2009 Wines of the Year

[griff]

Three weeks to go and although the year isn't over yet, its about time to look back on wines that have done the business during 2009.

Mine are as follows:

Sparkling of the year:
1998 Krug

Red of the Year:
So many! 1988 Jasmin Cote Rotie would edge them all out but runner-up would have to be 1989 Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet. 2001 Poderi Aldo Conterno Cicala Barolo was up there too.

White of the Year:
Hmm...hard to say but I think the 1998 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spaetlese would be top.

Sweetie/Fortified:
1977 Gould Campbell Vintage Port was stoking from a very tough field this year.

New Release of the Year:
1998 Krug

Bargain of the Year:
2008 Wynns Shiraz. Hard to get better wine for a $10 note.

Surprise of the year:
A toss up between the 1986 Oakridge Cabernet Shiraz Merlot and the 1995 Miranda Botrytis

How about you? Maybe you have a top ten? Or just the one earth moving wine?

cheers

Carl

[daz]

Turkey Flat shiraz 1999, elegant, tannins, fruit and oak fully resolved, a smooth and classy barossa shiraz

daz

[pizzler]

Wine of the Year: 2005 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese Lang Goldkapsel (one of the best Ausleses I've had in years)

Sweet Runner-up: 1983 Château Rieussec (I had the pleasure of sharing this with one of my sons and his roommate, both born in 1983)

Red Wine: 2003 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. (I'm happy I've bought this vineyard vertically.)

White Wine: 1998 Clarendon Hills Chardonnay Kangarilla Vineyard (Chardonnay that can age is sublime. I drank part of a magnum of Sonoma-Cutrer,

Sparkling: 1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires (I'm very picky about my champagnes, but this one was pleasing from beginning to end.)

Surprise of the Year: 2004 Mischief and Mayhem Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers (With that name, who'd a thunk? Great wine with a long future)

QPR of the Year: 2004 Glaymond Wines Landrace ($15 US...wish I'd bought cases and cases)

Cognac of the Year: Prince Hubert de Polignac Cognac VS (tail end of the bottle and it was terrific)

Lots of good wine this year...it was nice to look back.

[Red]

Not sure if it was my wine of the year, but one of the most memorable was a 1991 Tahbilk Shiraz. The reason it was so memorable was because I wasn't expecting too much. It wasn't especially highly rated at the time, I thought it might be past it as an 18 year old, and then of course there's always the concern over issues with cork.

It turned out however, to be a beautiful, mature wine . . .

[Craig(NZ)]

2001 Chateau Suduiraut for me

perfection

My NZ wines of the year listed here....

http://www.kiwiwinefanclub.co.nz/content/view/717/71/

[jafa]

Never tried to pick a years winners before, but here goes.....
Fizz and white wine, too small a sample taken to make a selection.
Older kiwi reds:
1995 Esk Valley Terraces, truely great wine.
1998 Te Mata Coleraine, superb now, more to come IMO.
Recent release kiwi reds:
2007 Craggy Range Sophia, once tasted, rushed to buy some.
2008 Julicher PN, so yummy right now, struggling to leave bottles in cellar for later.
Best of Aussie:
1999 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet
and 1999 Richmond Grove Coonawarra Cabernet
surprised greatly, both Coonawarra, 1999 and offering a fantastic drink at bargain prices.
Only the RG left in cellar, darn.

jafa

[SueNZ]

Still working on list as year is not finished, but here are two

Felton Road Block 1 Riesling 2009 - Central Otago
Church Road Tom Chardonnay 2006 - Hawkes Bay

[Wayno]

Red: either Castagna Genesis 05 Shiraz or the Wynns 91 Centenary at an offline. Ashton Hills 04 Reserve Pinot also excellent.
White: probably 04 LEAS or 05 Steingarten which is just a seriously impressive wine (and a bit underrated I feel)
Sparkling: 96 Pol Winston Churchill
I forget half of it, these days

[n4sir]

I forget half of it, these days

That's the advantage of posting what you drink here - at the end of the year you can just look over them again...

Cheers,
Ian

[daz]

Not sure if it was my wine of the year, but one of the most memorable was a 1991 Tahbilk Shiraz. The reason it was so memorable was because I wasn't expecting too much. It wasn't especially highly rated at the time, I thought it might be past it as an 18 year old, and then of course there's always the concern over issues with cork.

