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Gismondi on Wine 2008 - Top 100 by Anthony Gismondi and Stuart Tobe We taste thousands of wines a year including a large number of wines that are no longer available through traditional retail channels.
Gismondi on Wine 2008 - Top 100
by Anthony Gismondi and Stuart Tobe
We taste thousands of wines a year including a large number of wines that are no longer available through traditional retail channels. This list is our top 100 picks that for the most part were released in 2008. Some may still be available somewhere in your market at better wine shops or on auction. Notes and prices are from the year they were tasted.
Number 1
97 Château d'Yquem 2003 Sémillon - Sauvignon Blanc
Sauternes, Graves, Bordeaux, France
BC $250.00 (375 ml) specialty listing, AB $140.00 (375 ml) private wine stores, ON $248.00 Vintages, QC $935.00 (1500 ml), QC $1,880.00 (3000 ml), QC $3,750.00 (6000 ml)
The 2003 vintage is said to be one of the warmest ever at d'Yquem and it combines with a hit of clean, total botrytis infection throughout the vineyard. Historically it is the last year before the Lur Saluce family handed off to LVMH and winemaker Pierre Lurton. No shortage of power and weight but with beautiful fruit and surprising acidity, candied crystallized peach and apricot with honey and marzipan notes. Almost taut and nervy at this stage. Leave it alone for decade or more as it fattens up and prepares for a long journey in bottle. (AG-ST)
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No. 2 | |
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97 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2003 Touriga Nacional - Touriga Francesa - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Barroca | |
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Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, Portugal | |
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BC $136.00 specialty listing, AB $144.00 fine wine shops, MB $140.00, NB $142.00, ON $109.00, QC $142.00, SK $107.00 | |
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Retasted in Portugal earlier this year it's even better than the last time we tasted it and it won't be ready for decades. Always so solid with powerful dense fruit, flecked with floral (violet) notes. The color is opaque with a liquorice laced, black fruit flavours, brown sugar, spice and molasses. Interminably long in the mouth showing off a youthful finish packed full of plums chocolates and raisins. It seems to linger on the palate forever in perfect balance. Lock and load this into the cellar for the next century. (AG) | |
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No. 3 | |
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96 Krug Grande Cuvee N/V Pinot Noir - Chardonnay - Pinot Meunier | |
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Champagne, France | |
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BC $118.00 (375 ml) speculative listing - Charton-Hobbs, AB $248.00, BC $255.00, BC $612.00 speculative listing - Charton-Hobbs, ON $270.00, QC $273.00 | |
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Krug is back in the market. Look for a light yellow colour, fine, continuous mousse and a nutty, toasty, mineral, earthy nose with floral, almond, quince and spicy, baked apple aromas. Crisp elegant and dry but structured with high acidity and fine, creamy mousse. Nutty, toasty, citrus, honey, quince, lemon, floral, rhubarb, tobacco, earthy, mineral flavours and a persistent dry, rich finish with lots of nuts and lemon. More intense and concentrated than almost any other champagne but also austere and drier. Ready to drink now but will hold for many years. Almost more like a table wine with its intensity yet impeccable balance and acidity. Top flight bubble. (AG-ST) | |
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No. 4 | |
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96 Quinta do Crasto Douro Vinha Maria Teresa 2005 Douro Mixed Vines | |
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Douro Superior, Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, Portugal | |
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BC $135.00 specialty listing | |
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The '05 Maria Teresa is stunning thanks to its mix of 30 different grape varieties pulled form 90-year-old vines that get mid-day sun but are in the shade all afternoon. It's all handpicked and crushed by foot before the alcoholic fermentation is passed over to mechanical robots working in open temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. It is aged in French oak and with Jean Michel Cazes on board for Xisto Crasto now gets its share of super top quality French barrels. The wine is black the fruit dark, sweet and concentrated with spicy cinnamon laced with chocolate and vanilla. Impressive to say the least and showing more finesse than the regular Crasto labels that do not lack finesse. Only 5500 bottles produced for the world. Hold until 2015 for best results. Made by winemakers Dominic Morris and Manuel Lobo (AG-ST) | |
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No. 5 | |
