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Annual Review 2006

It's that time again; time to review my drinking (and tasting) and see which have been the particularly impressive or newly instructive wines that have passed my lips over the last twelve months. As in the past, it's not price that matters here; there are no budget categories in my annual review. Wines win on merit, whether it is because they were intrinsically brilliant or simply a new and exciting discovery. (29/12/06)

Winedoctor Wines of the Year

White: André Perret Condrieu Coteau du Chery 2004

The white category seemed beset with brilliant wines last year, but this year the numbers are fewer. I suppose this may be partly because I was running a lengthy feature on the red wines of the Loire as the year opened, significantly curtailing the number of whites I was opening as each week passed. But I still seem to have a smattering of very good wines, from classic and not-so-classic regions of Europe. Germany is well represented, by a number of very good wines from the 2005 vintage, and also some with a little more bottle age, such as the Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett 2002 (), and a Maximin Grünhäuser trio of Abtsberg Kabinett (),  Abtsberg Spätlese () and Herrenberg Auslese Fuder 188 () from the 2001 vintage.

The other great region for whites is of course the Loire (you were expecting Burgundy?) and there have been a number of lovely whites tasted this year, but a producer that really impressed was Marc Angeli; three wines tasted were all excellent, but it was the Domaine de la Sansonnière Anjou La Lune 2002 () which I found the most enticing. Of course I can't really ignore Burgundy, and it is Chablis that I understand and drink, much more than the Côte d'Or. I have had a few premier cru wines during the last twelve months, but this basic 2005 Chablis from William Fèvre () was so wonderful for the appellation it deserves a mention. Not as high a score as some other wines, but wonderful within the appropriate context. And from Alsace, the Josmeyer Riesling Hengst 1983 () was also fabulous in its maturity.

But the Rhône trumps them all; to see why, all is made clear in my Wine of the Week write-up for this fabulous wine.

Red: Chateau Langoa-Barton 2005

As always the most hotly contested category, with wines from all over France, followed closely by Italy, and a handful of representatives from the New World, specifically Australia and New Zealand. From Bordeaux, a number of wines from Haut-Bailly have really shone this year, both old vintages such as 1981 (), as well as the much younger 2004 () and 2005 (). Indeed, 2004 and 2005 throw up a number of likely candidates, with two very impressive wines from the latter vintage being Pape-Clément () and the category winner, Langoa. This is a very significant wine for Anthony Barton and Langoa-Barton, outclassing the Léoville-Barton at the event, a tasting of 2005 Bordeaux, and clearly a great wine in its own right. Anyone who regards Langoa as a mere shadow of Léoville needs to reassess this outdated prejudice. It is precisely because this wine challenged my loosely-held preconception about the Langoa-Léoville pecking order that I decided to place it on the top of the pile this year. And from the former vintage, the very fine 2004 Troplong-Mondot (), the leading wine in a host of excellent right bank examples tasted at two years of age. And just a few years older, another right bank wine, the 2001 Cheval Blanc () was also sublime.

Of course Bordeaux is all about maturity, not the exuberance of youth, and there were one or two mature wines from the past twelve months that stick in my mind, and the most memorable is one of my birthday wines for this year, the 1982 Rausan-Ségla (). Vieux TelegraphePublished reviews did not raise my hopes, but the wine performed above expectations, serving as a perfect example of why such wines demand cellaring for a long period. A similar comment could be made based on my experience of the 1988 Vieux Télégraphe (), as well as two lovely wines from the Languedoc, the 1992 Mas de Daumas Gassac () and 1991 Domaine de Baruel (), both worthy wines in their own right, and even the 1997 Pierre Jacques Druet Bourgueil Grand Mont (), which although only nine years old is pleasingly mature and probably far past the point when some ill-informed people would consider Bourgueil to be drinkable.

