Our personal top wines of 2013?

Grange 1976. Normally not a big fan of this negociant blend, but my oh my how good this wine is..

Agreed, however I think Grange 1986 could turn out to be the greater wine in the long run.

Keller Westhofener Morstein TBA 2003. Keller or not, this purity is admirable.

Is it better than Vollenweider's TBA from this vintage?

Weil Gräfenberg Spätlese 1996. The greatest Spätlese I have ever had.

I couldn't agree more. I need more of this stuff too

Sticking with wines from my own purchases (not glasses at a restaurant or tastes at an offline event):

Reds:

2009 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Flax Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA
2007 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel Mancini Ranch, Russian River Valley, CA
2003 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch, Australia
2001 La Rioja Alta Rioja Vina Ardanza Reserva Especial, Rioja, Spain
2007 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru "Les Champans", Burgundy, France
2008 Scott Paul Cellars Pinot Noir La Paulee, Willamette Valley, Oregon
2006 Long Shadows Wineries Syrah Sequel, Columbia Valley, WA
2011 Casarena Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina
(I plan to open some 2011 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Dairyman, Russian River Valley, Ca in February and it may be a contender for 2014 based on previous tastes at a wine retail shop)

Rose' wines:

2011 Revoire & Fils Bandol Le Pont, Bandol, Provence, France
2011 Cave de Saumur Cabernet de Saumur Rose' Reserve Les Vignerons, Loire Valley, France (Cabernet Franc variety)

Whites:

2009 Reinhold Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany
2010 Wwe. Dr. Thanisch Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany
2004 Ponzi Vineyards Arneis, Willamette Valley, Oregon
honorable mentions to:
2008 Michael Shaps Chardonnay Wild Meadow Vineyard, Virginia
2006 Picardy Chardonnay, Pemberton, Australia
2010 Bedrock Wine Company Albarino Abrente, Carneros, CA
2011 Lusco Albarino, Licia, Rias Baixas, Spain
(I haven't opened any of my white Burgundies that might be contenders but plan to open some in February 2014)

Port and dessert wines:

Sandeman Porto 20 Year Old Tawny, Portugal
2007 Chateau Doisy-Vedrines, Sauternes, France

Grange 1976. Normally not a big fan of this negociant blend, but my oh my how good this wine is..

Agreed, however I think Grange 1986 could turn out to be the greater wine in the long run.

Really!? Please bring one some time!

Keller Westhofener Morstein TBA 2003. Keller or not, this purity is admirable.

Is it better than Vollenweider's TBA from this vintage?

Nah, Dani's LGKA and TBA are the wines of the vintage, but I remember even Al preferring the Keller to Weil's TBA.

Weil Gräfenberg Spätlese 1996. The greatest Spätlese I have ever had.

I couldn't agree more. I need more of this stuff too

Surprising to me the best of the year was a 1994 Newton unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon.

I'm a huge fan of their unfiltered Chardonnay. Good to know about the cab, though doubt I could find that year.

Our Wine of the Year was without a doubt, a 1995 Canalicchio Di Sopra, Brunello Di Montalcino; with which we celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary in August.

Happy Late Anniversary Carl. That is wonderful!

1985 J. L. Chave Hermitage.

-Paul W.

Hi Mark,

I tasted the '04 St. Innocent Seven Srings Pinot in early 2012 and thought that it was a bit on the oaky side at that point. Had the oak integrated a bit in the bottle that you tasted?

Sam,
Here's what I wrote about it:

"Burgundian" is a term that is bandied about all too often with New World PNs, but here is a wine that I would have pegged as Cote d'Or Pinot had I been served it blind. A strong smell of graphite, along with tart raspberry fruit and more mineral notes is followed by a silky but acidic palate presence. Very approachable right now but in no danger of fading any time soon. Quite lovely with quail and rabbit-ginger sausage.

The graphite smell is one I associate with New French Oak in the elevage, so it probably was oakier earlier in its existence, but at this stage it's pretty well integrated.

Mark Lipton

2011 Foillard Cote du Py
2011 Lapierre Morgon

I'm impressed that you include Foillard and Lapierre in this list. I always enjoy the wines and get plenty of pleasure from them (especially Foillard), but they don't necessarily 'stand out' for me in the same way as some of the more typical 'best of' wines in your list.

As we get older, Rahsaan, both Jean and I have been gravitating toward "smaller" wines that have more aromatic character and delicacy on the palate than the more "prestigious" wines we drank in our youths. You, of course, started in that position, so I have no idea how your tastes will evolve, but I can tell you that both those Gamays provided "wow" moments for us both. To put that in perspective, though, the biggest "wows" of the last few years have been garnered by the '09 Ganevat Pinot Noir and an '04 Overnoy Poulsard.

Mark Lipton

There were many excellent wines this year made more special by the friends and family with whom they were shared.

2002 Barthod Chambolle Musigny Le Cras
2000 Prieure Lichine
1995 Chateau Angelus
2009 Maybach Materium
1995 Ducru Beaucaillou
2002 Chevillon Les Perrieres
1999 Pol Roger Winston Churchill
1984 Dunn Howell Mountain
2009 Sandler Pinot Noir Keefer Vineyard
1995 Scherrer Old & Mature Vines Zinfandel
2008 EMH Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon
1999 Produtorri Ovello
2004 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Catherine

My top wine of 2013 was the 2000 Edmunds St. John Los Robles Viejos. This was opened after we drained a bottle of 2006 Ridge Monte Bello and decided to change direction instead of drinking more Cab. The ESJ was simply stunning, fresh but not primary, presenting a delicious mix of fruit, flowers and savory elements in delightfully seamless package. There was still sufficient stuffing for this to age for a few more years (maybe longer - Steve can weigh in here) and I'm happy that I have a couple more bottles to prove this out (along with several bottles of 2001 R&G).

The Monte Bello was ok, too.

La Maison Romane, Corton Grand Cru, Les Perrieres, 2008, because here, finally, is a Corton worthy of being a Grand Cru, and an inheritor to the Rene Engel winemaking style.