What is the best NON-PORT bottle of wine you've had in 2008?

[Moses Botbol]

Well, for me:

DRC La Tâche 2002
1910 Fajã do Padres (Madeira)



Some huge wines:

Niepoort Robustus 2004
Coche-Dury Mersault 1999
Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva 1995
Vega Sicilia Único 1986
Mouchão 1970
Barca Velha 1999
Clos Martinet 2000
Domaine du Pegau Cuvee reserve 2004
1870 Mavasia Caves Casa da Calçada

You're drinking some nice ones :hello:

[Carlos Rodriguez]

At the moment ...... ......:

Red: Bembibre 2004, Dominio de Tares, from d.o. El Bierzo (Spain)
Chanpagne: Frank Bonville Rose

[Derek T.]

In fact, make that non-fortified

Can someone please tell me what non-fortified wine is?

Damn I did not think someone like you would say such horror!

I stand by this statement, originally made in jest. I honestly cannot remember what the best non-fortified wine is that I have tasted this year. Perhaps it is because I have tasted at least 10 different ports in 2008 so it is difficult to remember the others?

[Roy Hersh]

Jeez, I would not know where to begin.

A tasting of 2001, 1999, 1996 and 1990 DRC:
La Tache, Richebourg, Romanee St. Vivant, Grand Echezeaux and Esch was probably the best 20 bottles I had all year long at a single tasting. I am sure that I probably won't be tasting 4 La Tache bottlings again anytime soon ... especially from the likes of 1999 and 1990.

There was the great Baumard vertical of Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume back to 1945 that was certainly worthy of note.

Then came a vertical of Chapoutier Le Pavillon Ermitage with barrel samples from 2006 back to the exalted 1989 which was a killer tasting.

I only did one vertical from Bordeaux this year and it was Chateau Angelus also going back a few decades and the 1989/1990 pairing within, are still so memorable.

There have been better individual wines, but that is for another posting. I was just trying to remember some of the verticals earlier in the year.

As mentioned here before, my red/white wine consumption still makes up the vast majority of what I actually drink in a year. Scary considering last year and again this year, I'll have nearly 500 TNs on Port and Madeira alone.

[michael miller]

For me nothing specific but some Chave Hermitage ranging from 1988 to 2005. Also a little Gaja from 1997. Hard to say which is the best. 1964 Latour was very tasty (my wife's birth year). 1999 Cristal was very good.

Michael

[Moses Botbol]

Jeez, I would not know where to begin.

A tasting of 2001, 1999, 1996 and 1990 DRC:
La Tache, Richebourg, Romanee St. Vivant, Grand Echezeaux and Esch was probably the best 20 bottles I had all year long at a single tasting. I am sure that I probably won't be tasting 4 La Tache bottlings again anytime soon ... especially from the likes of 1999 and 1990.

Bastard...

[Ray Barnes]

This has admittedly not been a stellar year of wine drinking unfortunately, but for my taste, it would have to be the Domaine Zind-Humbrecht 2005 Pinot Gris Thann, sourced from the Clos St.-Urbain, Grand Cru Rangen. At $40 a bottle, it was also a bargain. :)

[John Danza]

OK, first off I don't want anyone to laugh. I'm mentioning this not because it was the best non-port I've had this year but because it was the most surprisingly good wine I've had this year. It's a 1984 Byrd Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from Maryland. Yes, Maryland.

I bought the wine at an auction after having it at the pre-auction tasting. I was curious because 1984 is the year my wife and I got married, and it's a god-awful year for wine pretty much across the board. I noted at the tasting that the wine is still dark red with no evidence of browning, and the fruit and tannins are still excellent. As you might expect, no one was interested in a wine from Maryland and I got a case of it for $175. I subsequently have found out that Maryland has a fairly strong wine industry and Byrd was one of the oldest up until the time they shut their doors in 2000. None of these bottles as failed to disappoint, and I'm keeping a few for my 50th birthday dinner in November 2009, as that dinner will feature wines from key years in my life. Anyway, if you run into Byrd Vineyards wine, give it a try.