Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Wines of the Year 2012: Austin’s List

Photo by John Morgan
Every year Wine Spectator Magazine produces its “Wines of the Year List.” Unfortunately, most of those wines are either unavailable or long sold out by the time the list is revealed.

Austin Beeman, wine manager for Walt Churchill’s Market Briarfield location, has taken matters into his own hands. He has compiled his own list of top wines.  “While I do not taste the 10,000 plus wines that Wine Spectator tastes, I do taste well over a thousand wines per year,” he said. “Therefore, I propose a ‘Wines of the Year List’ that you can actually find and buy.”

He used the same criteria as Wine Spectator – but is limited to wines available in his store (and you can find some in other area stores as well). His criteria is:
  1. Quality.
  2. Value for Money.
  3. Availability – measured by bottles/cases available.
  4. ‘X-factor’ – “generated by a rising-star, a benchmark wine or milestone for a wine region.”

Austin’s List

  1. St. Innocent 2010 Pinot Noir ‘Temperance Hill.’ $34.99
  2. Heidi Schrock 2011 Rosé Biscaya. $19.99
  3. Saint-Cosme 2011 Cotes-du-Rhone. $15.99
  4. Elk Cove 2011 Pinot Blanc. $19.99
  5. Garnacha de Fuego 2011 Old Vines. $ 8.99
  6. Elena Walch 2011 Lagrein. $31.99
  7. Chakana 2010 Malbec. $22.99
  8. Château Roustaing 2009 Bordeaux. $17.99
  9. World’s End 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Napa Valley.’ $42.99
  10. Domaine de la Colline St-Jean 2010 Vacqueyras. $23.99
  11. Bonny Doon 2008 Vino Rosso. $10.99
  12. Domaine Eden 2010 Pinot Noir. $34.99
  13. Heidi Schrock 2008 Ruster Ausbrach ‘Wings of Dawn.’ $75.99 / 375ml
  14. H. Billiot NV Brut Rosé Champagne. $68.99
  15. J.L. Chave 2008 Hermitage Rouge. $249.99
  16. Little James Basket Press 2011 White Blend. $12.99
  17. Chateau Clerc Milon 2004 Paulliac. $52.99
  18. Paitin 2007 Barbaresco ‘Serra.’ $27.99
  19. Dierberg 2009 Chardonnay. $29.99
  20. Fattoria di Lucignano 2009 Chianti Colli Fiorentini. $14.99
Thanks, Austin, for sharing this list. We hope to stop by and sample some of these winning wines soon!
Enhanced by Zemanta



2 comments:

Austin Beeman said...

Thanks David. I'll be pouring the Top 5 at Walt Churchill's Food and Wine Extravaganza on Saturday December 1st at Walt Churchill's Market Maumee. Come stop by. We'd love to have you.

Dave Nershi, CSW said...

Thanks sounds excellent. Be on the lookout for me. It sounds like a great event (with some tip-top vino).