End of year 2006 Wine News
2006 at Art of the Table was another amazing year. This year we had more new and interesting wines in the store than ever and more new and interesting customers along the way as well – and we love that!
I thought it would be fun to list off the highlights for the year and that turned into the saga shown below. We’ve not done one before and as it’s been so crazy around here I’m actually looking forward to doing something fun. (It must have been fun, because Mike slipped in a 26 th wine on Amy’s nagging request!)
What’s the criteria for Top Twenty Five status? Well, the intrepid wine staff here at Art of the Table has spent hours in round table discussion and we’ve used every possible rational to determine just which wines should be honored including “best selling,” “cutest label,” “quality verses price,” “Mike said it was good,” “it really went well with that ______ display,” “Suzanne said it was good,” “the label looks like a spaceship,” and many more as you can imagine.
Top 25 drumroll please…
25 Baumard Cremant de Loire NV
This sparkler was both affordable and super tasty. It fooled the bubble cognoscenti and pleased everyone else with its lithe and sexy bubbles and dry lemon-lime nuances. I still think this would hang with $50 dollar Champagnes .
24 Bon Family 2000 Syrah — Sonoma Valley
No one could figure out anything about this winery or where the wine came from. We discovered it and loved it and the people in turn loved it as well. Northern Rhone-styled with lots of earth, black berries and nuance, this captivated old school Syrah lovers everywhere.
23 Loewen 2004 Riesling Kabinett Leiwener Klostergarten
We had a hugely successful German direct import this year and this white was the hit of the lot. We sold all three cases we imported in a week! Now we’re on the 2005 and it’s even better. Check out this slightly sweet peachy-lime sipper, it’s probably the best Riesling you’ll ever have had!
22 Mt. Riley 2005 Pinot Noir — Marlborough
We’d never heard of this producer before this year and their Pinot proved to be a huge hit in the price versus quality category. Coming in just a tick under $20, this was sleek, stylish and became an overnight sensation amongst the Pinot snobbies.
21 Chaume Arnaud 2005 Vinsobres Blanc
A gorgeous blend of Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Roussane and Bourboulenc, this was an aromatic beast and was the house pour on many a kayak this summer on the Grand River. Will pair with virtually any food!
21 a Marietta Old Vine Red NV — Sonoma
Can you say home team fave?? Why do we love this ever changing red? Let us count the ways: yum, red, not so dry, really yum, telepathic, we know where it is on the rack, super yum, zinny, the customers know where it is on the rack, yumoriffic, can make a grown man cry, a bargain, yumtastic, it’s the original perfect “every night” wine!!!!!
20 Carro 2005 Yecla
This blend of Monastrell and Tempranillo from new supplier Olè captured the imagination and palate of many of the Art of the Table regulars who came in asking for that “canon” wine. It’s a cart right? Regardless, the wine is an “under ten” powerhouse!
19 Guffens-Heynan 2004 Macon-Pierreclos
One of the most unique Chardonnays of the year, this is of those gems that snuck under the radar and was virtually gone before we knew it. Replete with notes of baked green apple pie and toasted vanilla beans, this is what white Burgundy is all about.
18 Girasole Pinot Blanc
This organic white from Mendocino County is replete with fresh white peaches, honeydew melon and crisp acidity. No one suspected a white so inexpensive could be so yum-o-rama. One of the crowd pleasers from this year, try it at your next wine brunch!
17 Dog Point 2005 Sauvignon Blanc — Marlborough
This was so interesting for a N.Z. S.B. in that it had terroir , opposed to that typical fruit bombie grapefruit salad that we’ve all come to expect. Lots of mineral and wet rocks made this very memorable and most tasty with your summer seafood picnic.
16 Nino Franco 2004 Prosecco “Rive” — Valdobbiandene
We did a Prosecco tasting in the spring and this was the clear winner. Vintage dated and sourced from top grapes, this boasts more creamy weight than your normal Prosecco and possesses the elusive tiny bubbles.
15 Colonia Las Liebres 2005 Bonarda — Mendoza
What’s a Bonarda? And how come those bunnies are flying? These questions and more plagued fans of this soft and ripe Argentinean red this year. With big, fruity notes of black cherry and toasty vanilla, this was a staple for many backyards soirees.