From Italy, I seem to recall a number of classic styles from both Tuscany and Piedmont impressed, with more from the former, a region with which I am inherently more familiar, especially having recently visited the area. Having reviewed my notes, however, I see that brilliant wines from Castello di Fonterutoli, Fontodi, Felsina and Vietti were all added to the site late in 2005, and are thus not eligible. That leaves me with few representatives from elsewhere, and although there are probably some I have overlooked, two that stick in my mind are the delicious Lowburn Ferry Skeleton Creek Pinot Noir 2004 () and the Cullen Cabernet Merlot 1996 (), two fabulous wines. But for me, the Langoa easily trumps them all.

Fizz: Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 1995

It was a year for the independent growers on The Winedoctor, with good showings from Arlaux, Dumangin, Gatinois and Serge Mathieu, and one real contender from the largely successful 1996 vintage, in the shape of the Pierre Moncuit Cuvée Millesimée Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 1996 ( ). The big houses also, however, made appropriate contributions; this is despite some less than exciting wines at the 2006 CIVC tastings in March. The best wine there was probably the Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires Brut 1995 (), although I preferred (for current drinking, at least) the Charles Heidsieck Mis en Caves 2000 Brut Réserve NV () tasted later that month. And I have had several bottles of Roederer Brut 1989 () from a case I bought some time ago, which has yet to disappoint. But for me the Taittinger was the best of the bunch, a finely structured framework carrying an array of brioche and praline, which will do brilliantly in the cellar.

Sweet: Joint winners
Bordeaux: Chateau Rieussec Sauternes 1986
Loire: Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 1996

Last year saw an 'outsider' from Domaine Cauhape give the most pleasure during the year, this year sees a return to two regions with which I am more familiar. The Loire has always been well represented in my writings, and great wines this year include the 2003 Chaume from Chateau Pierre-Bise (), a 1990 Quarts de Chaume from Chateau Bellerive () - it seems like this is a regular gig for this wine - two from Chateau de la Genaiserie, the Simonelles () and Les Tetuères () and also the lovely Domaine des Forges Coteaux du Layon Onnis 1995 (). But there was one clear, outstanding wine from the Loire, that being a fabulous Huet wine, purchased at the domaine in 2003. Such profound potential is rarely encountered, and this wine was clearly eligible for top position.

There were a few wines less commonly sighted on The Winedoctor that put in an appearance during 2006. I rather liked the Mas Amiel Vin de Liqueur Plenitude Maccabeu 2002 (), but two from Austria, the the Willi Opitz Gewurztraminer Trockenbeerenauslese 1998 () and especially the Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée Trockenbeerenauslese #7 'NV' 2002 () were superior. But if there was a dominating style this year, it was Sauternes & Barsac. The 2001 vintage was a huge success for this appellation, and a tasting of wines from my own cellar showed that there were a number of truly great wines produced. It is rather senseless to list once again all of those brilliant wines, but four stood out as being truly fine, the others being merely superb. These were the Lafaurie-Peyraguey (), Climens (), Rieussec () and the leader of the pack, just, Yquem (). All were just dripping with honeyed potential, although in the end the overall leader here was a wine that exhibited much more than potential, the product of nearly two decades of in-bottle maturation, following what was a wonderful vintage. I expect the 2001's will one day be just as magnificent. Also worthy of mention is the Chateau Suduiraut 2005 (), showing that 2001 isn't the only vintage to throw up fabulous wines.

Fortified: Graham's Vintage Port 1970

Grahams PortSome good wines this year, including 1985 port from Niepoort (), a rare treat in the shape of an aged, single vintage Maury, the Mas Amiel Maury Millésime 1980 (), and representing the wines of Jerez, the Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Oloroso Dulce 30 Años ( ). But the winner is a fine, aged vintage port which I opened in December 2005 but finished in January 2006, so it is just eligible for this review. An exceptional wine, all the more special for being a birth-year wine for me.

Winedoctor Awards

Most Impressive Producer: Chateau Haut-Bailly

No need for any joint decision this year. Time and time again, whether tasting old wines or young, I am reminded of the sheer quality that Veronique Sanders and her team have squeezed from the vines at Haut-Bailly over the years. Simply fabulous wines, superlative in successful vintages such as 2005, top of the tree in less exalted years (which may actually be very good) such as 2004, and even producing drinkable if not even desirable wines in unhappy times such as 1997. Hats off to Haut-Bailly!

