Here we are again at the end of another year. As I keep learning year after year, life is about highs and lows and all the normal in between. And this year was no different. Some incredible moments included taking the kids to Paris for Spring Break (it was their Christmas gift); our family cruise of 45 people – yes 45!; multiple college visit trips with Thing 1 (sadly my alma mater, Notre Dame is NOT at the top of her list); surprising the kids with a Bruno Mars concert in Las Vegas for this year’s Christmas; finally seeing one of my ATF singers, Mariah Carey in concert; and seeing Thing 2 work hard and overcome many of his diagnoses to get admitted to an academic honor society. I was also honored to be chosen as one of the nine judges for the “Finals Panel” of the Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition. The nine of us got to chose the top winners in all of the major categories. Quite an honor for sure.
Of course with the highs come lows, and sadly we had to say goodbye to Rufus, my best photo-bomber and dog model. He was only 8 1/2 (we had him just 7 years) and we did our best to take care of him despite his illnesses which surfaced not long after rescuing him. I so miss my sweet boy. Who sometimes was confused that he even was a dog!
Of course, who could forget the 2 crazy storms we had this year (a derecho and Hurricane Beryl) one of which left us without power for 9 days! And pretty sure that I’d never heard term ‘derecho’ until this year. Did they make this up?! We’ve also been in a legal battle of sorts with Thing 2’s school and aside from being pissed off and angry, I’ve mostly been sad and disheartened by the behavior of some of the folks at his school. Luckily, he also has some wonderful, caring teachers which is a reminder that both great people and people that suck can coexist in any organization. But we’re to talk about wine, right?! As I do every year, I’m sharing my most memorable wines of the year. Recall that ‘’memorable” doesn’t mean “best.” It just means there was something special and yes, memorable, about the wine. On we go…
2022 C.L. Butaud Blanc de Noir Mourvèdre, Texas $48
I’ve long been beating the drum for Texas wine and continue to offer my support to an industry that is headed in the right direction. Folks like C.L. Butaud are doing the work and even convincing folks beyond Texas. Their wines have reviewed by Decanter, Wine Advocate, James Suckling, and VinePair, with inclusion in Vine Pair’s 50 Best Wines of 2021, and “30 Best Red Wines to drink in 2022.” The wines are just so well done. I’m just surprised that it took me so dang long to visit them. But now I have. And I loved, yes loved, just about everything I tasted. Every wine seemed to showcase a purity that really spoke to me. I loved the “classic” wines as much as the experimental, mad-scientist type wines like this Blanc de Noir Mourvèdre. Lush, ripe stone fruits and melon and an irresistible creaminess all balanced by bright acidity. Man I loved this wine.
Château Purcari Freedom Blend, Moldova $20
I generally draw a firm line between #LaywerLife and my alter ego, the Corkscrew Concierge. But I recently blurred the lines when I was asked to present a series of Moldovan wines as part of a fundraiser that one of our executives (who is Moldovan) had put together. These were wines that I knew nothing about, but ended up being so impressed by. The The Freedom Blend is a special wine created to honor the spirit of freedom and solidarity among nations. Purcari describes it as an outcry against Russian military aggression, which included prior annexation of areas from both Moldova and Georgia. To that end, the wine is a unique blend that represents all 3 countries by including indigenous varieties from each country – Bastardo (Ukraine), Saperavi (Georgia), & Rară Neagră (Moldova). Profits from the wine are donated to the Ukrainian war effort – reason enough to raise a glass. But it’s also quite tasty. It fared quite well and was also a favorite of many attendees. Inky and robust with stewed blackberries, a hint of vanilla spice, smokiness, and smooth tannins.
2009 Cristal Champagne, France $220
Sure the caviar frites didn’t hurt, but I have so enjoyed the 2009 Cristal. This was the last of three bottles I’d purchased and it did not disappoint. Toasted brioche, yellow apples, delightfully fine bubbles. Plus, it was a glorious day off from work to watch college hoops!
2021 The Hilt Radian Vineyard Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills $95
So OK, I could have actually put any of The Hilt’s single vineyard Chardonnay wines here. I did a tasting with winemaker Matt Dees this year and damn near cried when these wines hit my lips. Yes, I can be dramatic about wine sometimes. While Pinot is my thing and I loved them, his Chardonnay wines were like wow! Lithe, lean, elegant, refined, structured are words that come to mind when drinking his wines. With these wines, I could seriously forego Bourgogne. I said what I said!