14 Citizen 2002 Zinfandel — Alexander Valley
The label said it all on this one, well, actually, I don’t know what the label on this one says. Let’s just say it’s very weird, and while it doesn’t have a spaceship on it, the wine proved awesome, canceling out the lack of spaceship points.
13 Bonaccorsi 2003 “Larner Vineyard” Syrah — Santa Ynez
This wine totally wowed us when it came out. Rich, thick, dense and crazy, this had flavor way beyond its price tag and showed up most of the top shelf wines all year. If you miss that flavor of asphalt from your youth, check this out!
12 Hendry 2005 Rosé of Primitivo — Napa Valley
As the world can testify, Art of the Table was excited last summer. Employees could be overheard whispering to no one in particular, “Who can say, who can say rosé? Who can say, who can say rosé?” as they re-stocked the fast moving rosés. Hendry was one of the stars that shown the pinkest. We can’t wait for next summer.
11 Paolo Bea 2001 Montefalco Segratino
We did this at the annual BFR tasting and wowza it blew everyone away! The grape is Segratino and it’s big, brawny, oozy, dirty and utterly gorgeous. One for the ages, this is simply one of the coolest and most unique (and most expensive!) wines we tried this year!
10 Rutherglen 2005 ” Alliance ” — Victoria
This Aussie blend of Marsanne and Viognier sports beautiful notes of peachy-melon, honeysuckle, spice and herbs. It’s big, round and viscous, making it lots of fun in the glass as well as out of the glass. Ah, the memories of watching the sun set over the river while swirling and sniffing this beauty!
9 Corte Sant’Alda 1999 Amarone Della Valpolicella
What a stunning and sublime wine! We tried this in the spring and at that point it was lingering in the three or four best wines we’d tried up to that point. This has so much complexity: from the notes of roasted prune, coffee, forest floor, wet mulch in April rain and chocolate covered cherries to the long, lingering finish which seems to last for ever. If you really want the best, you owe it to yourself to try the best.
8 Solo Maremma 2004 “Micante” — Capalbio
From just south of Tuscany, this blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon has so much complexity and nuance we kept coming back to it, just to try to understand it! Not overly huge, but with layers of flavors and aromas, this was one to savor time and again.
7 Sand T Cellars 2003 Syrah — Napa Valley
Super small production and amazing quality versus price made this a staff favorite this year. Plus cute turtles always go a long way in these parts. Try this for a full-throttle Syrah with all the trimmings.
6 Famega Vinho Verde NV — Portugal
Dry, fruity, highly quaffable! I’ll never forget the look in all the young women’s eyes when they tried this last summer. “OMG I hate wine and this is all I want to drink tonight!!” It was love at first taste and the people couldn’t get enough. Art of the Table: for the people.
5 Lelia 2004 Grenache — Cari n ena
This Spanish find came in at under eight bucks a bottle and the masses were amazed. Old Vine Grenache with big berry flavor and soft tannins, this kept the aficionados at bay when they clamored for big time taste at small time prices. If you haven’t tried this you’re just being silly.
4 New Age White
This non-vintage blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia Bianco from Argentina captured the imagination of many. Virtually soda pop in a bottle, this was crisp, fruity to the max, has little bubbles and is low in alcohol, what more could you ask for besides a bendy straw and a floating lounge chair? Except wait, who is that mysterious woman on the back?
3 Carril do Cotos 2005— La Mancha
Can you say Halloweenie without blushing? I can’t. Another Spanish gem from the middle of nowhere, this 100% Tempranillo wowed everyone with its blueberry compote, black raspberry, licorice and coffee notes, all for under nine bucks!!
2 Grayson Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon—Paso Robles
For ten and change this is one of the finer appellation specific Cabs we’ve ever had and the people thought so as well, ridding our excited rack weekly such that we couldn’t keep it in stock for most of the summer. Arguably the top-selling wine of the year!
1 Casa Silva 2004 “Lolol” Viognier— Chile
This is one of the most astounding wines of the year for me because of its amazing quality and individuality. It tastes like it hails from France but it still has New World voluptuousness. With volcanic peach and melon notes as well as underlying minerality, this complemented many year end holiday meal tables with aplomb and grace. Treat yourself to something special and gently sing “Lolol” in your best falsetto!