The List In January 2000 I began recording notes on every wine (well, almost every wine) I tried throughout the entire year. When it was all said and done, I had notes on 331 selections. Not bad for a rookie. That list provided the seeds for this column - my 10 favorite wines of 2000. Before you let out that big sigh and stop reading, let me assure that this list isn't like all the others that have been published by now. It is not based on the highest scores, the highest prices or does it contain a list of wines that are so tightly allocated that you'll never see them outside of the auction house and the wines are listed in no particular order. The wines on my list are generally available (depending where you live) and are just plain good 'ol wines that us regular folks can find and afford. To make the list, the wine had to have that something extra that makes it stand out in the vast sea of bottles available in today's marketplace. Enough wine babble - on to the list. I hope you'll go out of your way to try a few of these favorites. Sit back, relax and enjoy... 1997 St. Francis Zinfandel Sonoma County Old Vines - Sonoma, CA: Inky black color, nearly opaque. Loads of dark fruit on nose. Vanilla, oak notes on palate with a long fruity/spicy finish. Powerful and intense. It's a massive Zin - 16.1% alcohol. If you like big, rich, intense monster wines, this is a must try. The '98's are on the market now (have not tried it yet) and the artwork on the label has changed so the bottles will have a new look. Price is about $20, if you're lucky you may find a few dusty bottles of '97 lying around. 1998 Vini Banfi Brachetto d'Acqui Vigneto La Rosa - Piedmont, Italy: Distinctive ruby red color. Looks like a dark Kool-Aid with those tiny bubbles streaming to the top. Fruity nose - raspberry notes mixed with rose petals. Light and spritzy on the palate (only 7% alcohol). Very smooth, a touch of sweetness and very easy to drink. This wine sings with chocolate -it's a perfect match! Don't let another Valentine's Day go by without a bottle. Serve well chilled - price is about $15. 1998 Chateau St. Jean Merlot - Sonoma County, CA: Deep purple color. Toasty oak on nose with notes of dark fruit. Complex wine with layers of fruit, vanilla, oak and spice (cinnamon?). Long finish with lingering toasty vanilla flavors. Rich, bold, intense - another wine for those who like the "big" style. This wine (about $18) opened my eyes to what a "true" Merlot can and should taste like. So many on the market today are dry, light bodied boring wines with hardly any flavor. For those of you who haven't had a Merlot that you've liked, spend the few extra dollars that the better ones will cost. I think you'll be very surprised! 1998 Steele Pinot Noir Carneros - Carneros, CA: Bright shiny red - beautiful color in the glass. Intense fruit on the nose - strawberry/cherry mixed with a slight note of green olive. Excellent fruit, good acidity to balance. Long finish full of ripe red fruit that coats the palate- this one is rich and complex and worth every penny of the $20 asking price. Here is another prime example of not understanding a major varietal. Previous to trying this one, my impression of Pinot Noir was a light, bland, acidic and poor tasting wine. Once again, I had only tried bargain wines that were poorly made and from places not well know for their Pinot. I'm so glad that I was exposed to the real thing and have discovered another fantastic grape. The only downside of Pinot Noir is that you have to pay higher prices for the good stuff. 1999 Opiri Marche Bianco - Italy: Pale, watery color. Lemons/citrus on nose. Crisp, refreshing tart fruit on the palate. Good acidity makes this a great food wine. Very simple and easy to drink. The best part of this wine is the bottle - it's shaped like a fish! This one is sure to bring a smile to the faces of your guests and may be very helpful in easing any tension at the table. We affectionately call it "Fish Wine" at my house - it's $6 price tag and "food friendliness" also helps make this wine one my favorites. NV CLV Chardonnay - New York: Golden yellow color. Powerful and complex nose of vanilla, oak, butter and tropical fruits. Similar flavors on the palate. Full bodied and rich with a long finish. Well balanced with layers of interesting flavors. Not bad for a chardonnay from the suburbs of Rochester, NY, huh? This unique wine is a blend of five separate lots of chardonnay (stainless steel, American oak, Yugoslavian oak, French oak and Hungarian oak). The lots are aged individually, blended together then bottled immediately. It is a non-vintage wine to keep the style consistent from year to year. The wine is made by Casa Larga Vineyards in Fairport, NY (www.casalarga.com) and it is a must try if you can get your hands on some. It is an amazingly complex wine for just $9. 