Annual Hijinks: Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2009 Guessing Game
Top 10 Wines of the Year, Wine Spectator, WOTY
It’s nearly upon us…the countdown to the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of the Year. For the thi
rd year in a row, I’ll be hosting a contest in which you’ll submit your guesses for the top ten that the Spectator will crown with honors. The first year, I asked you to post your guesses in the comments. Last year, I had you email me with your guesses. This year, I think going back to the original format will be best.
So, start commenting away on what you think will be in the top ten, one entry per individual (but feel free to leave as many comments as you wish; after all, this is meant to be a dialogue). I used to give a six-pack of really low scoring wines as the prize. Now I’m going to let you choose your own (don’t worry, I still carry many low scoring wines…) with the $75 gift certificate to domaine547.com or domaineLA that you’ll earn.
FYI, I would put some money on the Red Car Heaven and Earth Pinot Noir being in the list somewhere, but not the top ten since it’s too small production (let’s say it’s top 50). I also think we’ll see some 2007 Chateauneufs, very few (if any) wines from Bordeaux in the top 10, and perhaps a surprise appearance from a 2008 German Riesling.
Now, guess away!
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get your wine on
2008 “Bebame” Red, El Dorado County, California
Cabernet Franc (65%) and Gamay (35%) from - gasp - California! And only 13% ABV, pretty modest by California standards. If I tasted this blind I would probably have said it’s from the Loire Valley. It has pretty much nothing in common with the full bodied iterations of Cab Franc coming out of Napa. Juicy, light, delicious quaffing wine.$18 a bottle
2006 Telegramme Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge
Really balanced and smooth, this is a bargain of a Chateauneuf. Yeah, the 07s are lauded but what would I prefer to drink? This! It’s the second label of Vieux Telegraphe, from the same property but from younger vines. And it’s a deal at $33 a bottle.2006 or bust!
NV Barcino Cava: LA Times Wine of the Week!
Delicious and just in time for New Year’s Eve…this is the LA Times Wine of the Week, and we have plenty in stock. Order online, pick-up in-store!$14 a bottle!
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freshly pressed
The Business of Saying No:
No, I am not a natural wine merchant.
And no, I am also not not a natural wine merchant.
So what exactly is my store, Domaine LA? This is a tricky question that I try to answer here.
________
A couple of months back, I participated in the first annual Los Angeles Natural Wine Week, spearheaded by Lou Amdur of Lou Wine Bar. At that time, I took some heat from a few folks around the Internet who felt I might have been merely capitalizing on a trend and didn’t see me as a true natural wine merchant.
The thing is, I’ve never claimed to be a natural wine merchant. When I started my business online a few years ago, I stated plainly that I wanted to sell wines I loved. I was an enthusiast with a fairly receptive, wide-ranging palate, and I considered learning about wine a journey I would be going on alongside my customers. While I’ve since expanded my business to include a brick and mortar space, my self-conception and mission statement haven’t really changed. But my palate has.
To be absolutely blunt about it, I used to love wines that I simply can’t stomach anymore. There are blog posts archived on my website that in retrospect make me cringe, paragraphs singing the praises of some of the most blatantly manipulated wines in the world. I once criticized a wine bar for not having any Southern Hemisphere selections; it’s now my favorite spot in Los Angeles. And today I carry barely a dozen Southern Hemisphere SKUs myself.
By and large, my palate-shift is reflected in what I bring into the store. Chris Ringland and Mollydooker have been replaced by Eric Texier and Thierry Puzelat; the California fruit- and alcohol-bombs, for the most part, have given way to wines from La Clarine Farm, Donkey and Goat and LIOCO.
As a result of my largely obscure inventory, almost every day I’m faced with customers asking for items that I don’t stock. On a regular basis, I hear:
“Do you have Rombauer Chardonnay?”
No, I answer.
“Do you have Caymus?”
Afraid not, I reply.
“What about Blackstone Merlot?”
So sorry, but no.
“Where’s the Veuve Clicquot? This is a gift. I need the recipient to know it’s nice!”
Sigh.
Saying no to people sets up a potentially risky relationship that may start and end with that one exchange—many customers want what they want and aren’t open to alternative suggestions. In other cases, however, that simple “no” can be the beginning of something beautiful, a dialogue that winds up with a customer who came in looking for the Prisoner instead going home with something like Morgan Twain-Peterson’s Bedrock Heirloom Red, a wine which, while perhaps not 100% natural, is a more honest “made in the vineyard” (yes, I know this is also a cliché) version of what the Prisoner purports to be.
