10. Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley 2004 | 95 | $50 | Australia 9. Brancaia Toscana Il Blu 2004 | 96 | $70 | Tuscany 8. Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2003 | 97 | $75 | California 7. Kosta Browne Pinot Noir 2004 | 96 | $38 | California 6. Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2003 | 97 | $45 | Bordeaux (Sauternes) 5. Domaine du Pégaü Réservée 2003 | 97 | $70 | Rhône (Châteauneuf-du-Pape) 4. Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 | 96 | $47 | Chile 3. Château Léoville Barton 2003 | 98 | $75 | Bordeaux (St.-Julien) 2. Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 | 95 | $85 | Washington 1. Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 2001 | 97 | $70 | Tuscany
세계적인 권위를 가진 와인 전문지 와인 스펙테이터(Wine Spectator)에서는 매년 100대 와인을 선정해서 발표하는데, 올해의 100대 와인 중 상위 10위의 와인들이 모두 발표됐습니다. 발표 과정에 흥미를 주기 위해서인지 지난 11월 13일부터 하루에 2개씩 발표하고 (10,9위 8,7위 하는 식으로) 마지막으로 어제(17일) 1위를 발표했네요. 오는 20일에는 100대 와인의 모든 리스트를 공개한답니다.
가만 살펴보면 미국 잡지라 그런지 미국 와인이 의외로 많이 보입니다. 어쨌거나... 저 와인들 언제 마셔보죠. 국내에 들어오기는 하나. 그리고 가격을 가만 살펴보면, 그다지 비싸지도 않은데 점수는 다 높네요. 아 가격 앞의 숫자가 점수입니다(100점 만점).
좀더 자세한 설명은 아래에 올라갑니다. 제가 영어실력이 딸려서 번역까지는 못하겠고, 그냥 원문 그대로.
Shiraz Barossa Valley Bella's Garden 2004 95 / $50 Australia 1,500 cases imported
Two Hands, a partnership of Richard Mintz and Michael Twelftree, has quickly become one of Australia's powerhouses. Of the half-dozen regional wines Two Hands makes from purchased grapes, the Barossa-based Bella's Garden Shiraz is always among the best. Sixteen vineyards in the Barossa Valley go into this wine; the parcels are fermented separately before blending.
Toscana Il Blu 2004 96 / $70 Tuscany 4,100 cases made
Born of the successful team of owner-winemaker Barbara Kronenberg-Widmer and consultant Carlo Ferrini, Il Blu is the flagship of the Swiss Widmer family's Chianti Classico estate. The family also owns Brancaia in Maremma, on Tuscany's coast. This perfectly balanced super Tuscan is a blend of 50 percent Sangiovese, 25 percent Merlot and 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Chardonnay Napa Valley 2003 97 / $75 California 1,200 cases made
John Kongsgaard launched his own Chardonnay and Syrah brand in 1996, after 20 years as a winemaker for other Napa Valley producers. The grapes come primarily from his shy-bearing, 10-acre family vineyard in Napa, but are supplemented with grapes from Carneros and St. Helena. The wines are unfined and unfiltered, adding to their intensity and rich texture.
Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2004 96 / $38 California 1,020 cases made
Dan Kosta and Michael Browne have joined the ranks of California's most accomplished Pinot Noir producers since arriving on the scene 10 years ago. Kosta Browne is red-hot, with six of its seven 2004 Sonoma Pinot Noirs garnering classic scores. The Russian River bottling is a blend from four vineyards: Cohn, Koplen, Amber Ridge and Bly.
Sauternes 2003 97 / $45 Bordeaux 6,520 cases made
Lafaurie-Peyraguey has produced some of Sauternes' most powerful wines for more than two decades. The 2003 is no exception—Bordeaux's hottest summer on record produced a full-bodied dessert wine with incredibly intense apricot and honey aromas. To achieve that concentration, the château uses more than 90 percent Sémillon, planted on 100 acres of gravel.
Laurence Féraud established the domaine in 1987 with her father, Paul; today they run it with her partner, Mark Fincham. The 2003 Cuvée Réservée mixes 80 percent Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre and other varieties. Despite the wildly hot 2003 vintage, the family harvested late, and rain in mid-September allowed their grapes to reach full ripeness while maintaining acidity.
Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor 2003 96 / $47 Chile 10,500 cases made
Concha y Toro's flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, Don Melchor comes from 25-year-old vines in the Maipo Valley's Puente Alto vineyard. The 2003 vintage was long and warm, but cool nights allowed for ideal ripening. The Don Melchor, which contains 5 percent Cabernet Franc and was aged in French oak for 14 months, is our highest-rated Chilean wine to date.
St.-Julien 2003 98 / $75 Bordeaux 18,330 cases made
In 2003, Anthony Barton made his greatest wine ever from this second-growth in St.-Julien. Barton's family purchased the estate in 1826; today, its 111 acres of vines consist of 72 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wines are fermented in temperature-controlled wooden vats and aged for 18 to 20 months in up to 60 percent new French oak.
Cabernet Sauvignon Washington 2003 95 / $85 Washington 3,400 cases made
Quilceda Creek has a track record of outstanding Cabernets. The wines have gotten even better since owner Alex Golitzin passed on the winemaking duties to his son, Paul. In 2003, Paul sourced more grapes from Champoux Vineyard and less from Red Mountain. As a result, the wine has silkier tannins and impeccable harmony, while retaining its seamless, pure fruit.
Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001 97 / $70 Tuscany 4,830 cases made
This family-run winery is one of the best examples of the recent winemaking renaissance in Tuscany. Casanova di Neri has excelled with Brunello di Montalcino, the region's famous Sangiovese-based red, since its debut vintage in 1993. The 2001 is its best Tenuta Nuova ever, delivering the depth, richness, freshness and unique character expected of such a great vintage—at a price in the mid-range for 2001 Brunello.