It turned out however, to be a beautiful, mature wine . . .

I've had a (very) few Tahbilk wines, red and white, that've been substandard due to cork seals. Haven't tried the 91 but the 86 shiraz was bloody nice a couple of years ago. If you're a club member, I'd not be surprised if you could still get a bottle of the 86 at a good price for it's age - the vintage is reputed to have been excellent across most of SA and Vic. The 96 cab shiraz for <$25 is worth trying too.

Cheers

daz

[JamieH]

Sparkles - Louis Roederer Cristal 1997

Red - Tahbilk 1860 Shiraz 2004

White- Cullen Chardonnay 2007

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Jamie

[redstuff]

Sparkling of the year:
1988 Krug

Reds of the Year:
76 and 66 Grange
1983 Cape Mentelle Cab
1971 Kay Bros Cab Shiraz

Sweetie/Fortified:
Chateau Coutet Barsac 1983

Bargain of the Year:
Kilikanoon The Duke Grenache 2004 $32
Seppelt cleanskin 1998 Vintage port ~$6
Yattarna 99 $50

Surprise of the year:
1978 Tahbilk Shiraz.

[Bick]

My 2009 gongs go to:

Best Red: Domaine Trintignant Chateauneuf du Pape 05
Best White: Francois Chidaine "Les Choisilles" Montlouis 05
Best value: Church Road Reserve Syrah 07
Honourable mentions: Chateau Musar 01, Concha Y Toro Don Melchor 05, Stonyridge Larose 94, 99, 05, Felton Road Riesling 07
Most consumed wine: Gravitas Pinot Noir 07 (12 btls)
Best wine event: Stonyridge Larose vertical in Auckland
Most enjoyable discovery: Have had some beautiful Chenin blanc in 09 (incl. Millton Vineyards Te Arai 08)

[Luke W]

Best Red: Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 1991
Best White: Toolangi Reserve Chardonnay 2002
Best Sparkling: Kreglinger 2003 (?)
Honorable mentions: Penfolds RWT 2001, Torbreck Run Rig 2004, Penfolds 707 2001, Classic McLaren La Testa Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Areas of growth: Realising that you can actually enjoy pinot noir and that premium NZ pinots take longer to drink and enjoy than any other wines in my cellar

Need to develop: Some appreciation of wines from Europe/US/South America - but hard to do with a full cellar and a pisspoor bank balance

have a great xmas guys and gals

cheers

Luke

[monghead]

Wow, some fantastic wines there guys...

For me, here is my list of what I can remember thus far. Honourable mentions in brackets...

Best Sparkling- 2000 Dom Perignon (1999 Pommery Louise)
Best White- 2006 Martray Corton Charlemagne (2008 Helm Reserve Riesling, 2004 Meerea Park Alexander Munro Semillon, 2009 Clonakilla Viognier Nouveau)
Best Red- 1996 Rousseau Chambertin (1996 G Roumier Bonnes Mares, 1996 Latour, 1996 Rockford Basket Press, 2002 Rousseau Mazy Chambertin)
Best Value- 2008 Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir (2008 Leo Buring Eden Riesling)
Best Discovery- 2005 Te Mata Coleraine (2008 Hoddles PN and 1er, 2008 Mac Forbes Gruyere)
Best Restaurant- Guy Savoy Paris (Rockpool Bar and Grill Sydney)

Worst Wine- 2007 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon (2004 McWilliams Elizabeth Semillon)
Biggest Let Down- 2008 Mac Forbes Woori Yalloch-screwcap problem

Cheers,

Monghead.

[Partagas]

Best Red - Cape Mentelle 1991 cabsav
Best White - LEAS Chardonnay 2005
Honourable mentions - Messena "The Looting Duke" Shiraz, Torbrek "The Gask" 07, Torbrek "The Factor 06", Grange 2004 (just a taste but wow), RWT 2005 and others I forgot.

For now anyway............

Sam

[Loztralia]

Red of the Year: Tough of course. A few that spring to mind are the 1998 Vasse Felix Cabernet, 2006 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier and 1989 Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz.

White of the Year: Either the 2002 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon or one of a brace of Voyagers - 2006 Chardonnay or 2005 Tom Price Sauvignon-Semillon.

