Credits: Article and images by Ken Gargett @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/01/07/ken-gargetts-best-of-2023-best-wines-best-cigar-best-meal-best-event-most-curious-meal-and-much-more/
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White Wine of the Year – Every category has so many options. I looked at a great many Rieslings from Australia, from the wonderful trio of vintages, 2021 to 2023, and there were many which would have been deserving winners.
One region, other than a few exceptions, which continues to disappoint for whites is Burgundy, where the wines are so often way overpriced and of average quality, or worse. California, New Zealand, and Australia are all producing Chardonnay I’d turn to in an instant, before battling the potential horrors in a bottle of white Burg. And this year, none better – quality and value – than the stupendous Giaconda Chardonnay 2021.
I’ve long been a huge fan (as evidenced by my cellar) of these guys, especially their Chardonnay, which many consider the finest made in Australia when on song (which is most years). The wines are incredibly complex, nuanced, intense, balanced, and simply thrilling. If you have not tried this wine, put it on your bucket list.
I remember 1994, 1996, and 1998 as stunners, especially with time under their belts, as well as plenty of younger examples, but I think the 2021 tops the lot. I am not alone. Almost all critics who have tried this wine immediately give it 100 points. I certainly did. The only vintage of this wine I have not bought for decades was the vintage a few years back, when our local tax authorities took the view that they were more entitled to my money than I was – something for which I have never forgiven them!
Red Wine of the Year – This all feels a bit Sophie’s Choice, but looking at the younger wines we enjoyed at the Top 100 Tasting, I gave three 100 points – there were so many stunning older wines, some more than a century in age, which were incredible, but we are going young here (if we did go older, 1990 Lafite, 1945 Gruard-Larose and 1949 Cheval Blanc ruled).
The trio consisted of the 2016 Penfolds Grange (which I discounted, as I think we gave top gong to the 2018 last year), the Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (which blew me away as a youthful, tight, concentrated and stunning young Cab), and finally our winner, the Chateau Haut Brion 2019. Their 2016 vintage, seen earlier in the year, was a whisker behind it.
Such an elegant, balanced, silky Bordeaux with an extraordinary future. Merlot dominant with 49%, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cab Franc, it is apparently 15% alcohol, bigger than many Barossa Shiraz, though you’d never imagine it. A wonderful wine. Winesearcher has around 20 scores from wine critics and almost all sit between 98 and 100. It gets the full monty from me.
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Credits: Article and images by Ken Gargett @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/01/07/ken-gargetts-best-of-2023-best-wines-best-cigar-best-meal-best-event-most-curious-meal-and-much-more/