoma Coast (California)
• 1997 Soter Blanc de Blancs, Beacon Hill (Oregon bubbles!)
• Non-Vintage Cedric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Brut Inflorescence Val Vilaine (France)

Most of you will want to stop at this point. Wine geeks might be interested in continuing on to wade through my tasting notes, links, and other comments.

Follow up:

1964 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva

My husband, Jeff, bought me three  very special bottles of aged Barolo for my birthday. I’ve moaned for a couple of years now about not wanting to open any of my best Barolos (they’re just too young). Barolo geeks kept telling me to be patient, that it would be worth it, and now I know why. This was one of the best wines I’ve ever had.  Here are my notes from cellartracker:

The color was sepia toned, with a lot of brown to the red wine. It was kind of cloudy, thick-looking (but not thick-feeling). The nose is where you really can tell the age, with that old wine smell. There is a big chunk of wild mushrooms/fungus in there, kind of a deep forest floor smell. On the palate there are bright dried cranberries (unsweetened), moving into a big hit of rhubarb and tart red cherries, ending with a lingering sense of herbs on the finish. There are still tons of tannins, with big acid getting the juices running. The flavors are very lively and intricate, and it really doesn’t taste as aged as the nose led us to believe. For me, this was a wine to sip without food, so we could examine and think about it.

2001 Bodegas Mauro Vino de lat Tierra de Castilla y Leon

This wine was actually served before a bordeaux dinner, but it was one of my favorite of the evening.  I don't have specific tasting notes, just remember the delightful finish of almonds and walnuts.  Big fruit, lots of layered flavors -- we swung by The Spanish Table in Seattle to pick up a couple of bottles for the home cellar.  I've been really craving Spanish reds this past year, and this is probably the best I've had.

2005 Cayuse Cailloux syrah -- tied with 2005 Cayuse Bionic Frog syrah

My wine buddies know of my weakness for Cayuse cailloux.  The wine is one of my favorites, and I can just sniff and swirl for ages before even taking a sip.  Thanks to great friends and a few good buys on the secondary market, I've been lucky enough to try several Cayuse wines (have been on the waiting list for 2 years now). A few months ago, a friend shared the Bionic Frog, and it is now vying for first place.  What a spectacular and complex wine it is!  Cayuse wines showcase Walla Walla fruit, and my only complaint is how long it takes to get on the their list for buying wine. **

Cellartracker notes for the Cailloux:

What can I say that others haven't already typed in? This wine hits all of my sweet spots, with veggies, big fruit, herbs, luscious texture, a nose that smells like the desert after a rainstorm, a finish that goes on and on and on. I treasure each and every bottle of Cayuse wine (not being on the list yet, but picking a few up here and there), and the cailloux syrah is a wine that always delivers. Yum, yum, and YUM! I'm glad there's another glass or two left for the evening. This is Cindy's desert island wine choice.

2007 Côte Bonneville Chardonnay DuBrul Vineyard

Jeff and I got to take a tour of the DuBrul vineyards this summer, accompanied by a tasting of their wine lineup.  The wines are all outstanding, some of the best (and most expensive) in Washington state.  I was absolutely stunned by their chardonnay, partly because I actually liked it.  That sounds like a backhanded compliment, but let me explain -- chards have been my nemesis for years.  I know they are great wines, but (other than in champagne) they just weren't for me.  Imagine my surprise to suddenly be sipping a chard that made me weak in my knees!  Pair this with Beecher's Flagship cheese, and you'll swear you were eating luscious caramels.  This chard has actually brought me around, and I've begun exploring white burgundies a bit.

From my notes at the vineyard: the chard was vinified using traditional Burgundian techniques, aged on the lees for 17 months in French oak, then bottled, unfined and unfiltered, on February 18,2009. 14.5% alcohol, titratable acidity is 0.6 and the pH is 3.39. Only 200 cases produced.

2002 Cote Bonneville DuBrul Vineyard

DuBrul is one of the top vineyards in the state of Washington, and the owners reserve only a portion of different blocks of grapes for their own wines. In my opinion, this is one of the most sophisticated red wines from Washington.  The Shiels' care and attention to detail is obvious.  From the first sip to the last, you will find nuance and intricate flavor -- big mouthfeel, lots of tannins (these should age very well), many different types of fruit, and a massive finish. Unfortunately, as the ratings from wine critics go up and up, so do the prices on their wines.  The Cote Bonneville is just about out of range for me now as the latest release hit the $200 mark, but their Carriage House (similar blend of grapes) is about a quarter of that price and still really wonderful, if not quite as sophisticated.

