Need List of Good Wines

[wondersofwine]

Here are some of my personal favorites by grape variety--keep in mind they will not fit everyone's palate:

2001 or other good vintage of J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese (Germany) less than $30

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
(most vintages are good-- around $15) or if you don't find that one--St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc from California, under $20
(There are also many Sauvignon Blanc wines from Sancerre, France that I like and a good wine shop should have a few of these)

Chardonnays I will skip because I prefer the white Burgundies, etc. over domestic and it might be hard to name one you could easily locate (actually Kim Crawford could be used here since I like his Chardonnay from New Zealand while sells for under $15)

Pinot Noir--a basic Argyle Pinot Noir (Oregon) for about $18 or a more robust style such as Siduri Pisoni Pinot Noir (CA) for about $50 or Loring Wine Company Clos Pepe Vineyard or Gary's Vineyard (both CA)
for close to $50. In between I really liked the 1999 Steele Pinot Noir from Carneros, CA for under $30). For red Burgundies (from the Pinot Noir grape) I recommend 1999 Arlaud Morey-St-Denis "Ruchots" or "Millandes" (about $50 price range) or 2000 Jayer-Gilles Cote de Nuits (Nuits-St.-Georges) at about $40. The Best--the Burgundy Grand Crus from 1990, 1996, 1999, etc. such as La Tache, Bonnes Mares, Clos de Beze, Romanee Conti (the 1999 Romanee Conti from Domaine Romanee Conti was given a 97-point rating by one critic and priced close to $4,000!)

Merlot--Bogle Merlot or Snoqualmie (WA) Merlot on the less expensive end, Falesco Merlot from Umbria, Italy in the mid range (under $20?) or a French Bordeaux from St. Emilion such as L'Angelus which in a good vintage such as 2000 probably would cost over $100 or 2001 Pavie-Macquin which might be found for less than $60 (and got an 89+ rating--on the verge of outstanding--from a wine critic).

Cabernet Sauvignon--2002 Henry's Drive Cabernet Sauvignon (about $35) from Australia
1997 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvigon Reserve (well over $50) from Napa Valley, CA
a blended Bordeaux with prices from $30 to
$100 or more depending on vintage, classification, critics' ratings, etc.

Zinfandel--Seghesio Zinfandel from Sonoma, Ca on lower end of prices; 1997 Ridge Lytton Springs (CA) for about $30-$35)

Syrah or Shiraz--Kay Brothers Hillside Shiraz from Australia (1999 was good but other vintages are probably good as well) for about $50, a 1999 Guigal Hermitage from
Rhone region of France, $50-$55, and a rating of 91 from Tanzer.

Gamay--a 2001 or 2002 Beaujolais Cru such as Fleurie "Les Garants" or Brouilly from Chateau de la Chaize ($14-20).

I won't even get into Italian, Spanish, Portugese, South African wines, etc. because I don't have enough experience to make the selections there. My current favorite Champagne (I've only tried it once because of the expense) is Philipponat Clos des Goisses Cuvee which costs about $100 a bottle. (The 1991 vintage was the wine pick of the week in the Seattle newspaper).

Now in some of these categories, my favorites may change in a week or a month. And I can't really say they are the best. They are what is attractive to my palate (I like acidity in whites such as Rieslings and Sauvignon Blanc but don't care for rough tannins in reds.) I like subtle wood influence in some red wines and prefer stainless steel treatment and use of older barrels for white wines (a little subtle oak flavor can add a touch of butterscotch or vanilla to a good white Burgundy but can overpower the fruit in other white wines).

Sweet dessert wines--a number of German Eisweins would top my list along with Chateau D'Yquem (a Sauternes from France).
Inniskillen Riesling Ice Wine is another winner that you might locate.

It is kind of laughable to claim a certain wine is the best in any price range but some do have a reputation for consistent quality. I think some of the Bogle wines meet that criteria at the lower price range and Ridge zinfandels and Monte Bello in their price range, etc. Also, it is a matter of drinking them at the proper time. A Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon from 2001 may be too young to drink well now but might be delicious in 2011. A 1999 red Burgundy might be in a closed period now and would have been better in 2002 or again in 2008.
Hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 07-02-2004).]