Spectator Top 100?

[wondersofwine]

My usual wine merchant offers many expensive, quality wines with more of an emphasis on European wines (and Australian) than American. He is partial to burgundy which fits my fondness for red and white burgundies. But, he also provides plenty of tasting opportunities (wines open in the shop on Saturdays), special paid wine tasting evenings, wine dinners at the affiliated restaurant which also offers 1.5 oz., 3 oz., etc. pours. So usually, when I buy a bottle or more of a wine, I have already tasted it and liked it. Recently at a tasting I was disappointed in the 2000 vintage of an expensive wine that I had pre-ordered after tasting the 1999 vintage. The store has agreed to let me exchange the unopened bottle for other wines I would like to purchase. And the store does carry many inexpensive wines as well--bargains in German rieslings, the Marquis-Phillips line from Australia, Bourgogne Blanc or Rouge from dependable producers, some South American wines, etc.
I would balk at buying something like a barolo or brunello without having an opportunity to taste it and see if I like it enough to pay the price and to store it until it matures.