This is a list of wines that I have drunk, along with my ratings. I’ll update this list on an irregular basis… The ratings system is very simple – from one to five stars:
| – Affordable, easy drinking | ☆ |
| – Good stuff | ☆☆ |
| – Very good | ☆☆☆ |
| – Excellent, for special occasions | ☆☆☆☆ |
| – I’ve just died and gone to Heaven | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
You can tell I’m no expert of wine, I just know what I like (the cry of the Philistine down the ages, I hear you say). Well tough, it’s my list. I only have two five star entries, both for dessert wines, interestingly enough, even though I’m basically a red wine drinker. One is for Chateau d’Yquem (and I still have a half bottle nestling in the cellar – yippee! It’s now gone – sigh). The other is for Tokaji Eszencia, which I was lucky enough to be able to taste through the generosity of a friend of mine. He was presented with an exceedingly rare (and it goes without saying, expensive) bottle as a birthday present from his wife, and he poured out a glass for me to try. What’s that Dutch expression? Like angels pissing on your tongue… Yep, that comes close…
| Alión | ☆☆☆ | Ribero del Duero – Owned by Vega Sicilia |
| Allegrini | ☆☆☆☆ | Amarone |
| Apaltagua | ☆☆ | Envero – Carmenère\Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Argiolas, Antonio | ☆☆☆ | Turriga |
| Bellingham Wines | ☆ | Chardonnay |
| Bessa Valley | ☆☆ | Enira 2011 – Merlot/Syrah/Petit Verdot |
| Bonny Doon | ☆☆☆ | Le Cigare Volant – Grenache |
| Borgo di Colleredo | ☆☆ | Gironia – Montepulciano and Aglianico |
| Bouchard Pere et Fils | ☆ | Chablis |
| Brolio, Castello di | ☆☆☆ | Chianti Classico |
| Cantine Due Palme | ☆☆☆ | Domiziano – Negroamaro |
| Cantine Due Palme | ☆☆ | Squinzano – Negroamaro/Malvasia |
| Cap de Mourlin | ☆☆ | St-Emilion |
| Carramimbre | ☆☆ | Crianza |
| Carramimbre | ☆☆☆ | Reserva – Ribero del Duero |
| Casa Gualda | ☆☆☆ | great value wine |
| Casa Lapostolle | ☆☆ | Merlot |
| Casillero del Diablo | ☆☆ | Merlot |
| Castaño, Bodegas | ☆☆ | Pozuelo |
| Castell del Remei | ☆ | Blanc Panell – blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Macabeo |
| Castell del Remei | ☆☆ | Gotim Bru – blend of Temp/Cab Sauv/Merlot |
| Castelo de Medina | ☆☆ | Syté 2010 – blend of Syrah/Tempranillo |
| Castillo de Monjardin | ☆☆ | |
| Catena | ☆☆ | Catena – Cab Sav |
| Catena | ☆☆☆ | Catena Alta – Cab Sav |
| Catena | ☆☆☆☆ | Nicolas Catena Zapata – Cab Sav |
| Catena | ☆ | Alamos – Chardonnay |
| Catena | ☆☆☆ | Catena Alta – Chardonnay |
| Chablisienne, La | ☆ | Chablis |
| Chakana Wines | ☆☆ | Malbec Reserve |
| Chateau Batailley | ☆☆☆ | Pauillac |
| Chateau Bel-Orme-Tronquoy-de-Lalande | ☆☆ | Haut-Médoc |
| Chateau d’Yquem | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Words fail me |
| Chateau de Clapier | ☆☆ | Grenache/Syrah/Pinot Noir |
| Chateau Dufort-Vivens | ☆☆☆ | Margaux |
| Chateau Gloria | ☆☆☆ | St-Julien |
| Chateau Haut-Bage Averous | ☆☆ | The second label of Lynch-Bages (Paulillac) |
| Chateau Haut-Batailley | ☆☆☆ | Paulillac |
| Chateau La Conseillante | ☆☆☆☆ | Pomerol |
| Chateau Labégorce | ☆☆ | Margaux |
| Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey | ☆☆☆☆ | Sauternes |
