PH posted in the vertical thread that he has a 1992-2009 vert of Podere Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione. I’m assuming he has enjoyed a fairly large amount of this wine to have such a collection so I’m guessing he really really knows this wine. What wine do you really know based on a long history of vintages?

For me it’s probably Lopez de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Tondonia. I have enjoyed multiple bottles of probably 10 or so vintages going back to the amazing 1954 and now have a feel for what this wine should taste like in a good vintage. What I like about really knowing a certain wine is enjoying those familiar tastes and smells of the wines style, yet being surprised and interested by the differences the vintage makes.

Which wine do you know best?

Pegau Reservee without a doubt.

Numanthia... no question. (seconded by Clio )

Ch. Palmer

Ridge Monte Bello Cab Sauv

If champagne counts, then Dom Perignon.

Col d'Orcia - Back to 1975 including pre-Poggio al Vento Riservas

Mine is Suduiraut, mostly from an excellent vertical that I attended.

Very very generally speaking: i know white wine a lot better than red wine, due to
more specifically: everything local, Luxemburgs Mosel region that is. The reason is very simple, my first experience (say the first 10 years) was 90% local stuff. Throw in 10% little red Graves wines (Ch. Landiras, Ch. d'Ardennes) that my father likes so much, kind of the familys house red.
Next would be German Mosel, which was the first wine region i specifically visited for my wine hobby, starting with visiting Selbach-Oster in Zeltingen, as a student. So i know Selbachs wines from vintage 1991.
Also from student times, i took interest in white Graves.
Those are by far the wines i know best and maybe for that reason they are still among my favourites.

Sine Qua Non

So how well do you know them though?
A) good enough to pick the producer out of a blind line up with peers of the same appelation? Or
B) good enough to taste blind and guess even the vintage correctly?

Catena Malbecs. I have several vintages of the regular, Alta, Nicassia, Adrianna, Argentino as well as the Nicolas Cab/Malbec blend.

quote:

Originally posted by Merengue:
So how well do you know them though?
B) good enough to taste blind and guess even the vintage correctly?

Is it a guess if you know it good enough?

quote:

Originally posted by Merengue:
So how well do you know them though?
A) good enough to pick the producer out of a blind line up with peers of the same appelation? Or
B) good enough to taste blind and guess even the vintage correctly?

This is a question many pros would have some difficulty with, Meringue. I guess I'm probably most familiar with the wine that I have the longest vertical of, as listed above. That said, I've only opened 2 of them total all year. I've only had the 1992 twice, and those quite a few years back. The 1993 as well, the last of which I opened back in....1997???

The combination of not having tasted several of these wines for many years makes for a tough challenge of recent lack of familiarity with many of the vintages AND changes in the wines since last tasted.

If tasted blind with other sangiovese from the same vintage, I'd like my chances of spotting it.

PH

My biggest vertical is Domaine du Pegau Cuvee Reservee, so that is close to the top in familiarity, although there are some vintages in my cellar that I haven't opened.

I'm probably most familiar with the #2 Cab from Shafer, which has gone through various name changes, and is currently known as "One Point Five". I've tasted pretty much every vintage back to '89, many of them multiple times and at multiple ages.

Overall, I think it's easier to become familiar with some of the New World wines, especially from Australia and California, as they tend to be less influenced by vintage, so there is less year-to-year variability. By the same token, it is maybe a little easier to become bored with them, too.

Fusionstorm--Champagne DEFINITELY counts!

Interesting question "know the best". As Merengue points out, that can mean several things.

For me, it's knowing the wine young and also knowing how it ages and being able to identify it because you have an intimacy with it, in the same way you'd be able to identify a piece of music you've heard many times. Some people say that's a "parlor trick" but I think that comment is ridiculous - if you know something, you know it.

Then again, some wines are pretty distinctive and tasting them once can leave an indelible impression.

I guess for me it would be Tondonia, CVNE Vina Real and Pesquera.

That is a great question.

Thanks for thinking of it!

I am pretty complete on Dunn cabs, and taste them regularly; so, that would perhaps be my 'most understood wine.'

Back before the inflation killed my ability to keep up, I was a Latour freak, and I feel I have a good handle on the pre-crazy vintages.

Also, I was born in 1959, so have tried to be systematic hunting out wines from that vintage.

So, slightly different answers depending on the time frame, vertical vs. horizontal, budget, etc.

Thanks again for the question, the answers have been interesting.

quote:

Also, I was born in 1959, so have tried to be systematic hunting out wines from that vintage.

A fabulous vintage indeed, and shared by the infamous Longboarder and KSCO2. We were fortunate enough to have a '59 tasting at Kiki's in Chicage 3 years ago. These wines (left bank Bordeaux) are definitely worth seeking out, but the current pricing is quite prohibitive. Enjoy the hunt and the kill.

quote:

Originally posted by DoktaP:
A fabulous vintage indeed, and shared by the infamous Longboarder and KSCO2. We were fortunate enough to have a '59 tasting at Kiki's in Chicage 3 years ago. These wines (left bank Bordeaux) are definitely worth seeking out, but the current pricing is quite prohibitive. Enjoy the hunt and the kill.

Great memories

Ridge Monte Bello

MD 20/20

Haut Brion..(apprentice level) Ive only had about 6 vintages and nothing older than 88.
However, I am a willing and ready student.

By default, I had about 15 vintages of Opus One and feel I know them well enough.

Dr Frank. Have known himand sons for 40 years or more. Have many of the wines every year along with special tastings

In order of most vintages tasted:

Gruaud Larose
Lafite
Margaux
Latour
Mouton
Beaucastel
Haut Brion
BV GdL
Mondavi Reserrve Cab
d'Yquem

BV GDL
Araujo
Sherwin Family
Le Cadeau
Spottswoode