Yearly recap and wine resolutions thread

[Scoop]

Please forgive the late entry, but it has been a tasty year on the wine front, so I thought I'd share a little as well.

Favorite wine of the year? Almost impossible to name one. On the aged side, it was easily the 1982 Chateau Lynch-Bages -pure hedonism, with plenty left in the tank (opened at a friend's dinner party!). Another highlight: Col d'Orcia's 1999 Poggio al Vento Brunello Riserva, my "best of tasting" selection from the Benvenuto Brunello trade show, with notes of game, deep black cherry and porcini on an endless finish. And a surprise mention, perhaps, on a less-exalted level: Dry Creek Vineyard's 2004 Somers Ranch Zinfandel, possessing all the classic Zin character, with complexity and balance (and under 15% ABV).

The special bottle: the 1997 Pierre Luneau-Papin L d'Or Muscadet Sevre et Maine. Yes, an aged Muscadet that is mind-blowingly good, a garden full of flowers, rocks and beeswax. One the THE great producers in the Nantais.

Value: the 2006 Chateau Lamothe de Haut Bordeaux blanc, a perfect aperitif white, with a generous dose of Muscadelle for character.

Discovery: the incredible depth of quality of Rosso di Montalcino, especially the 2005 vintage. I'm yet to be disappointed.

Resolution: keep expanding horizons, both geographically and grape-wise, through tasting (drinking) and travels.

Cheers and "guten Rutsch",

Scoop