Of course, sometimes that customer really just wants the Prisoner. Which leads me to my major confession here: despite more than a bit of ambivalence, I continue to sell the Prisoner, along with other wines that are by no means natural, wines that are quite frankly manufactured. The Prisoner sits on the shelf right next to the Bedrock Heirloom Red, and for the time being, it will stay there. At least twice a week people come in asking specifically for this wine, and, for several reasons, it’s a request I’m not—yet—willing to deny.
Even though I no longer drink the Prisoner, there was a time–not too long ago–when I did so happily. When I first started getting interested in wine, it was a bottle that captured my imagination and helped launch me on the journey I remain committed to today. So maybe I keep the Prisoner around out of a sense of nostalgia. Or maybe I keep it around to remind me how far I’ve come. Maybe I keep it around hoping that for those who ask for it, it will simply be their starting place just as it was mine.
Or, more cynically, maybe I keep it around because people buy it. Maybe it’s a crutch to lean on when I’m too tired to hand-sell the less familiar items on my shelves. Seeing something recognizable is comforting to consumers, and that comfort somehow lends me credibility; credibility is a precedent to trust. Trust is what enables me to recommend something different to a customer who normally drinks the Prisoner.
In this sense, the Prisoner is of great value to me, not just as an easy sell, but even more so as a gateway to all the other wines I have available. I don’t know that I’d be able to move as much of the Bedrock, an unknown wine with a tiny case production, without the Prisoner right next to it.
______
Saying no is extremely hard. Right now, I’m willing to do so 90% of the time, maybe even 95%. Call me a coward or a fake if you want. But I know where I started out, and it’s been a logical evolution. And while I’m headed in a particular direction, guided by my palate, it’s safe to assume I won’t ever be a 100% “natural wine merchant.”
I like to think there’s room for somebody like me—somebody with confidence in her tastes, who also takes into account modes of production in buying decisions; someone who has a particular point of view, yet retains an inclusive attitude. I am strong in my opinions, and enthusiastic in my passions. I never judge my customers, and hope that they’ll be as open-minded and respectful of my offerings as I am of their preferences.
So far, it seems to be working out. In recent months, I’ve brought in only one case of the Prisoner (less than a thousandth of a percent of its total production) for every three cases of the Bedrock (1.3% of its total production).
So, what am I?
I’m not a natural wine merchant. And I’m not not a natural wine merchant.
I’m a work in progress. And I’m okay with that.
The Business of Saying No
Los Angeles Natural Wine Week: Taste California Terroir on 5/15/2010 at Heath Ceramics
Meet the Reps: Amy Atwood
wine jargon
Frizzante
From Wikipedia: Frizzante is an Italian wine term term for semi-sparkling wine (as opposed to Spumante, which is generally used for fully sparkling wines). Frizzante wines generally owe their bubbles to a partial secondary fermentation in tank. You might notice a light fizz or tingly sensation on the tongue with a Frizzante wine, compared to the more carbonated sensation that more fully sparkling wines yield.
Scorekage
Okay, so we made up this word yesterday after a great restaurant experience. We brought a bottle of wine with us, expecting to pay a corkage fee. But the restaurant either forgot to charge us the $15, or decided to be nice to us. We scored! Hence, “scorekage” has entered our lexicon. This can also refer to BYO friendly restaurants that don’t charge for corkage under any circumstances.
grapewise
DomaineLA Store Contact Info
If you’re looking for our brick and mortar shop, here’s where it can be found:
(323) 932-0280
Hours are 11AM to 8PM, Monday through Saturday and noon to 5PM on Sundays.
Read more…Fabulous & Frugal!
Our friends launched a new site and domaine547 is a featured wine columnist in their premiere edition! Go check out Fabulous & Frugal for some fantastic lifestyle tips for living the good life during what, for most of us, is an economically challenging time. There’s much more than wine there, and we’re thrilled to be a small part of the start of what will surely be a successful venture. Congrats to Brandi & Steph for their achievement!
DomaineLA Store Contact Info
Fabulous & Frugal!
domaine547 In the Blogosphere! Imbibe Magazine Unfiltered
October 31st, 2009 at 8:38 am
Cassanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova 2004
Antinori Bolgheri Superiore Tenuta Guado al Tasso 2006
Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Castello di Brolio 2006
POGGIO IL CASTELLARE BDM WS96
HALL Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Kathryn Hall 2006
Fonseca Vintage Port 2003
Chateau de Beaucastel CDP 2007
Clos Des Papes CDP 2007
Landmark Syrah Sonoma Valley Stell Plow 2006
Croft Vintage Port 2003
October 31st, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Great game! Love it.
