Jeb Dunnuck`s Guide to the Best of 2013

10/6/2014
Jeb Dunnuck's Guide to the Best of 2013
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Best of 2013: Current Release Wines
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Quilceda Creek 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley ($199-­$368) (Red) Rating: 98+
Leonetti 2010 Cellar Reserve Walla Walla Valley ($144-­$300) (Red) Rating: 100
K Vintners 2010 Syrah Royal City Washington ($100) (Red) Rating: 99
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Washington runner ups
Reynvaan 2011 Queen's Road Walla Walla Valley ($60) (White) Rating: 94
Avennia 2010 Syrah Boushey Vineyard Arnaut Yakima Valley ($45) (Red) Rating: 95
No Girls 2010 Syrah Walla Walla Valley ($65) (Red) Rating: 95
Force Majeure 2010 Collaboration Series V Red Mountain ($75) (Red) Rating: 96
Cayuse 2010 Syrah Armada Vineyard Walla Walla Valley ($140-­$175) (Red) Rating: 97
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Looking east towards the Blue Mountains from Walla Walla
Paso Robles
Torrin 2010 Akasha James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles ($62) (Red) Rating: 98
Saxum 2011 Syrah James Berry Bone Rock Paso Robles ($89) (Red) Rating: 98-­100
L’Aventure Winery 2011 Estate Cuvee Paso Robles ($80-­$90) (Red) Rating: 98
Paso Robles runner ups
Epoch 2010 Tempranillo Paso Robles ($55) (Red) Rating: 96
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Big Basin Vineyards 2010 GSM Paderewski Paso Robles ($45) (Red) Rating: 95
Villa Creek Cellars 2010 High Road James Berry Vineyard ($65) (Red) Rating: 95
Booker Vineyard 2011 Fracture Paso Robles ($90-­$99) (Red) Rating: 97
James Berry Vineyard, Paso Robles
Santa Barbara County
Alban Vineyards 2009 Syrah Lorraine Edna Valley ($145) (Red) Rating: 97
Sine Qua Non 2010 Grenache No Name As of Yet California (unknown) (Red) Rating: 99
Paul Lato 2011 Chardonnay Le Souvenir Sierra Madre Vineyard Santa Maria Valley ($60)
(White) Rating: 97
Santa Barbara County runner ups
Paul Lato 2011 Pinot Noir Atticus John Sebastiano Santa Rita Hills ($65) (Red) Rating: 96
Tensley 2011 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard Santa Barbara ($33-­$42) (Red) Rating: 95
Melville 2011 Syrah Donna's Santa Rita Hills ($38) (Red) Rating: 94
The Hilt 2011 Chardonnay Vanguard Santa Barbara ($40.00) (White) Rating: 95
Southern Rhone reds
Clos Saint-­Jean 2011 Deux Ex Machina Chateauneuf Du Pape ($160-­$214) (Red) Rating: 99
Domaine Giraud 2011 Les Grenaches De Pierre Chateauneuf Du Pape (unknown) (Red)
Rating: 96
Chateau Saint-­Cosme 2011 Hominis Fides Gigondas ($55.00-­$70.00) (Red)
Southern Rhone whites
Chateau Beaucastel 2012 Roussanne Vieilles Vignes Blanc Chateauneuf Du Pape ($140-­
$183) (White) Rating: 97
Domaine De Saint-­Préfert 2012 Vieilles Vignes De Clairette Blanc Chateauneuf Du Pape
(unknown) (White) Rating: 96
Domaine De La Janasse 2012 Cuvee Prestige Blanc Chateauneuf Du Pape ($75) (White)
Rating: 96
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Châteauneuf-­du-­Pape and Mount Ventoux
Northern Rhone reds
These reviews will be published in the December, 210 Issue, hence no scores just yet... They're all
well thought of!
Chave 2010 Hermitage Cuvee Cathelin (unknown) (Red)
Chapoutier 2011 Ermitage Le Pavillon ($175.00-­275.00) (Red)
Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) 2011 Cornas Pur Noir (unknown) (Red)
Northern Rhone whites
Chapoutier 2012 Ermitage l'Ermite Blanc Hermitage (unknown) (White)
Georges Vernay 2011 Condrieu Coteau du Vernon Condrieu ($75-­$100) (White)
Guigal 2010 Ermitage Ex-­Voto Blanc Hermitage ($260.00) (White)
Looking south off of Hermitage Hill
Best of 2013: Greatest Value Wines of the Year
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Domaine les Aphillanthes 2011 Rasteau
Reds
Domaine les Aphillanthes 2011 1921 Rasteau ($25) (Red) Rating: 93
This 2011 is a smoking follow up to the even richer, more concentrated 2010. Comprised of almost
all Grenache (7% Mourvedre and a splash of Carignan) and from vines planted in 1921, it's a
knockout bottle of wine that sells for a song.