| Chateau Lagrange | ☆☆ | Not the estate owned by Suntory, the other one… (Pomerol) |
| Chateau Lascombes | ☆☆ | Margaux |
| Chateau Latour-Martillac | ☆☆ | Pessac-Léognan |
| Chateau Les Ormes-de-Pez | ☆☆☆ | St- Estèphe |
| Chateau Lilian Ladouys | ☆☆ | St-Estèphe |
| Chateau Meyney | ☆☆☆ | St-Estèphe |
| Chateau Musar | ☆☆☆ | A Cab Sav from the Lebanon |
| Chateau Pichon-Longueville | ☆☆☆ | Second label: Les Tourelles de Longueville (Pauillac) |
| Chateau Ricardelle | ☆☆ | Combemale Rouge |
| Château Ste-Michelle | ☆☆ | Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Chateau Talbot | ☆☆☆ | St-Julien |
| Cloudy Bay | ☆☆ | Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Codorníu | ☆☆ | Cava |
| Collefrisio | ☆☆ | Falanghina 2010 – “a backgound of green tea” |
| Condado de Haza | ☆☆☆ | I think better value than Pesquera (Ribero del Duero) |
| De Bortoli | ☆☆☆ | The “Noble One” is certainly that (Noble Semillon) |
| Domaine Clavel | ☆☆ | Copa Santa, a blend of Syrah, Grenache and occasionally Mourvèdre |
| Domus Aurea | ☆☆☆ | Beautiful (Cabernet Sauvignon) |
| Duboeuf, Georges | ☆☆ | Fleurie, Julienas |
| Edwards, Luís Felipé | ☆ | Carmenère |
| Edwards, Luís Felipé | ☆☆☆ | Doña Bernada |
| Edwards, Luís Felipé | ☆☆ | LFE 900 |
| Errázuriz | ☆☆ | Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Fontanafredda | ☆☆☆ | Barolo |
| Freixenet | ☆☆ | Cava |
| Frog’s Leap | ☆☆ | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Gaja | ☆☆☆☆ | Barbaresco |
| Geyser Peak | ☆☆ | Chardonnay |
| González-Byass | ☆☆ | Tio Pepe (Fino Port) |
| Groot Constantia | ☆☆ | Pinotage |
| Herdade da Comporta | ☆☆ | Red: made from Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Franca grapes |
| Hogue Cellars | ☆ | Chardonnay, Merlot |
| Kaapzicht Estate | ☆☆ | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Kanonkop | ☆☆☆ | Pinotage |
| Kendall-Jackson | ☆ | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Klein Constantia | ☆☆ | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Kleine Zalze | ☆ | Cellar Selection – Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc |
| Laufener | ☆ | Gewürztraminer, Riesling |
| Laurel Glen | ☆☆☆ | Counterpoint – Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Lidio Carraro | ☆ | Agnus – Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Luce | ☆☆☆ | Lucente – Sangiovese/Merlot |
| Marchesi di Gresy | ☆☆☆ | Barbaresco |
| Marques de Murrieta | ☆☆☆☆ | Castillo de Ygay (Rioja Alta) |
| Marqués di Riscal | ☆☆☆ | Rioja Alta |
| Martinez-Bujanda | ☆☆☆ | Conde de Valdemar – Crianza |
| Masi | ☆☆☆ | Amarone |
| Michel Torino | ☆ | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Mondavi, Robert | ☆☆☆☆ | Napa Valley Reserve – Cab Sav |
| MontGras | ☆☆ | Zinfandel |
| Palo Alto | ☆☆ | Palo Alto Reserva 2008 – Merlot/Syrah/Tempranilo/Viognier |
| Paradigm | ☆☆☆ | Merlot |
| Pasqua | ☆ | Valpolicella |
| Pasqua & Fazio | ☆ | Nero d’Avola |
| Penfolds | ☆ | Rawson’s Retreat (Cab Sav), Bin 128 |
| Penfolds | ☆☆ | Bin 28 (Shiraz) |
| Pesquera | ☆☆☆ | Ribero del Duero |
| Peter Lehmann | ☆ | Art Series – Shiraz/Grenache |
| Planeta | ☆☆ | Chardonnay, Syrah, Nero d’Avola |
| Planeta | ☆☆☆ | Santa Cecilia – Nero d’Avola |
| Quady Winery | ☆☆☆ | Essencia, Elysium (Muscat) |
| Ramos Pinto | ☆☆☆ | Tawny Port |
| Ravenswood Winery | ☆☆☆ | Zinfandel |
