Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001 97 / $70 Tuscany 4,830 cases made This family-run winery is one of the best examples of the recent winemaking renaissance in Tuscany. Casanova di Neri has excelled with Brunello di Montalcino, the region’s famous Sangiovese-based red, since its debut vintage in 1993. The 2001 is [...]
Monthly Archives: October 2008
Top 10 Wine 2006
Quilceda Creek
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Washington 2003 95 / $85 Washington 3,400 cases made Quilceda Creek has a track record of outstanding Cabernets. The wines have gotten even better since owner Alex Golitzin passed on the winemaking duties to his son, Paul. In 2003, Paul sourced more grapes from Champoux Vineyard and less from Red Mountain. [...]
Top 10 Wine 2006
Chateau Leoville Barton St. Julien 2003
Chateau Leoville Barton St.-Julien 2003 98 / $75 Bordeaux 18,330 cases made In 2003, Anthony Barton made his greatest wine ever from this second-growth in St.-Julien. Barton’s family purchased the estate in 1826; today, its 111 acres of vines consist of 72 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wines are fermented in [...]
Top 10 Wine 2006
Concha y Toro’s Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor 2003
Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor 2003 96 / $47 Chile 10,500 cases made Concha y Toro’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, Don Melchor comes from 25-year-old vines in the Maipo Valley’s Puente Alto vineyard. The 2003 vintage was long and warm, but cool nights allowed for ideal ripening. The Don Melchor, which contains 5 percent Cabernet [...]
Top 10 Wine 2006
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 2003
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée 2003 97 / $70 Rhône 5,830 cases made Laurence Féraud established the domaine in 1987 with her father, Paul; today they run it with her partner, Mark Fincham. The 2003 Cuvée Réservée mixes 80 percent Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre and other varieties. Despite the wildly hot 2003 vintage, the family harvested late, [...]
Top 10 Wine 2006
Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 2003
Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes 2003 97 / $45 Bordeaux 6,520 cases made Lafaurie-Peyraguey has produced some of Sauternes’ most powerful wines for more than two decades. The 2003 is no exception—Bordeaux’s hottest summer on record produced a full-bodied dessert wine with incredibly intense apricot and honey aromas. To achieve that concentration, the château uses more than 90 [...]