If you ever get a chance to tour the vineyards (which are not generally open to the public), I highly recommend it. Hugh Shiels is devoted to terroir, and his discussion of the science and geology of vineyards is illuminating and exhilerating.

1988 Ridge Geyserville

In April of last year, a group of us met together for a vertical tasting of Ridge Geyserville.  We tasted through a line-up of about 20 years, from 1988 to 2007.  The 1988 (82% zinfandel, 13% carignan, 5% petite sirah) was the favorite for both Jeff and I, which just reinforced our realization that these Geyservilles really get beautiful after 20 years. The '88 had a surprisingly powerful nose after all that time – cherry, hint of tomato juice, a sense of earth behind it all. The color of this wine was much lighter than we expected. On the palate was a nicely bright acid, with flavors of black raspberry and dark cherry. The raspberry extended into the finish, with a hint of saltiness. Nice long finish, great balance.

It was a wonderful experience to try the other vintages, getting a feel for the similarities between bottles as well as what made them distinct. Overall, there is a flow from the big jammy zinfandel characteristics of the more recent bottlings, to an incredibly sophisticated and multi-layered wine after about 15 years. There was a point in the middle where the wines became subdued and rather bitter, but that "dumb phase" is a common thing as wines age.

By the way, the Ridge Geyserville is the lowest priced wine on my list.  Current vintages cost around $30, and they are widely available around the U.S.  If you ever find any older vintages, jump on them!  This is one of those rare zinfandels that really need age.  Because so many people assume zins don't age well, you can often get these older bottles for a steal --  we purchased those two bottles of ’88 online for only $15 each!

Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Through storage locker tastings and a few finds on wine bid sites, we've managed to try several Dunn cabs in the past year.  They really need several sideways years, but after a decade or two these cabs sing in the glass.  We are more able to afford the regular cabernet sauvignon, but the pricier Howell Mountain wines are particularly noteable.  These are representative of what California does best -- big fruit, veggies, incredible bouquet, and an extended finish.  Here's my cellartracker description of the 1989 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain :

Opened this at a group tasting, and it was one of the hits of the evening. Amazing that this is a 19-year-old wine. It has really held up quite well, smoothing out a bit but not loosing any big fruit or the grippiness around the edges. There are herbs and some veggies (green beans) on the nose. The palate is full of cranberries, tempered with dark fruit. Long finish of fruit and herbs.

I've found a general fondness for the Howell Mountain region in general (cabs and zins).   Like pinots from Russian River Valley (CA), or syrahs from Red Mountain (WA), there is a distinct terroir.  I'm trying to define what this is but haven't had enough wines to peg it. . . yet.

2006 Small Vines pinot noir, Sonoma Coast

This is the most recent wine discovery for me, and it has made me very happy.  Once again, I owe thanks to a friend who opened a bottle to share (thanks Brad!).  I loved the wine so much that as soon as we got home that night, I went to the Small Vines web site and signed up for some wine. I messed something up in my order, and the owner (Kathryn Sloan) was very nice and helpful -- really a sweet woman.  It's always good to know that someone nice is behind the bottle.  She and her husband are dedicated to making great wine in a sustainable, organic fashion.

No formal tasting notes, but I remember flowers, raspberries, light but complex palate -- fragrant, delicious, and delicate.  They are a small production winery, and they're starting to get some attention.

1997 Soter Blanc de Blancs, Beacon Hill

We first tasted this at a local wine shop's holiday champagne tasting, where they told us the winery had only recently released the bottles.  It stood out as one of the top wines of the day, competing well against everything from Cristal to Taittinger to Ruinart.  It is flavorful, has great minerality, very nice bubbles.  Soter has a regularly released Brut Rose, but it is not nearly as sophisticated as the limited release blanc de blanc (both cost about the same).  It is hard to find any bottles now, but we were able to find a few more online.

No formal tasting notes, but you can read what others have to say on cellartracker.

NV Cedric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Brut Inflorescence Val Vilaine

** Update, Monday, January 11, 2010:   I'm very happy to write that as of today (just a few days after originally posting this entry), I have officially made it to the allocation list for Cayuse.  Woo Hoo!