Sweetie/Fortified: Sandalford Sandalera.

New Release of the Year: 2006 Penfolds Bin 389 Cab-Shiraz or 2007 Meerea Park Alexander Munro Shiraz.

Bargain of the Year: 2008 Vina Dona Paula Malbec. Technically $25 or so probably not a true bargain but for the kind of head-blastingly luxurious Malbec I'd drink every night it seemed like one to me. That said, the rate at which my wife would get through these would render it the kind of "bargain" that could see us in the street by Autumn.

Surprise of the year: 1999 Tyrrell's Vat 18 Belford Semillon. At $20 at auction could have been bargain of the year, too.

[via collins]

if I have a list of wines of the year, I fear I have crossed over into a world that i never imagined i'd wind up in. Bloody glad i have though!

2009 has been another small step for me, and much travel has meant much exposure - most of it very rushed, but some notes have survived.

Home:

Teusner Avatar, 2006 - loved it since the first sniff, drunk more of this than any other this year, and put more away to boot. Ripper

Blue Poles Allouran 2007 - first tasted at the terrific Blue Poles dinner in Melbourne next to the "difficult" 2006, and a bunch of matched French wines. And this one stood out by miles. Sadly under-rated and under-distributed. Tasted a bunch of French cabernet francs toward year end that would have had to bow to the quality in this bottle.

Yabby Lake chardonnay, 2004 - basket full of fruit bouquet, floral tones and peaches, and a superb line. Yes, the S + S M3 same year is fantastic, but this one just shades it for me.

Sorrenberg gamay 2008 - enjoyed with a group of non-wine folks who were doing cartwheels after a couple of bottles did the table rounds - their happiness was mine too. All the earthy, gamey qualities of the all too rare grape.

Delatite "Dead Man's Hill" gewurztraminer 2008 - even though I enjoyed a fair few NZ gewurz mid-year, my parochialism for this winery slips this one to the top. I love this grape just a little more each time around. Yowza!

Away:

Biale zinfandel, Napa Valley, 2006 - sweet & peppery, licorice layers - just a much higher expression of zinfandel than I'd experienced before.

Cuilleron "Les Serines" St Joseph, 2006 - perhaps the largest and most delightful aroma I've experienced pulling a cork. So much character it practically pulled up a chair and dined with us! My away WOTY.

Keller Rheinhessen riesling 2008 - a friend told me many years to buy anything with the Keller name on it when the opportunity presents. Great advice. This is the way I want my riesling, and in a year with lots of great ones, this baby sits atop a great pile.

Cave de Tilleus gamay, Vetroz, Switzerland, 2007 - best surprise of the year - not a good Swiss wine, a bloody terrific one. Gamay both complex and gluggable.

Biggest disappointment of the year: arriving at Wellington duty free armed with cash for the best wines in NZ only to discover the buyer had changed, and they somehow stocked the few examples of average wine in NZ!

Thanks of the year: to the terrific range of posters here, and on the Star Forum. There's such a wealth of knowledge being chucked around the place, you never know when a tip gets followed up, and thoroughly enjoyed. Every time we have cause to open a Seppeltsfield 1998 VP, i think of all the maniacs who pumped it up - thankyou all from the heart of my bottom.

Have a great Christmas all of youse!

vc

[daz]

Best Sparkling:

Freycinet Radenti 1999 - way better than the Moet NV I had six months later.

daz

[daz]

Best Cabernet Shiraz Blend:

Tahbilk 1996

[Mike Hawkins]

Red - 1971 Penfolds Bin 389, narrowly in front of 1982 and 1991 Penfolds Grange and 1986 Henschke Mt Edelstone (the latter has been in my annual list pretty much every year since 2004)

White - 2001 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile, just in front of the 2002 vintage

Bubbly - 1995 Dom Perignon Oenotheque followed by daylight, then 76, 85, 90 and 96 Dom Perignon and 1990 Krug.

The red wine list may be a bit premature as I'm planning to drink my 8 favourites from the 1991 vintage in South Australia before the month is out.

Cheers

Mike

[Michael R]

Holy moly, this forum certainly drinks some real crackers!

