While waiting in line at the grocery store yesterday, it occurred to me that for some reason we are all obsessed with year-end lists. Perhaps this reflects an innate desire to wrap up 2011 neatly, wipe the slate clean and start 2012 afresh. There are Top Personalities of the year from Time magazine, Top 100 make-overs from Teen magazine, Top 100 Hunks from GQ, Top 20 TV Bridezillas from Soap Stars, Top 20 ways to make over your toilet from Martha Stewart, and my personal favorite, Top 10 hair cuts for dogs less than 20 pounds from Pet Smartz R Us.
As someone who spends his whole year creating lists (of wine) and not wanting to be an old English curmudgeon and say “Bah Humbug” to it all, I have decided to create my own Top 4 list of wines, rated on a 263 point scale (why not – it’s my list.) I have long wondered when wine critics will break the barrier and award a wine 101 points for being more than perfect. I admit that I am unsure to the exact breakdown of my scoring system, but suffice it to say that label design (furry critters) and the weight of the bottle (at least 10 lbs.) are key. In this endeavor I have set my own strict criteria: I have to have tasted the wine this calendar year, it has to be listed on one of our restaurant wine lists under $950 and to the best of my knowledge it cannot appear on any other Top 1000 wine list.
[Disclaimer - This list in no way guarantees that I have not been bribed, cajoled or threatened by certain unscrupulous wineries, suppliers, merchants, distributors, wholesalers, brokers or however many more layers of middlemen exist in the current vast ocean of bureaucratic controls regarding the purchase of alcohol.]
#4 EDI SIMCIC CHARDONNAY, GORISKA BRDA, SLOVENIA 2007 (Yes, this really does exist – Slightly North of Broad $76)
Contrary to many ABC white wine lovers (Anything But Chardonnay), when grown in the right conditions and not barrel-aged to the point where one is picking wooden splinters out of one’s teeth, drinking Chardonnay can be one of the wine world’s truly joyous experiences. Mr. Simcic may be a biodynamic freak, harvesting his grapes at the full moon while howling tunes from Prince’s Purple Rain album in order to achieve mystic phenolic ripeness, but he makes hauntingly beautiful wines. A sure bet and comes in around 187 Points.
#3 DOMAINE DE NOBLAIE “CHIENS-CHIENS”, CHINON, LOIRE VALLEY 2009 (Old Village Post House $40)
Cabernet Franc is a most misunderstood grape. This is probably because most of them are not very good. Franc seems to be overlooked as the “other” Cabernet when in reality it is the father (along with mother Sauvignon Blanc) to have created the prodigal son Cabernet Sauvignon varietal. Sublime examples exist from the right bank of Bordeaux, but tend to be quite pricey, whereas Cabernet Franc from the Loire can be rooty, weedy and green in cooler vintages. Take a rocking vintage such as 2009 however, and it comes into its own with great balance between deep, rich fruit, supple tannin and wonderful earth and herbaceousness. Love it – and the name puts it over the edge. 201 points.
#2 CAMINO DE NAVAHERREROS GARNACHA, MADRID, SPAIN 2010 (High Cotton $46)
The damn French high-jacked Garnacha from Spain and called it Grenache where it makes some of the most profound and majestic wines in all of France. Yes, I am a card carrying Rhone-Ranger. This wine however, enters the realms of paradise with its focus, minerality, delicacy and pro-fun-dity. (Ok, enough of the superlative puns). From a little-regarded region of Spain to the hills west of Madrid, comes the Navaherreros, the ancient “trail of the bears”, in a rarely traveled highland forest. Striking resemblances to the Cote de Beaune in Burgundy and yet a fraction of the price. I just like saying it. 239 points.
Drum Roll please…
#1 CHAMPAGNE / DRY SHERRY / ROSÉ OF ANY SHAPE, COLOR, SIZE OR FLAVOR 264 POINTS (Available at all Maverick restaurants $market price) Just buy them, drink them and have a VERY happy Kwanzaa.
Cheers,
Patrick
