Wine Classics to Try: History-Changing Wines

Sometimes a renegade wine is so good, it creates an entirely new tradition.

History-Changing Wines:

2004 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant ($32)

When Randall Grahm first bottled this amusingly named, juicy Châteauneuf-du-Pape look-alike in the mid-1980s, there were essentially no Rhône-style California blends. Now, thanks to his lead, there are dozens.

2006 Tignanello ($95)

Piero Antinori didn’t coin the term Super-Tuscan, but this ambitious, smoky red effectively created the category. In 1971, Antinori’s first innovation—using no white grapes in his red wine—defied Chianti regulations at the time; in 1975 he raised eyebrows again by blending French varieties with Tuscany’s native Sangiovese.

2006 Clos Mogador ($100)

Winemaker René Barbier arrived in Spain’s rugged Priorat in the 1980s, when the area was mostly known for rough, cheap, boozy reds. Barbier and five friends (among them Alvaro Palacios) recognized the region’s promise. Now the Priorat’s intense, black-fruited reds—defined by wines like the superconcentrated Clos Mogador—are among Spain’s finest.

Wine Advice & Pairings:

American Wine Awards 2009

Recipes from Top Sommeliers

15 Wine-Pairing Tips

50 Wine Classics You Must Try:

• France
• Italy
• United States
• Australia
• Austria and Germany
• Chile and Argentina
• Spain and Portugal
• History-Changing Wines
• 1 Classic Wine, 2 Different Styles
• Renowned Classics and Their Body Doubles
• The Next Great Classics

Published October 2009