Lettie Teague’s Buying Guide: Wine Vintages To Remember
There are quite a few places in the world where vintage matters. Here are five of those regions and a recent great vintage from each, plus bottles to look for.
Bordeaux 2005
Château Cantemerle ($45)
There was a huge amount of hype surrounding the 2005 vintage, and the very high prices reflected that fact, but this elegant wine is an excellent buy.
Burgundy 2006
Colin-Morey En Remilly Saint-Aubin ($48)
The 2005 vintage was much ballyhooed, but 2006 also produced terrific whites, like this wonderfully rich, minerally wine from the talented Pierre-Yves Colin.
Germany 2007
Laible Durbacher Plauelrain Baden-Ortenau Riesling Spätlese Trocken ($30)
The 2007 vintage in Germany was simply outstanding, as this peach-inflected Riesling shows, with its bright acidity and long, clean finish.
Long Island, NY 2007
Paumanok Chenin Blanc ($28)
It can be hard to get grapes consistently ripe on the North Fork of Long Island, but 2007 was an excellent vintage for the region; this dry, Loire-style Chenin Blanc is a stellar example of what this grape can do in a good year.
Oregon 2006
Elk Cove Mount Richmond Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($48)
The 2006 vintage produced ripe and juicy Pinots, like this well-crafted single-vineyard bottling from Elk Cove.