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96 Roederer Cristal Champagne 2002 Pinot Noir - Chardonnay | |
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Champagne, France | |
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BC $272.00 speculative listing - Charton-Hobbs, ON $287.00 Vintages, ON $756.00 (1500 ml) Vintages, QC $280.00, QC $740.00 (1500 ml) | |
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Very tiny, continuous mousse. Clean cherry, citrus, toasty, mineral nose with green apple, honey, floral aromas. Dry, crisp, creamy, fine mousse with a rich but refined, elegant and balanced palate. Big green apple, nutty, clean toast, light garlic lees, floral, lime, lemon, honey and cherry flavours. Very dry, long but elegant style with crisp acidity and the ability to age for at least two decades but you can open this anytime. Excellent quality. (AG-ST) | |
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No. 6 | |
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95 Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2006 | |
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Puligny Montrachet, Côte de Beaune, Côte d'Or, Burgundy, France | |
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BC $350.00 specialty listing | |
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Spicy, floral, butter, honey, mineral, quince, pear skin, cream, baked apple, anise, vanilla, toasty oak, lees nose, very fine. Dry, crisp, full and round but juicy and structured. Lemon, butter, green apple, toasty lees, vanilla, honey, slate, floral, pear flavours. Long, elegant, juicy finish. Supremely classy, will age for years. Delicious but you pay the price for such limited production. Tough to believe that the La Cabotte version might be even better. (ST) | |
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No. 7 | |
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95 Elephant Island Orchard Wines Fortified Framboise 2007 | |
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Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada | |
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BC $22.00 (375 ml) winery direct, private wine shops | |
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Deep dark raspberry cherry colour. Incredibly intense fresh raspberry nose with fresh jam, minty, spicy notes. Ripe, round, rich, fresh, somewhat sweet style with good acidity but a tad warm. Again, incredibly intense raspberry/black raspberry, minty, mineral flavours. No lack of intensity here, try on ice cream or chocolate or as a kir. First class. (AG-ST) | |
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No. 8 | |
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95 Vega Sicilia Unico 1996 | |
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Ribera del Duero, Castilla-Leon, Spain | |
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BC $432.00 specialty listing | |
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Meaty, spicy, tobacco, peppery, saddle leather, sandalwood, black olive, chocolate, mineral, vanilla aromas. Rich, round, elegant but dry palate with light grainy tannins. Vanilla, black cherry, peppery, meaty, smoky, chocolate, orange, mineral, tobacco, olive flavours. Finish is long and fine with intense orange peel, plum and smoky leather flavours. Acidity is still lively with some tannin to shed. Needs another 10 years. Great complexity. Bravo tempranillo. (AG-ST) | |
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No. 9 | |
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95 William Fèvre Les Preuses Chablis Grand Cru 2006 | |
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Chablis, Burgundy, France | |
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BC $79.00 specialty listing | |
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Citrus, honey, floral, slate, pear, lees, butter, seashell and spicy quince aromas with a touch of anise, very complex. Round, elegant, rich but delicate and crisp with great intensity and acidity balance. Orange, lime, green apple, pear skin, buttery, vanilla, spicy, creamy lees flavours with a strong mineral note. Long, crisp finish with great finesse and nice viscosity. Delicious, but will improve over the next 2-5 years, perhaps more. Just about as good as it gets in Chablis and worth every dollar. Classy. (ST) | |
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No. 10 | |
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95 Signorello Padrone 2004 | |
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Napa Valley, California, United States | |
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BC $120.00 specialty listing, AB $121.00 private wine stores | |
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Big cedar, tobacco, plum, blackberry, spicy, floral, peppery, earthy, coriander, mineral aromas. Rich round, full bodied and concentrated with lots of young, smooth grained tannins. Spicy, coffee, cedar, vanilla, mocha, earthy, tobacco, cassis jam, black berry, liquorice and orange peel flavours. Youthful, warm finish but very good finesse and fruit throughout. Needs 4-7 years. Excellent (AG-ST) | |
The complete list is avalible here.
