Tom’s top ten for 2005

Published On: April 13, 2009

Someone recently asked me, “Since you drink fine wine everyday, how do you celebrate special occasions like New Year’s?” I said, “That’s easy. New Year’s is when I drink fine wines with a hat on.” Seriously, New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate, put away the past and set some new goals or resolutions (I think they’re the same thing).

Memories from 2005 that I want to keep are great wines and great restaurant experiences. Here are my 10 greatest wines from last year. Remember, Baron Rothschild of Château Mouton said, “The greatest wine I ever had was a Rosé in a hayloft with my first girl.”  These are in no particular order.  And none was drunk in a hayloft.

1. 1982 Château Lefleur with Joe Harbison and a grilled steak in my kitchen. Sweet fruit, long finish and, experts agree, one of the greatest Bordeaux of all time.

2. 1988 Echezeaux from Jayer with a sommelier from Atlanta. Everything Pinot Noir has to offer. Barnyard, raspberries, dirt and a long, smooth finish.

3. 1949 Romanée (a rare bottle and a gift from Paul McCombs) with Jim Clendenen at Blackberry Farms. Harmonious for an old wine and still lots of stuffing.  A brilliant red Burgundy.

4. 1961 and 1970 Château Petrus. Side by side at a tasting in New York. Blackfruit, leather, spearmint and sweet cherries. It was obvious they were brothers.

5. 1990 and 2000 DRC Montrachet at a tasting of 77 Montrachets back to 1966 at the Wild Boar.  These wines were full of citrus, apples, pears and pineapple. Chardonnay at its peak.

6. 1947 Louis Martini Cabernet with Zelma Long (America’s most renowned woman wine maker) at F. Scott’s.  This is an old California cabernet that showed great balance, sweet black cherries and a hint of earth. I was proud to be an American.

7. 1964 Château Cheval Blanc on numerous occasions with the Dailys. We must have drunk a case of this last year. Structure, ripe plumbs, persistent finish, explosion in the mid-palate. Wow!

8. 1947 Château Cheval Blanc. Two times.  This is a port-like wine. Nothing like it exists and so many call it the King of Wines. You would have to taste this to believe it.

9. 1811 Château Lafite at Frank Komorowski’s birthday party. Known as the “Year of the Comet.” Anything this old and still sound is a once in a lifetime experience.

10. 1847 Château d’Yquem. Considered the greatest sweet wine of all. Perfect peaches, pears, and sweet honey.  A great wine for 150 years (also at Frank Komorowski’s birthday).

Now these wines join the past, with new ones begging to be tasted. I can only hope 2006 is as great as 2005.  As to the future, here are my wine resolutions. Perhaps some will work for you too.

• No drinking without a designated driver or professional driver. We all have too much to risk and should have too much respect for others to do anything else.

• Decant every red wine except old Pinot Noir. It enhances young wines and removes sediments from old.

• Experiment more with non-traditional grapes. Personally, I am trying to learn more about Italy. Umbria, Fruili, Campania and Sicily are all on my list for 2006.

• Use the right glassware. No one in the wine industry would argue against the fact that proper glassware makes wine taste better.  The glasses are so inexpensive now. Why not get some if you don’t already own them and use them consistently?

• Improve my blind tasting skills. Now this is only for the most serious geek, but it’s fun and teaches us to appreciate wine for the taste, not for its name.

• Enjoy wine with more and different people. Whenever I find a new wine geek, I learn something. If you are a beginner, find some experienced and knowledgeable winos.

• Finally, I want to write more interesting and valuable articles. This will be very hard, based on my past performance, but it’s my commitment to you. Everyone from Shakespeare to Twain has written about wine.  That’s some tough company.  Your ideas are welcome at tom.black@tecniflex.com.