A year's worth of new wines
Picking 10 wines each year out of the hundreds tasted is a near impossible task, but here is a handful of wines I found immensely pleasurable in the past year.
I have also included 10 favourites that sell for under $30.
1. Emilio Moro 2005 Ribera del Duero, $43
I believe a Spanish wine has been near or at the top of this list since I started writing them. Value, quality and personality are in abundance across Spain, the country with the most amount of land dedicated to growing grapes. The Emilio Moro is a silky, seductive red wine fashioned from Spain's noble Tempranillo grape, drinkable now but with the potential to improve over the next five years.
2.Coudoulet de Beaucastel Red 2005, $31
Beaucastel's 2005 Chateauneuf is a stunner, but has gotten pricey ($89) and needs at least a decade in the cellar before you can drink it. The Coudoulet, on the other hand, offers a similar flavour profile for almost a third of the price and is ready to drink now, a great effort from one of my favourite producers.
3. Georg Breuer Berg Schlossberg 2006 Rheingau Ries-ling, $71
Breuer is a superstar in its native Germany, but relatively undiscovered here. This is a spectacular dry Riesling --a candidate for the best dry wine of the vintage from Germany, capable of aging for 20 years or more, yet drinkable now with some decanting and food to keep it company. This wine is not widely distributed, but it is well worth seeking out if you love Riesling.
4. Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico 2006, $34
Felsina has been at or near the top of my list of favourite Chianti producers for years now, and with the exceptional 2006 vintage has been elevated to new heights. It is produced entirely from 50-year-plus Sangiovese vines grown in the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga. It offers notes of wild berries, campfire and spice, a beautiful Chianti for drinking now and over the next two to three years.
5. Chateau Cap de Faugeres 2005 Cotes-de-Castillon, $55
The 2005 vintage in Bordeaux will go down as one of the best ever; unfortunately, many of the top wines are absurdly overpriced. Cap de Faugeres is owned and operated by Chateau Faugeres and the wine is predominantly Merlot (85 per cent) with Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon rounding out the blend. It is powerful yet polished, offering notes of black fruits and mocha with firm, ripe tannins. It is drinkable now with some decanting, but it should be great in five years.
6.Bodegas Lan 2004 Edicion Limitada Rioja, $75
This is Rioja at its most powerful, a concentrated red wine that offers notes of smoky cherry fruit, minerals and coffee with big ripe tannins and lively acidity. This one is for the cellar, needing at least five years and maturing sometime around 2020.
7. Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose 2007, $39
Bandol is generally considered the most serious wine-producing region in Provence, and Domaine Tempier holds the title of the region's best producer. The reds tend to be big and long-lived, but the dry rose is equally noteworthy. It is produced from Mourvedre, a salmon-hued beauty offering notes of wild berries and spice. Drink it with seafood, chicken and a host of appetizers.