The Best Wines I Drank This Year, 2009
I imagine that New Year’s Day must be the slowest day in the year in regard to internet traffic on alcohol-related blogs. To curb the effects of this yet-to-happen-blogging hangover I’m posting the all-star list of 2009 wines today.
It’s time to take stock in our successes and our failures and to smile and grimace with new wisdom. 2010, still untouched, promises 365 days of possibility which you an either let wash over you or take by the scruff of the neck in search for opportunity. One opportunity that I look forward to in the upcoming year is drinking these wines again. Another is finding wines that are as good or better. I want to know what your favorite wine of 2009 is, so friends, family, and gentle readers, please leave comments telling about your best wine memory. Here are mine:
Top 10 Red Wines
#1 “Divoto” 2001 Apollonio Winery (Negroamaro/Montepulciano)
#2 “Vigna Elena” Barolo 1999 Elvio Cogno Winery (Nebbiolo)
#3 St. Emillion 1998 Chateau Simard
#4 “Suavitas” Salice Salentino DOC Riserva 2004 Ionis Winery (Negroamaro/Malvasia Nera)
#5 “Elegia” 2006 Consorzio Produttori i Vini Winery (Primitivo)
#6 Central Coast Petite Sirah 2005 David Bruce Winery
#7 “Notarpanaro” 2003 Taurino Winery (Negroamaro)
#8 “Cappello di Prete” 200 Candido Winery (Negroamaro)
#9 “Ottavianello” 2007 Botrugno Winery (Ottavianello)
#10 “Patriglione” 2003 Taurino Winery (Negroamaro/Malvasia Nera)
Top 5 White Wines
#1 “Galatina Bianco” 2008 Valle Dell’Asso Winery (Chardonnay)
#2 “Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio” 2007 Vinosia Winery
#3 “i Sierra” 2008 Taurino Winery (Chardonnay)
#4 “Alticelli” 2008 Cantele Winery (Fiano di Puglia)
#5 “Donna Lisa” Bianco 2008 Leone De Castris (Malvasia Bianca)
Top Rosé Wines
#1 “Fanali” 2006 Apollonio Winery (Negroamaro)
#2 “5 Roses 65th Anniversary” 2008 Leone de Castris Winery (Negroamaro)
#3 “Scirocco” 2008 Pirro Varone Winery (Negroamaro)
Best Dessert Wine
#1 Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG N/V Araldica Winery
Top Sparkling Wines
#1 Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC N/V Mionetto Winery
#2 “Sergio” Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC N/V Mionetto Winery
#3 Proseccco di Valdobbiadene Vino Spumante Extra Dry – V.S.Q.P.R.D DOC N/V Santa Margharita Winery
Note on Rating: Unlike my usual rating system, which takes price into account, these wines are simply the best wines in regards to the 5-category rating system of Karen MacNeil: Expressiveness, Connectivity, Varietal, Complexity, and Integration.
It’s time to take stock in our successes and our failures and to smile and grimace with new wisdom. 2010, still untouched, promises 365 days of possibility which you an either let wash over you or take by the scruff of the neck in search for opportunity. One opportunity that I look forward to in the upcoming year is drinking these wines again. Another is finding wines that are as good or better. I want to know what your favorite wine of 2009 is, so friends, family, and gentle readers, please leave comments telling about your best wine memory. Here are mine:
Top 10 Red Wines
#1 “Divoto” 2001 Apollonio Winery (Negroamaro/Montepulciano)
#2 “Vigna Elena” Barolo 1999 Elvio Cogno Winery (Nebbiolo)
#3 St. Emillion 1998 Chateau Simard
#4 “Suavitas” Salice Salentino DOC Riserva 2004 Ionis Winery (Negroamaro/Malvasia Nera)
#5 “Elegia” 2006 Consorzio Produttori i Vini Winery (Primitivo)
#6 Central Coast Petite Sirah 2005 David Bruce Winery
#7 “Notarpanaro” 2003 Taurino Winery (Negroamaro)
#8 “Cappello di Prete” 200 Candido Winery (Negroamaro)
#9 “Ottavianello” 2007 Botrugno Winery (Ottavianello)
#10 “Patriglione” 2003 Taurino Winery (Negroamaro/Malvasia Nera)
Top 5 White Wines
#1 “Galatina Bianco” 2008 Valle Dell’Asso Winery (Chardonnay)
#2 “Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio” 2007 Vinosia Winery
#3 “i Sierra” 2008 Taurino Winery (Chardonnay)
#4 “Alticelli” 2008 Cantele Winery (Fiano di Puglia)
#5 “Donna Lisa” Bianco 2008 Leone De Castris (Malvasia Bianca)
Top Rosé Wines
#1 “Fanali” 2006 Apollonio Winery (Negroamaro)
#2 “5 Roses 65th Anniversary” 2008 Leone de Castris Winery (Negroamaro)
#3 “Scirocco” 2008 Pirro Varone Winery (Negroamaro)
Best Dessert Wine
#1 Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG N/V Araldica Winery
Top Sparkling Wines
#1 Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC N/V Mionetto Winery
#2 “Sergio” Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC N/V Mionetto Winery
#3 Proseccco di Valdobbiadene Vino Spumante Extra Dry – V.S.Q.P.R.D DOC N/V Santa Margharita Winery
Note on Rating: Unlike my usual rating system, which takes price into account, these wines are simply the best wines in regards to the 5-category rating system of Karen MacNeil: Expressiveness, Connectivity, Varietal, Complexity, and Integration.
Comments
Thanks, Deb
Thank you for commenting! You are not the first person to ask about the Notapanaro---its seems the wine disappeared in the states recently. I'll do a little digging to find out more and then I'll write a post about it. Until then---Mattie
http://bythetun.blogspot.com/2010/09/where-to-find-taurinos-notarpanaro.html