| Rimauresq | ☆☆ | Rimauresq Cru Classé 2007 |
| Rosemount Estate | ☆☆☆ | Coonawarra Show Reserve – Cab Sav |
| Rupert & Rothschild | ☆☆☆ | Baroness Nadine – Chardonnay |
| Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun | ☆☆ | AOC Saint-Chinian Prestige |
| Sandalford Wines | ☆☆☆ | Element – Shiraz/Cab Sav |
| Santa Ana | ☆☆ | La Mascota – Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Simonsig Estate | ☆☆ | Pinotage |
| Stag’s Leap Winery | ☆☆☆ | Petite Syrah |
| Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars | ☆☆☆☆ | Fay – Cab Sav |
| Tokaji | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Essencia – a religious experience |
| Torres | ☆☆☆☆ | Mas la Plana – Cab Sav |
| Torres | ☆☆ | Gran Coronas – Cab Sav/Tempranillo |
| Torres | ☆ | Sangre de Toro – Grenache/Cariñena |
| Torres | ☆☆ | Nerola – Syrah/Monastrell |
| Torres | ☆ | Viña Sol – Paradella |
| Valdivieso | ☆ – ☆☆☆ | Wide range from easy drinkers to very good wines, both white and red |
| Vecchia Torre | ☆ | Vermentino 2011 |
| Villa Maria | ☆☆ | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Viña von Siebenthal | ☆☆ | Carmenère |
| Wolf Blass | ☆☆☆ | Black Label – Cab Sav |
| Wolf Blass | ☆☆☆☆ | Platinum Label – Shiraz |
| Wolfberger | ☆☆ | Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris |
| Wynns Coonawarra Estate | ☆☆ | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Yarra Yering | ☆☆☆☆ | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Zenato | ☆☆☆ | Amarone |
And you are still standing?? LOL (just kidding) Cher
I see that you like the dry wines best. I love Brazilan suave wines, French Burgandy, and Martini & Rossi Asti Spumanti, the opposites of the varieties you like. My Grandfather used to make wine from the grapes on the property here, but it was so strong we would put soda in it before drinking it… Italian Concord grape wine…WOW..maybe like the religeous experience you had with that was it Japanese wine or saki. Cher
You like Yquem? If you haven’t already, I’d say it’s worth trying a decent Trockenbeerenauslese (or perhaps Eiswein, or both). I’d say they might merit four of your stars for me.
My wife and I spent 12 days in August vacationing in Greece; we had a wonderful trip to that lovely country including a tour of the Skouras Winery. Back in the USA, we’ve been enjoying the Greek wines available at our local shops, including a couple from Skouras. We knew little about Greek wines prior to this trip.
I’m afraid I know nothing about Greek wines at all. I’ve drunk retsina whilst on holiday of course, but once back home it never seems to taste the same… Skouras sounds interesting, and Hugh Johnson rates it, so I should try and hunt down some examples. Thanks for the tip.
Yeah, Retsina, like the Frascati one finds all over Rome, doesn’t seem to travel very well.
I don’t know how much Greek wine the Dutch shops carry but here in the US only the larger wine shops carry any Greek wines. So far Skouras wines have been the best of the Greek wines we’ve sampled since getting back home. We decided not to take any bottles back in our luggage for fear of a mess if the gorillas handling baggage got too rough with ours (and of course it’s no longer allowed to carry bottles of wine through Security).