The Best Wines of the Year

Today marks our one year anniversary here on Smells Like Grape (Happy Anniversary to us!) and what better way to mark the occasion but with a look back at our year in wine?

I considered an egalitarian selection of one favorite from each of five different grape varieties or regions. And, what with current economic woes, I even considered doing a Top Five Under $10 list. But, then I decided that any such contrived list would be diluted and meaningless, and what I really want to say is what were the best wines we drank all year, hands down. Now, I didn't consult Taster A before posting this list, so he might have different ideas.

My criteria for picking my top favorites is loosely based on the Miles Raymond wine rating system which consists of three classifications:

1. F'ing Raid
   
2. Quaffable, but far from transcendent
   
3. Haunting and brilliant
   

So, all of the wines that follow fit under #3 above: Haunting and brilliant (and transcendent).

Third Runner Up is an unassuming Côtes du Rhône and also happens to be the most affordable of the winners. To be honest, this one didn't come to mind immediately when considering wines for this list but, looking over past posts, I saw that this wine inspired some pretty vivid imagery; any wine that inspires poetics gets high marks in my book.

Third Runner Up
Rubis 2005

The Second Runner Up is a wine that imprinted itself in my mind by it's pure immediacy mixed with something timeless. It made quite an impression on both of us.

Second Runner Up
Bonny Doon Monferrato Rosso

First Runner Up is a wine we waited far too long to try. Oh sure, we'd tasted Pinot Noir before but, we never had a Pinot Noir, really, until this wine.

First Runner Up
Louis Latour Beaune Premiere Cru 2002

Finally, our First Place winner of the Smells Like Grape Top Wine of the Year Award goes to Proprietà Sperino Uvaggio for being a totally unique taste sensation. The subtle blending of light toast and berry culminate into a BBQ peach aroma, with dark chocolate on the palate. It reminded me of what might happen if you poured a savory sauce over ice cream. In a word; decadent. This became an instant favorite of ours and I can't wait to try it again.

First Place
Proprietà Sperino Uvaggio