1993 Chateau Mouton Rothschild - Pauillac: My first taste of a first growth - deep purple in color. Looks dense and rich in the glass. Nose is powerful with dark fruits and currant and probably 20 other things I can't identify. Coats the entire palate with rich delicious fruit flavors perfectly balanced with gripping tannins. Even I can tell this will age for 20 more years. This may seem out of place on this list because of its retail price of about $125, but there is a story behind this one. When I first noticed the case of Mouton in the store I was shopping in, I could not believe my eyes. I did not see a sign for the wine or a price on the bottles so I took one to the register for kicks. The clerk had no idea what it was and looked for the bottle in the store's price book and computer. After a few minutes, he happily declared "$20.99." I knew he was way off and I replied, "I'll take two!" He rang me up and I was on my way. I went back the following week and the rest of the case was gone, or put in the back room. Was I wrong to take advantage of the store? Probably, but then again, I shop there about three times a week so I figured it was there way of saying thank you to me. Besides, I only got two of the twelve bottles. 1998 Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc - Sonoma County, CA: Pale yellow color. Citrus/grapefruit nose, spritzy zing on the palate. Well balanced with notes of lemon and vanilla on a nice smooth finish. Well done and very affordable at about $10. Another reason I like this one so much is that it was one of the wines we could find and afford in the supermarket while in Maui on our honeymoon. Every time I see a bottle on the shelf it brings back memories from a trip of a lifetime. 1998 Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli - Finger Lakes, NY: Pale yellow, very light in the glass. Nose is heavily perfumed with apples, spices and wildflowers. Touch of honey on the palate. This one is fresh and racy, goes great with a wide variety of food and has a long, flavorful finish. This spicy white grape, pronounced ar-kat-si-TEL-lee, originated in the Mount Ararat on the border of Armenia and Turkey and dates back at least 5,000 years. Chances are you've never seen one of these - Dr. Frank may be the only winery to commercially produce an Rkatsiteli. This wine is one of the winery's most popular (somewhat of a local "cult" wine) and it sells out each year soon after it's released. For more information on this fantastic wine and equally great winery, go to www.drfrankwines.com. It is well worth the search! 1999 Georges Duboeuf Morgon Jean Descombes - Morgon: Purple color - young and ripe! Fruity nose - loads of raspberry and red berry fruits. Very crisp and tasty - well balanced. Very smooth and flavorful - a pure delight to drink. Usually Beaujolais is nothing to get excited over, but this one was a delicious treat. It only costs about $8 and it made a perfect companion on the table for Thanksgiving. There you have it - a pretty diverse list of fantastic wines that will not disappoint. Other greats that I did not include on this year's list include 1999 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay (Carneros), 1997 Ridge Geyserville (California), 1999 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec (Mendoza), 1997 Joullian Savignon Blanc (Carmel Valley), 1999 Barossa Valley Estates Shiraz (Barossa Valley), 1997 Fopiano Petite Sirah (Sonoma County), 1976 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle (Hermitage), 1997 Byington Cabernet Sauvignon Bates Ranch Vineyard (Santa Cruz Mountains), 1995 Louis Jadot Beaune Bressandes (Beaune) and the list could go on and on. Looking back, 2000 was a pretty good year, huh? That's it, finally! Thanks for the visit. Please feel free to write me at cellarbrat1@yahoo.com with your comments, questions and suggestions. Everyone gets a reply! All feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Know someone that likes wine? Send 'em the link - I'd love to increase my circulation to double digits! See ya next time from the cellar, and remember wine is more fun than you think. Gunerman writes "The Brat In The Cellar" twice per month for the Rochester, NY chapter of Wine Brats, found at www.ggw.org/winebrats/. Wine Brats is a national non-profit organization based in California. They are an active group of adult wine enthusiasts who are mostly young in age but absolutely young at heart. Wine Brats enjoy sharing their passion for wine with their peers and take pride in breaking down the cultural walls that for too long have mystified this beautiful beverage. Ultimately, as a non-profit organization, the Brats' purpose is to attract a whole new generation of adults to the wonders of life with wine. For more information, visit the national site at www.winebrats.org/. Jan. 26, 2001
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