2021 JMC Cellars Grenache, Livermore Valley, CA $36
In May, I was invited to Livermore Valley for a media trip. I knew a little about the region as I’d written an article about Phil Long of Longevity Wines for the Vintner Project. But that was certainly only scratching surface. Visiting, I found a region rich with history and a wide range of versatility. I found amazing Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Syrah, Pinot, Chardonnay, and more. I found a producer with serious depth in stunning Verdelho. Like who knew?! There are so many stories from that trip that I have yet to share (check out the OG Cab though!). Sitting back and thinking about all the wonderful wines that I tasted during my trip, my mind kept going back to the JMC Cellars Grenache. Ethereal. Expressive. Stunning. Winemaker Jessica Carroll is crafting ah-mazing juice. A close second was her Fleur Sauvage ($58), which is a Syrah co-fermented with Viognier as is done in Northern Rhône. Wow!
2023 Steven Kent Winery Cabernet Franc Blanc Livermore Valley, CA $35
Another quite memorable wine from Livermore Valley is Steven Kent Winery’s Cabernet Franc Blanc. Yep, a Cabernet Franc vinified as a white wine. Steven Kent Mirassou is absolutely bullish about Cabernet Franc and believes that it is destined to become the signature grape of Livermore Valley. After tasting through several of his and many others, he’s certainly made me a believer. He makes all sorts of iterations of Cabernet Franc, and I was thrilled to be able to experience my first Cabernet Franc Blanc. Make no mistake, this is no gimmick wine. Lots of floral and tropical fruit characteristics with a rich mouthfeel. I can so see myself with this at the beach.
All the Lugana DOC Wines, Italy ~$20-$30
I discovered a whole new region this year and fell madly in love! Ever so often, a wine comes along that stops me cold and makes me wonder where the hell it’s been all my life! Italy’s Lugana wines did just that for me. How had I not known about these wines? I mean, Lugana is a whole DOC! I honestly don’t know how it had eluded me all the time. It’s like people were holding out on me. Well now I know! These wines transported me. I felt the cool water, the warm sunshine, the salt, the purity of fruit in those amazing sips of wine with all their influence from Lake Garda.
Val d’Oca Rive di San Pietro di Barbozza Prosecco Valdobbiadene, Italy $40
Like I mentioned in my previous article, I haven’t always known the heights to which Prosecco could rise. Prosecco Valdobbiadene just hits so different. This single vineyard beauty is certainly Prosecco (floral nose ripe apple and pear), but did we know Prosecco could be this elegant?! The mousse on this was so fine that I had to double check that I was indeed drinking Prosecco.
Dautel Riesling Württemberg, Germany $20-70
As much as I adore Riesling, it’s a wonder that I don’t drink it more. Then again, I say that about lots of wines. But given how misunderstood Riesling is by many, I certainly need to do my part to clear the air. I went to a tasing of Austrian and German wines. Like wall to wall wines and I was not prepared to love the German wines more than the Austrian ones. Y’all know I cut hard for Austria but on this day, it was all Germany. And the lineup of Dautel Rieslings stood above all the rest. So fine, so precise, so bright, so full of finesse, and so damn good. Bone dry with lots of verve and racy, clean fruit. Who knew?!
2018 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz, Eden Valley, Barossa, Australia $250
I’ve long documented my love-hate relationship with Syrah. The folks from Washington State helped me to love it again, and I’ve managed not to stray back to the anti-Syrah dark side. But looking at the ones I drink and even what I have in my cellar, it seems most are from the USA. After years of meh, overripe, high-alcohol wines, Aussie Syrah/Shiraz was far from my mind. But oh shit, it’s clearly back in the forefront! The Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz is ‘effing phenomenal. It’s rich, powerful, structured, and dense yet it also has a shocking elegance to it. Whew!
2023 Shaw + Smith Riesling, Adelaide Hills, Australia $30
Sometimes I just can’t believe my luck. It’s nice enough to be invited to an amazing class and tasting of Australian wines, but it absolutely is the icing on the cake to be invited to a ‘Tacos and Riesling’ event right after the class. OK, a trip to Australia would be cool too, but it’s hard to miss me with tacos and wine. In a sea of Aussie Riesling, I found I kept going back to this one. Bright and vibrant acidity belies the amazing textural pleasures of this one. And yeah, damn tasty with some fish tacos and elote.
2020 Montes Wings Carmenère, D.O. Apalta, Valle de Colchagua, Chile $60
I don’t often reach for Carmenère as those green vegetal notes (aka pyrazines) are not my jam. But then many years ago, I had Purple Angel, a Carmenère wine from the folks at Viña Montes and had my mind blown. Not only did they tame the pesky pyranizes, they made an amazing Carmenère! For years, it’s been regarded as Chile’s best Carmenère by many. Well now they’ve done it again with their Wings Carmenère. Where Purple Angel has a little bit of Petit Verdot in the wine, Wings adds in about 15% Cabernet Franc. To make a delicious, fruit forward wine with two varietals known for their “green” characteristics damn near seems like magic. At a tasting that featured dozens of wines, this one stood above the rest for me. Ultra-ripe, juicy black fruits and so darn smooth.
Happy New Year and best wishes in 2025 y’all.
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