WineLovers Discussion Group

Bill Spohn wrote:No love for things like Dow's or Taylor's 20 Year Tawny?

Lots! I always have some Taylor 20 on hand. I have not seen the Dow 20 in my market for a long time. Fonseca 20 is easy to find, but I prefer the Taylor.

The Le Petit Haut Lafitte is a very tasty second lable Bordeaux that comes in right at the $50 mark. Pop it in the cellar for a few years and it should drink very nicely. For a Champagne the Duval-Leroy NV standard bottling is quite nice at about $40.

I might go for a Muga Prado Enea myself (mentioned by Joy) or maybe a Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Ca for a red wine.
For a white wine possibly a Michel Neillon Chassagne-Montrachet or a Chablis 1er Cru.
For a fortified wine, JJ Buckley has the Niepoort 20-year Tawny Port for $50 and other sources have a 500 ml. bottle of Cockburn 20-Year Tawny Port for around $33 or $35. (I like Cockburn because it seems drier than some other brands.) Or a Maury Mas Amiel Cuvee Speciale 10 Ans d'Age if I could find a bottle not as an auction item.

My sweet spot for special wines seems to be between $60 and $75. A Leoville Poyferre from Bordeaux, a Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno from Tuscany, Italy, Alysian Rochioli Vineyard or Rochioli-Allen, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA, an Herve Arlaud Morey-St.-Denis "Les Ruchots" from Burgundy, or Digioia-Royer Chambolle-Musigny from Burgundy or Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, CA.

I did see on wine-searcher.com some 375 ml. bottles of Dr. Loosen Mosel Riesling Eiswein for about $40. Calling David Bueker--how do these rate as far as Eiswein goes?

Brian Gilp wrote:

Jenise wrote: Full name Azienda Agricola Cos Cerasuolo di Vittorio Classico, from the only DOCG winery in Sicily.

The DOCG is attached to the wine not the winery. So its the Cerasuolo di Vittorio that is DOCG regardless of producer.

Thanks for the correction.

David M. Bueker wrote:If I were throwing out a Champagne, I would go for Pierre Peters NV. $49.99 and worth every penny.

Are you referring to the NV Blanc de Blancs Cuvee de Reserve Grand Cru or another one? That one came to mind too, but in our area blows the $50 budget...

Joy Lindholm wrote:

David M. Bueker wrote:If I were throwing out a Champagne, I would go for Pierre Peters NV. $49.99 and worth every penny.

Are you referring to the NV Blanc de Blancs Cuvee de Reserve Grand Cru or another one? That one came to mind too, but in our area blows the $50 budget...

The Cuvee de Reserve. Under $50 around my parts.

As others have said, a gazillon choices. OK, maybe not a gazillon, but certainly couple hundred. Huet, Cotat, Montevertine, Felsina, ESJ, various Germans, Knoll, LdH, CFE, Baudry, and many more spring to mind (and I buy them). But I'll self impose couple strict criteria:
1) well known region where I've tasted a lot
2) wine is clearly at top of its category (to me)

So I'll say Foillard "3.14" Morgon

I love (and buy) all of the others, but of ones I named I couldn't say absolute top for their niche: for a Huet demisec I'd trump with Huet Cuvee Constance, w/ Cotat I might think of Vatan, with Montevertine or Felsina I might wish for Montevertine PG or Soldera, etc. With the Pi II might have some contenders, but no Beaujolais I'd definitely want to have instead.

David M. Bueker wrote:

Bill Spohn wrote:No love for things like Dow's or Taylor's 20 Year Tawny?

Lots! I always have some Taylor 20 on hand. I have not seen the Dow 20 in my market for a long time. Fonseca 20 is easy to find, but I prefer the Taylor.

If you see the Ferriera 20 year old tawny give it a try. Roy Hersh turned me on to it a few years back and it's become my favorite of the 20 year old tawnies.