2009 Ahmic Lake Pinot Noir Showdown - Part I

Experimenting With Pinot Noir

Background:

The adjacent Beamsville Bench and Twenty Mile Bench are in close proximity to the town of Beamsville and Vineland Ontario respectively. These appellations exhibit many similarities to the Burgundy and Alsace regions of France. The most celebrated wines coming out of these regions are Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

The soils in both benches are deep and rich in limestone and glacial till. The minerality really shows in Rieslings and the Pinot Noirs. The locations on the Niagara escarpment and proximity to Lake Ontario provide these appellations with gradual warming in the spring and gradual cooling in the fall with long growing seasons which allows for full ripeness and good concentration.

After visiting nine wineries in the Niagara peninsula I was able to acquire three Ontario Pinot Noirs that were of approximately equal value ($25-$35). Each of these Pinot Noirs came from either the Twenty Mile Bench or Beamsville Bench from known and established wineries. I had visited 2 of the 3 wineries wines and other came from a well known producer of Pinot Noir in the region.

Both LC and myself are big fans of Pinot Noir and it seemed like an interesting experiment to pit three of the top end Niagara wine producers against each other (if nothing else for something to do). You will see more of this from Icon Wines with different varietals, different regions, and different formats, and to a certain degree this was a trial run.

All of the Pinot Noirs tasted throughout the Niagara Region were quite good, however I thought it would be interesting to see what 5 random and `average`wine drinkers came up with in terms of preference. I decided to do the tasting `blind` just to eliminate any preconceptions of cost or producer bias.

The Wines:

Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 ($25 at the Jackson Triggs Niagara Winery):

Le Clos Jordanne is owned by Vincor in partnership with Boisset France. LCJ specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which are the grapes grown best in the Twenty Mile Bench. This region is very similar to that of Burgundy France in terms of soil and precipitation. The Village Reserve grapes are an assemblage from four vineyards and this offering is the entry level Pinot Noir for LCJ out of four in this flight. The top end Icon Class Pinot Noir produced by LCJ is Le Grand Clos and sells for approximately $70/bottle.

Tawse Pinot Noir 2007 ($32 at the winery):

Tawse is a Beamsville Bench Winery that is known for great Pinot Noirs. Tawse is a small lot producer and has a flight of 4 Pinot Noirs. The Chardonnay’s produced from this winery are very good (Robin’s Block Chardonnay was a stand out for me). The winery is beautiful and the grounds have an old world feel. There is a serious impact when you approach this winery and Tawse are serious winemakers that have made an impact on winemaking in the Niagara Peninsula.

Thirty Bench Small Lot Pinot Noir 2007 ($35 at the winery):

Thirty Bench is one of the oldest wineries in the Beamsville bench area, and has made a reputation for itself with their flight of four Rieslings. Their reds and red blends are truly outstanding and the private tastings were a fun and informative experience. TB has one Pinot Noir from a small lot vineyard. The red blends were truly a standout for this winery. And this was by far one of the best wine producers I had the pleasure of visiting while in the Niagara Region

The Rules:

The rules for the showdown were quite simple. Each of the five `judges` were given a pad with three sheets of paper. Each sheet of paper was labelled with Wine 1, Wine 2, or Wine 3. For each of the three wines I had the judges (regardless of "winemanship") write notes about 1) The Nose 2) The Palate 3) The Finish, and 4) A rating between 1 and 10.

The tasting was blind (for myself as well) and we were freely able to discuss what people tasted and which wines they liked and disliked and why. Each judge was poured one round of tasting size samples of each wine. Upon completion of the first round the second round was poured in the same order with the glasses being rinsed and dried between tastings. After these two rounds the judges had a choice of wines they wanted to try and again to make their final decisions.

At the end of the official tasting the judges submitted their notes and the ratings were tallied. The wine with the highest accumulated score was the winner of the Pinot Noir showdown 2009.

Beyond that it was a free for all with the remainder of the wine and a good time was had by all.

The Judges:

The judges were not wine snobs as much as they were lovers of wine. It was for this reason that I thought a fair assessment of the wines could be obtained and ultimately the `People`s Choice` could be realized. It was the intent that the average reader could look at this showdown and say this is what 5 random people thought was the preferred Pinot Noir, maybe I`ll go try that out.

The cross section of judges was this. 2 retired females (a former insurance broker and an administrative assistant for a law firm), 2 early 30`s male professionals (an OPP officer and a natural resource consultant), and finally an early thirties female professional (a clinical scientist). While it was not the most diverse group it did give a fairly good distribution of backgrounds and age considering there were only five judges.