Top Shiraz
I'm going top give my top award to Clonakilla 2008 O'Riada Shiraz. I was tempted by a few more expensive candidates but this was less than $40, and when i drank it i thought, this is exactly what my brain has been trying to tell me my type of Shiraz is!
I'm genuinely excited about see how the rest of them age.
Special mention to the 2000 Kilikanoon Oracle.

Top Pinot
2007 Felton Road Calvert, this experience basically sparked a two week wine & ski holiday to NZ (mostly Otago) and financial ruin at the Felton Road cellar door
Runner Up - 2004 Bindi Original

Riesling
Struggling to pick the winner here, a blanket finish so to speak. The photo shows...
2008 Henschke Julius, by a nose, from 2008 Carrick Riesling and a short head to JC 2006 Steingarten

Others/Discoveries
This year i tried to learn more (with great assistance Ben @ Wineculture...what a legend) and realised i like the following;
Barbera - Dal Zotto do a lovely one, in fact Dal Zotto also do an incredible Arneis.
Montepulciano, Sangiovese.

Bargain of the year
2005 Kilikanoon Parable $18, also bought cases of the Covenant at the same price

Disappointment of the year
2003 Rockford BP

Next year
Looking forward to experiencing more Margaret River wines in oz, but particularly keen to begin learning about international (French, Spainish & US) wines. Maybe this year I might even finally get what all the Champagne commotion is about

Have a great xmas

[fatdoi]

Best Red 2001 Rusden Sandscrub Shiraz
Best White 2008 Torbreck Viognier

cheers
william

[monghead]

Bubbly - 1995 Dom Perignon Oenotheque followed by daylight, then 76, 85, 90 and 96 Dom Perignon and 1990 Krug.

Mike

Mike,

You seem to have a broad experience in vintage champagnes. You also seem to drink quite abit of the Oenotheques. How do they usually compare to the "standard" Doms, and have you heard anything about the '96 Oenotheques?

Cheers,

Monghead.

[SueNZ]

2001 Chateau Suduiraut for me

perfection

My NZ wines of the year listed here....

http://www.kiwiwinefanclub.co.nz/content/view/717/71/

Craig, your fame is spreading and Stonecroft is helping to spread it (but who are all of the other people who helped you compile your Wines of the Year?)

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY 15th DECEMBER 2009

Loose Unit of Wine Lovers with no credibility whatsoever Votes Hawke’s Bay ‘The Best’!
Craig, Mark, Ross, Sarah, Will, Melanie, Jay, Kate and David have just voted six Hawke’s Bay wines as their Wines of the Year for 2009.

No they’re not the new cast of FRIENDS (although that was a good guess), they are in fact the group of writers behind the Kiwi Wine Fan Club website, a self-proclaimed “loose unit of wine lovers” and “wannabe wine writers” who’s only qualifications are “the fact that we have tastebuds”. But what they lack in ambition and credentials, they make up for with excellent self-deprecation skills and wine consumption experience, and hey; Hawke’s Bay will take the praise anywhere we can get it…

http://www.kiwiwinefanclub.co.nz has just announced its list of 2009 Wines of the Year with wines from Hawke’s Bay dominating the field. Stonecroft Syrah 2007 again showed the Gimblett Gravels to be a syrah nirvana as it took the title of Syrah of the Year. “A regal wine rippling with rose-like fragrances and dark fruits” were the notes published on the site. “The palate is so pure, fresh and invigorating. The oak sits nicely behind the fruit, not dominating - fantastic purity and great cellaring potential”. Stonecroft’s syrah was followed by four finalists – all sourced from exactly the same stony sub-region. Stonecroft was also runner up for the Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay titles.

Sacred Hill’s Rifleman’s 2007 was named Chardonnay of the Year followed by kiwi icon
Te Mata Estate Coleraine 2007 which scooped Bordeaux of the Year and two of the finalists also hailed from the Bay.
Viognier from the Gimblett Gravels also snaffled the ‘Other White’ title (Villa Maria Omahu Gravels Viognier 2008) while the Alluviale Anobli 2008 secured the Sweet Wines award.

Surprise of the year however, was that a Hawke’s Bay wine stole the Sauvignon Blanc of the Year award from under the noses of Marlborough’s big guns. Te Mata Estate’s Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc 2008 is a wine that “oozes sophistication, complexity and class” according to the website. “It is a sauvignon blanc that non-sauvignon blanc drinkers will enjoy, a formal wine and a celebration of this grape. This is absolutely stunning. Anyone that thinks Marlborough is the only place on Sauvignon earth needs sitting down and the truth spelt out!”