What of the other hopefuls? There were just a couple that really produced the necessary combination of high quality and consistency across the board, and so they deserve mention:

Biggest disappointment: The Ancient Port Tasting

Alright, I admit there were some good wines here, although they were largely outshone by the wines we drank subsequently. And the company, and the lunch, were superb. Also,  opening and uncovering the identity of some of the mystery bottles was great fun, and it was a genuine pleasure to drink the Taylor's 1912. But all in all, the wines were good, at best. A fun event, but perhaps a little let down by the sheer quality of the wines.

Having said that, was the year entirely rosy otherwise? Not quite. I was rather taken aback by how sulphurous many of the wines were at the 2006 CIB tastings. With such skilled winemaking and blending, why is it the final product is shown when still reeking of struck matches? Is this the norm for such a tasting? This was my first attendance at the Champagne bash, I will have to endeavour to return this year to see for myself.

Best retailer: Joint winners
Mail order: Artisan Wines
Restaurant list & mail order: RSJ Wines

Last year, the Wine Society. This year there was a much wider choice, as I have shopped near and far, particularly in my search for more interesting wines from the Loire and Champagne. I should give the auction house Straker Chadwick a mention, because although they slipped up by writing to my old address to notify me of two lots secured by electronic bid, when they finally realised their mistake (six months later) the wine was under correct storage, the service received was very good, and they were happy to continue storing the wine until I wished to collect, free of charge.

Special mention also to Stone, Vine & Sun; although this merchant had a comical difficulty in getting my order correct, they continued to offer very correct and personal service throughout, ensuring substitutions were not made without my consent, until the very moment of delivery when they obviously felt too pressured to telephone once again and simply substituted a more expensive wine (without extra charge) from the same estate, with which I was content. Overall, good service really.

But I think this year's winners are very deserved, both being great exponents of quality over famous labels, and both showing a heavy focus on an under-represented wine region, the Loire. The former outfit is based in Chester, sadly I never encountered them when I lived near there. They offer a great range of wines, from names such as Marc Angeli and Clos Rougeard, all delivered with plenty of information including tasting note booklets, a really appealing feature. RSJ, meanwhile, will be no stranger to any Londoner who enjoys perusing a Loire list over dinner. The restaurant, established in 1980, is located in Coin Street, and since 1996 proprietor Tom King has also been selling wines from his list over the internet. There's a great selection of Loire names here, featuring Papin, Alliet and Champalou, to name just three. Both offer good service, although in a very different style; Artisan has a very slick e-commerce site established, whereas with RSJ it is more of an email-your-requests set up. But the quality of the wines is what makes it for both of these merchants, and I wish them both continued success.

Bargain: Wines rather than vintages

After last year's alumnal confession I have made similar purchases this year but feel loathed to repeat this as my greatest bargain of 2006 as it means little to anyone else. So I have had to rack my brains for another cheesy moment when I secured wine at a favourable price.

One possible contender that popped into my head was Bordeaux 2004; having tasted a selection in October, there were some very good wines, and the prices will be very favourable. But it is wrong to make a sweeping generalisation about such a vintage (perhaps about any vintage), as there will always be underperformers as well as overperformers. But those who lose out are the ones who reject the vintage in a similar generalisation. As a friend said to me recently, "Some people buy the vintage rather than the wine". I think this is very true. There are some great wines from 2004 which, because this is not a "great" (meaning hyped-up) vintage in the same vein as 2000, 2003 and 2005, can also be very good value. I shan't pick out any particular wine, as there are a good number that deserve appropriate attention, but my advice would be to look to the better properties of the right bank, as well as Margaux and just a few wines from further north on the left bank. My bargain-hunting advice then, in these days of escalating wine prices, is to look at the quality of the individual wine, not the vintage. You could just end up with something beautiful to drink, at a very attractive price.

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