Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
Over the course of 2011, I had the fortune and pleasure to taste some of the most exquisite, rare, and legendary wines the world has to offer. Some were old, some new, and many fell in between. Channel your own inner Sherlockian, and seek out the following—from Champagne to Chablis, Rioja to Brunello.
Right now, the much-heralded ’09 vintage in Burgundy is out and in full force. It’s a vintage that, because of warmer temperatures, I feel will favor reds more than whites, with the exception of the cool climate in Chablis, which produced mind-blowing, concentrated wines of both power and elegance. The 2009 Rene et Vincent Dauvissat Les Clos Chablis Grand Cru is one of these that’s not to be missed. Rich, mineral aromas of crushed oyster shells, button mushrooms, and lemon oil are stretched along a taut rope of acidity, with the bonus being an incredibly long finish. Buy as much as you can afford, and watch it get better during the next 10 years.
Acclaimed wine writer Tom Stevenson has stated that anyone who makes a vintage Champagne in 2001 needs to have his head examined, which might be true except for Monsieur Laurent Champs at Vilmart, who needs no examination—unless one is trying to figure out his genius. The 2001 Vilmart & Cie Coeur de Cuvée 1er Cru—80 percent Chardonnay, 20 percent pinot noir, and only from the “heart,” or middle pressing of the cuvée—is partially aged in new French oak. With crisp lemon, yellow apple, and ripe pear notes, bracing acidity, and a long soft finish that tastes of almonds and toasted bread, it always outperforms in “lesser” vintage years.
Until about 1995, most red Riojas were made the same way they were the previous 200 years: oxidative, lacking fruit, and smelling like a dill pickle barrel. In other words, not good at all. Today, producers are using both French and American oak and picking grapes a little later, resulting in more ripeness in the fruit, with less time in the barrel. The 2004 Bodegas Fernando Remírez de Ganuza Old Vines Unfiltered Rioja Reserva is one of the best representations of this emerging style. Made from local and indigenous Tempranillo and aged in a combination of 80 percent French and 20 percent American oak for 24 months, the wine fills your palate with notes of blackberries, blueberries, and black cherries, with tastes of vanilla, cigar, and spice that linger. Decant early, as it seems to need about three hours to open up properly.
The flashy and much touted 2004 vintage in Tuscany produced some of the most balanced, concentrated, and long-lived wines in more than a decade. The 2004 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva provides a massive nose of black fruits, tar, steak gristle, and campfire, with bold, chewy tannins that parallel a long, lingering finish. This wine can stand up to the heaviest of meats and pasta, and it will last a long time in a good cellar. It will be best after 10 years and awesome in 20—but with only about 500 cases in existence, don’t wait to buy this wine.