For more information and additional comment please contact Stonecroft Wines
+64 6 879 9610 stonecroft@xtra.co.nz
ENDS"

[Gavin Trott]

Keller Rheinhessen riesling 2008 - a friend told me many years to buy anything with the Keller name on it when the opportunity presents. Great advice. This is the way I want my riesling, and in a year with lots of great ones, this baby sits atop a great pile.


Have a great Christmas all of youse!

vc

Last Saturday night

Enjoyed

2008 Keller Kabinett Riesling - wow, simply stunning, great mix of purity, intensity yet with delicacy, almost dry, structured and so long! Fabulous, know just what you mean!

And I have two other single vineyard Kellers to come, so how good will those guys be!

.

[daz]

Bottom-dweller whites of the year:

De Bortoli Chardonnay 2008 - the shelf at the barn seems to agree - it just ain't me buyin' it at $5.49/btl. If what I thought to be struck match character on one occasion was reductiveness, well, it just added more character to a wine that already has some at the price-point. Halliday 89pts

Tahbilk cleanskin dry white 2008 - very quaffable (chilled) blend of verdelho, sauv blanc, semillon and chardonnay, think it's the verdelho and semillon that mostly work for me. Special value at $45/doz, just ordered another case tonight for Christmas quaffing. Club web special, 87pts for me.

daz

[Mike Hawkins]

Bubbly - 1995 Dom Perignon Oenotheque followed by daylight, then 76, 85, 90 and 96 Dom Perignon and 1990 Krug.

Mike

Mike,

You seem to have a broad experience in vintage champagnes. You also seem to drink quite abit of the Oenotheques. How do they usually compare to the "standard" Doms, and have you heard anything about the '96 Oenotheques?

Cheers,

Monghead.

The Oeno's are exxy but are worth the additional tariff in the main (except for 90 and 93 - the 'standard' releases are at least as good, and probably better). The additional ageing before disgorgement gives addtional complexity, refinement, length, and in some instances, elegance.

The release date for the 96 Oeno continues to elude me. No-one at LVMH here in the US seems to have a clue. They can't even tell me when the normal 2002 DP will be relased - another I'm eagerly waiting for. If I hear anything, I'll shoot you a PM.

Cheers

Mike

[DJ]

1969 Lindemans Hunter River Porphryr
By far the one wine this year that stands out in my memory - in fantastic condition, initially wondered how it would be but opened in the glass like a dream. Still have a 67 and a 73 to open in the next couple of years.

honourable mention: 2002 Orlando St Helga Eden Valley Riesling
Pulled this out for week night drinking but oh boy did it pass expectations. I wish I had 5 cases of it to drink over the next 20 to 30 years not a single bottle. Fresh as a year old wine with just a bit extra mouth weight from the age. Stunning with years a head.

Bargains of the year: 2006 & 2007 Mt Pleasant Philip for $9, 2007 Vintage Cellars Chalkboard Cotes de Rhone $7, Houghton White Classic $7

Hmm that's strange hard to think of a red highlight - possibly 1991 Wynns Michael Shiraz, the first of the 91 Wynns trio (with JR & Centenary) to really give great drinking pleasure.

[Craig(NZ)]

Craig, your fame is spreading and Stonecroft is helping to spread it (but who are all of the other people who helped you compile your Wines of the Year?)

The 'other people' included only Mel this year, along with other people I taste/ drink with. Hardly an article/tasting note was posted this year by my comrads so I went solo!! Lets get it in perspective, kwfc is just a little personal blog its hardly going to be the rise and fall of nations based on our woty!

Still trying to decide on woty which will be announced after xmas so world financial markets will have to wait on that one. i have whittled it down to 3 wines and all of those will be retasted over the festive season before we announce the winner. whichever one it is though, it will hardly be news. Most of the finalists have achieved heavily in other forums anyway

I hadn't actually realised to what extent a bias i had to Hawkes Bay (though my 3 top contenders arent all from the Bay). Hardly surprising, everyone who follows us knows the bay is a pet/ favourite region and I get more exposure to the bay in general than any other region. even with that caveat along with the other std ones, it is still a bloody good line up of wines!