best wines in the world 2009
Read the Latest PostsThis is an extremely friendly wine made by an extremely friendly person! It is best aged for a little more than two years.I love white wines from the Mâconnais region and spouses Corinne and Olivier Merlin plus Dominique Lafon are icons in the trade. Now the trio are making wine together I am glad I don’t have to choose between them; their combined efforts are a delight.Using almost exclusively the chardonnay grape, there are some excellent white wines in Burgundy. Here are my favourites:Burgundy is synonymous with wine. Some of the best wines in the world come from my home in this quaint region—as do some of the most expensive. But instead of just telling you what will set you back $15,000 (or more!), it is my idea to tell you what I like, what I can afford and even more importantly, enlighten you to some of the best wines I have ever tasted! To Burgundian locals, time is measured by the season. On our Burgundy Biking trip, it’s by the kilometre, the meal and the vintage.
We fell in love with this place 30 years ago and have made it our second home ever since. One visit, and you’ll understand why. To Burgundian locals, time is measured by the season. Using the pinot noir grape, here is a list of truly excellent red wines to be found in Burgundy: Hands down, this is the best wine I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking in my life! This wine is best offered and shared with very good friends — they’ll owe you one! The vineyard is now run by the son, David. This is to me what Burgundy is all about: simplicity, generosity, discretion, friendship… You have all of this in David’s bottles. It is difficult to find the right word for this wine. I’ll start by saying it is beautiful, sensitive, wild and delicate. Perhaps you will find some more words to add to the list when you enjoy your first sip? This is the second best wine I’ve drunk in my life… And believe it or not I had some more than once and even own some myself!
I not only love them for who they are but also for the wines they make. Here is my selection: Moving from her native Australia to try her hand at a wine harvest, Jane studied wine making for 12 years. Her Gevrey Chambertin is elegant, delicious and utterly promising. Jane shares a winery with Dominique Lafon, so she is in good company. You can read all about Jane here. Created by my good friend (and George and Martha Butterfield’s son) David, this elegant and pure white wine is perfectly paired with a Poulet de Bresse for Sunday lunch. Chris Newman may be my friend, but he is also a highly esteemed wine maker. This wine is almost impossible to come by and is best drunk with Chris — tell him I sent you! Domaine Maison Fatien Père & Fils – Volnay 2010 (Rouge) Charly pours all of his passion and energy into his wines, making for a truly charming find!Kosher wine has found its niche in the last decade, with quality bottles now holding their own against the best wines from around the world.
One of the top new producers is Covenant, founded in Napa Valley nine years ago by Jeff Morgan with partner Leslie Rudd. "My first forays into 'serious' kosher wine occurred in the 1990s, when I was a writer at Wine Spectator," Morgan says. "Some of these wines were so good, they inspired me to start my own kosher winery, Covenant." Kosher wine has had a checkered past, as Morgan freely acknowledges. "For much of the last 2,000 years, the Jews were often landless and had to make do what with whatever grapes (or raisins) they could procure to make wine to make kiddush, the prayer over wine. It wasn't a great recipe for fine wine production, to say the least," he explains. "Then, a century or so ago, Jewish immigrants to America discovered a profusion of American Concord grapes and were 'blessed' with the raw materials to make plenty of kosher wine," he adds. "Unfortunately, those Concords are the wrong species of grape for high-quality winemaking. The resulting wines did not do much for our reputation as Jewish winemakers.
Even worse, many Jews became accustomed to the sweet, cloying nature of Concord grape wine and learned to love it. "Quite frankly, I don't believe our ancestors would be pleased. That said, a new generation of kosher winemakers and wine lovers are now making and enjoying wines on a par with great nonkosher wines. And it's about time!" Below, you'll find a short selection of excellent kosher wines that Morgan was happy to recommend, alongside one of his own bottles, to enhance any special meal. Domaine du Castel Grand Vin, Judean Hills, Israel 2009 Castel, one of the top wine producers in Israel, lives up to its reputation with this blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with other Bordeaux varietals. Not surprisingly, this Bordeaux-inspired bottling tastes like really good Bordeaux. The smooth, fine-tuned tannins envelop a core of black currant, blackberry, and herb flavors, and with good length at the end, it's an excellent choice for dinner. Slow-cooked beef and sweet garlic provide a classic foil for this top-notch Cabernet-based wine.
Meaty mushrooms and earthy leeks are framed in a nutty farfel kugel that can stand up to this full-bodied red wine. Binyamina Reserve Shiraz, Upper Galilee, Israel 2009 Made in a Rhône style, with just a touch of Viognier, this robust red wine is from one of Israel's best-known wineries. This blend serves up black cherry, licorice, and black currant flavors and shows a hint of chocolate as well. Smooth-textured, ripe, and ready to drink, it offers terrific value. With its tangy lemon and rosemary seasoning, the tender, braised veal conjures up flavors from the Mediterranean. Shiraz, a grape with roots in the Middle East, provides the perfect accompaniment.In this easy, flavorful main course or side dish, matzo provides texture, while red pepper and dill liven up the mild eggs. Have it for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2007 From California's benchmark kosher winery, this wine is sourced from vineyards in the Napa Valley.
2007 has been hailed as one of the best vintages in the last decade, and this wine shows the year's pedigree. With its complex layers of plum, currant, vanilla, and spice—all framed in toasty oak—this wine offers great value for a Cabernet from the region. Tender veal and fresh, spring vegetables find an excellent match in this elegant and refined red wine. Earth tones and herbal notes share common ground in both mushrooms and red wine. The egg adds body and velvety richness, both hallmark traits of Cabernet Sauvignon. Capçanes Peraj Ha'abib Flor de Primavera, Montsant, Spain 2009 An intriguing blend of Grenache, Carignan, and Cabernet Sauvignon, this is the premier kosher wine from Spain. It's worth exploring with its bold raspberry, black cherry, and spice notes, all set against firm, ripe tannins and toasty oak. An aromatic spice blend coats these tender birds stuffed with dried fruit and nuts—a perfect match for a fruit-forward, lush-textured wine. The wine's herbal and oaky characteristics partner to provide a fine complementary pairing to the spinach pie's tangy feta cheese and green notes.
Covenant Chardonnay "Lavan," Russian River Valley 2010 Lavan (which means "white" in Hebrew) is a full-bodied white wine that serves up a fine-tuned blend of mineral, stone fruit, toast, vanilla, and citrus flavors. Barrel-fermented for lush texture and complexity, it's got bright acidity and can stand up to all sorts of rich dishes. But it also has enough elegance to pair well with lighter seafood and soups. The wine is unfiltered to best highlight flavor. This is not your traditional matzo ball soup! Sophisticated and sublime, this version gets a flavor boost from leeks, ginger, and lemongrass. To match, drink this lemony-fresh, cool, bright Chardonnay. This is the real stuff, not the soggy fish balls you buy in a jar. These fish "quenelles" are firmly structured and delicately flavored, a perfect start to a fine meal, and pair perfectly with this elegant, silky-smooth white wine. Gamla Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Golan Heights, Israel 2009 Gamla is the name of an ancient Israeli town that resisted the Roman conquest for years, and the coin on the label represents the town's exciting and heroic story.