Here are some guesses (though I’m not sure that all of these are up for consideration this year vs. last vs. next):
2007 Merry Edwards Sauv Blanc
2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cab
2007 Paraiso Pinot Noir
2006 Chappellet Signature Cab
2006 Schrader T6 Cabernet
2006 Villa Pillo Toscana Borgoforte
I like the Kathryn Hall submission too, and agree with your take on the Red Car Pinot. Looking forward to seeing how this goes.
November 1st, 2009 at 5:33 pm
2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape
2006 Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon
Here is my list.
2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Fontodi Flaccianello
2005 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco
2007 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Barone Ricasoli Brolio
2003 Croft Vintage Port
2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
2006 Schrader Cellars T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:07 am
Hell, these are all guesses, right? I mean, it could really be all 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape as far as everyone else is concerned. Funny there seems to be a lot of people thinking that 07 CDP is going to be the saving grace of the wine industry. Becuase I’m sure that there wasn’t any other good wine made in the last couple of years…haha. I already got my bottles of Telegraphe weeks ago (and Telegramme too, that’s one smoking wine)…
2007 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
2007 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape
2004 Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino
2005 Viña Quebrada de Macul “Domus Aurea” Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port
2007 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
2005 Renato Ratti “Rocche” Barolo
2007 Guigal La Doriane Condrieu
2007 J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese
2006 K Syrah Walla Walla Valley Cougar Hills
November 10th, 2009 at 11:14 am
what an awesome contest! wish i was a good guesser about these things.
November 11th, 2009 at 6:51 am
Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau 2007
Celler Mas Doix Priorat Salanques 2006
La Massa Giorgio Primo 2007
Owen Roe Syrah Lady Rosa 2007
Red Car Pinot Noir Heaven & Earth La Boheme 2007
Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Tardieu Laurent Gigondas V.V. 2007
Chasseur Chardonnay Sangiocomo Green Acres Hill 2007
Robert Biale Zinfandel Old Crane Ranch 2007
November 11th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I love this time of year. The anticipation is always greater than the outcome but that is what makes it fun. I’m hoping we are surprised like last year. I thought it was phenomenal that a wine from Chile (not Italy, France or California)took the top prize. Long overdue. Here’s hoping that its not another CDP that hasn’t been released yet (like Chateau Beaucastel) even though 2007 CDPs seem to be the headline.
Kosta Browne Sonoma Pinot Noir 2007
Fontodi Flaccianello 2006
Ch De Beaucastel CDP 2007
Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Kathryn Hall 2006
Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco 2005
Mondavi Reserve Cab 2006
Vieux Telegraphe CDP 2007
Leeuwin “Art Series” Chardonnay Margaret River 2005
Columbia Crest Reserve Cab 2005
Ch Ducru Beaucaillou 2006
Sette Ponte Oreno 06, Concha Toro Don Melchor, Le Vieux Donjon CDP 07, Uccelliera Brunello Di Montalcino 2004 and the Merry Edwards SB are my honorable mentions. I’d love to see a Spanish wine or a Prum Riesling atop the list but year after year they get shut out.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
2007 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc R R Valley
2006 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Val T6 Kalon Vim
2006 Jean-Louis Hermitage White
2004 Penfolds Shiraz South Australia Grange
2006 Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Classico Brolio
2007 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape
2004 Marcassin Chardonay Sonoma Coast Z10 Tony Ranch
2008 Madrigal Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
2007 Red Car Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Heaven&Earth
2007 Tardieu-Laurent Gigondas Vielles Vignes
What a great idea, so happy to participate. So interesting to read how many people included the same
wines on their lists. This must mean something, did this also happen for the past 2 years?
November 14th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I submitted 8 guesses before- here’s 2 more:
2005 Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol
2006 Fontodi Colli della Toscana Centrale Flaccianello
Good luck to everyone!
November 16th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Here is my Kiwi slant on the top 100 wines of the year
Vidal Hawkes Bay Syrah 2007
Newton Forrest Gimblett Gravels Cornerstone 2006
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2007
The Doctors’ Riesling 2009
No.1 Family Estate No.1
Johanneshof Gewurztraminer 2009
Summerhouse Sauvignon Blanc
Clayridge Wild Ferment Rose 2009
November 16th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Wow. Way to go RichardA
November 16th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Almost “Nailed It” Richard, impressive list!
July 6th, 2010 at 6:57 am
After looking through this page I have made the decision to subscribe to your rss feed. I trust your coming content will come to be just as interesting.