Chateau Pesquié 2012 Cotes du Ventoux Cuvee des Terrasses ($14.00) (Red) Rating: 92
From an up and coming appellation (Côtes du Ventoux, write that down), this cuvée is consistently
outstanding and sells for pennies (you can find it for around 10-­12 bucks). Mostly Grenache (aged
in tank and older barrels) and loaded with southern Rhône character, it's a no brainer purchase
that over delivers.
Melville 2011 Syrah Verna Santa Rita Hills ($20-­$30) (Red) Rating: 92
Always perfumed and complex, Melville's 2011 leans towards the fresh, elegant side of the
spectrum, yet never comes across as lean. A blend of 100% Syrah and all from the cool, windy, yet
sun soaked Santa Rita Hills, it's another character filled wine that is more than reasonably priced.
Whites
Foxglove 2011 Chardonnay San Luis Obispo ($11-­$19) (White) Rating: 89
Made by the talented crew at Varner (Jim and Bob Varner... these guys know how to make
Chardonnay), this completely stainless steel aged effort offers classic, upfront Chardonnay
character. It's also inexpensive enough to buy by the case and open a bottle guilt free through the
week.
Alban 2011 Viognier Central Coast ($25-­$50) (White) Rating: 92
John Alban fashions one of the top Viogniers in California. While his estate blend sells for about
twice the price of this one (which also includes some estate fruit, yet mostly sourced grapes), it
gets you plenty of Alban richness, balance and purity, and is more than worth the price of
admission.
Sans Liege 2011 Cotes Du Coast Paso Robles ($24-­$28) (White) Rating: 91
Comprised of Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc (although, truthfully, I'd guess a northern
Rhône/Marsanne blend blind, go figure), this rich, full-­flavored beauty is made by Curt Schalchlin. I
love it (and have been through my fair share of bottles).
Best of 2013: Greatest Wine Drinking Experiences
Guigal 1999 Côte Rôtie La Mouline ($518-­$889) (Red) Rating: 100
As sexy and seamless as they come, this beauty was consumed in a lineup of older Côte Rôties
and it was the first glass drained. Had the bottle been near me, I'd have poured another. A dessert
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Island wine if there ever was one.
Sine Qua Non 2005 The 17th Nail in my Cranium Eleven Confessions Vineyard California
($855-­$1343) (Red) Rating: 100
One of the first vintages where Manfred included some stems (15%), this off the hook Syrah
includes a splash of Viognier and comes all from his Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Santa
Rita Hills. There was a scant 350 cases produced, but hold on to your hats if you can find a bottle
or two.
Domaine De Saint-­Préfert 2007 Chateauneuf Du Pape Collection Charles Giraud ($240-­$488)
(Red) Rating: 100
Also pure perfection, this magnum was pulled from Robert Parker's cellar and consumed at one of
the Wine Advocate's staff bashes in Baltimore earlier this year. Voluptuous, decadent and yet
ethereal and graceful, it's a fitting tribute to the glories of old vine Grenache (and some
Mourvedre)! Bob called this 100 points on release, and I called it 98 points. He wins.
Best of 2013: Dinner of the Year
Bern's Steak House. This was casual evening with great friends and a handful of mostly older
Rhônes that kicked off a week long sailing trip down the coast of Florida. While the wines
(particularly the '61 Diffonty Châteauneuf-­du-­Pape La Petite Bastide) and food were superb, the
evening was more about relaxing, drinking and just having an all-­around good time.
Best of 2013: Vertical / Retrospective Tasting of the Year
2003 Northern Rhone Retrospective. This won't be published until later in 2014, but the top efforts
are some of the most incredible wines in the world (Guigal, Chave? yes please). While it's not a
consistent vintage, count yourself lucky if you have some of these top northern Rhônes in your
cellar.
Best of 2013: Top 3 Get-­a-­Life Outside of Wine Things of the Year
Book
The Reality Dysfunction by Peter Hamilton... old, but great, great sci-­fi series. Maybe slightly
behind Frank Herbert's benchmark "Dune", but not by much.
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Movies
Mud, Oblivion, Zero Dark Thirty, Skyfall, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Inception... and a classic
oldie, Near Dark. I considered putting Starship Troopers on here, as I seem to watch it every time
it's on, but couldn't do it.
Vacations
Cassis: No trip to the south of France is complete without a quick run (and swim) through the
Calanques just to the west of the town of Cassis.
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