One interesting note about the judges was that one of them claimed not to be a `red wine` drinker and it turned out by the end of the showdown we had a convert. I believe that is saying something for the Ontario Pinot Noirs.

Stayed tuned for the results of the Pinot Noir showdown, the winner and some general conclusions.

Go to Part II

Winnipeg Wine Scene? - Part 2

Winnipeg Wine

There is one local wine producer based in Winnipeg: DD Leobard Winery. This winery specializes in fruit wines and are known for a curious little oddity called Tansi (Birch Wine) made from fermenting the sap of the birch trees.

Tasting notes: Semi-sweet wine. On the nose: light bouquet of damp, freshlycut wood. On the palate, mild fruit flavours, low acidity. For a full review of this wine, please visit our sister site: http://www.iconscores.blogspot.com/
DD Leobard have stated that they are working on two new table wines made from outsourced grapes, essentially, blends made from imported juice concentrates. For more information about this winery, visit their site: www.ddleobardwinery.com/

Wine Lists

Many Winnipeg restaurants do have decent wine lists, but few had much more than house wines or one white and one red for by-the-glass sampling. Even a couple of the restaurants using “Wine Bar” as part of their marketing had very few options for by-the-glass. On the plus side, the use of the term “Wine bar” in these restaurants’ marketing material would indicate that they are starting to realize that interest in wine is on the rise, but they must produce the goods or remove the word ‘wine’.
Our favourite night out came in an area of Winnipeg called Osbourne Village. This neighbourhood is home to many of the city’s young and not-so-young hipsters who patronize the many restaurants, bars and funky shops. The area is also home to the city’s two true wine bars: Noir, and Fude. Noir () had an impressive by-the-glass wine list (impressive in length if not in quality). They offer wine flights, which is a fun way to try more wines than you normally might in one visit. Fude (www.fude.ca/) is slightly more of a restaurant but did have a good selection of by-the-glass wines and small plates to nibble on.

Where to Buy

Manitoba’s provincial liquor board authority has outlets all over the city which offer a reasonable selection of wines priced in the $10 - $25 range. Sadly, the name they came up with for these stores was “Liquor Mart” because nothing says “fine vintage wine” like “Liquor Mart”. In fairness, the name appeals to the majority of Winnipeg consumers who aren’t purchasing wine but, rather, are choosing from a large selection of spirits and beer. Many of the Liquor Marts do have small “Vintages” sections where they showcase a few premium import wines, and a few stores also had a premium Canada section with some of the top brands from Vincor and Peller Andrews.
I was able to locate only one private wine store during my stay. Luckily, it was a good one. Fenton’s Wine Merchants is located in tourist area called “The Forks”. This area is a fun place to spend a day or afternoon and offers a public market, restaurants, live entertainment and antique shops. Fenton’s has a great selection of Californian, Spanish, French and Italian wines and was reasonably priced. I picked up a fine Francis Ford Coppola Pinot Noir which I had to consume right away since I could not bring it home due to Canada’s antiquated liquor laws.

In Conclusion

There is no denying that Winnipeg is a beer and spirits city. However, if the younger generation frequents restaurants like Osborne Village’s Noir and Fude more often, and the wine festival continues to increase attendance year after year, there is hope in Winnipeg’s future for a true wine scene to develop.. As I will undoubtedly be revisiting Winnipeg for family obligations in the years to come, here’s hoping. - LC

Winnipeg Wine Scene? - Part 1

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Whenever I travel to a new city I am always curious to investigate the local wine scene and see what, if anything, stands out. Such was my goal for my recent trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba (July 2009). The impetus for the trip was to meet more of my wife’s extended family based in Canada’s central-most provinces. Manitoba, to a west coaster like me, seems more like the centre of the country than a western cousin until you visit the province and recognize the same laid-back approach to life that we are accustomed to in Vancouver.

Manitoba may be the land of 100,000 lakes, but the area around Winnipeg is pure prairie. You can literally see for miles and miles - a unique experience for someone used to mountains in every direction.

The province has a short and (normally) very hot growing season which is not ideal for growing grapes but is ideal for growing fruit. 2009 has been a bad summer for sunlight hours, which will lead to many crops ripening very late. The effect on the province’s fruit wine producers remains to be seen.

Winnipeg is the cultural and economic capital of the Manitoba and is by far, its largest city with over 600,000 residents. A few of them drink wine… but more on that a bit later.

To determine if the city you are exploring has a wine scene, you must first establish your evaluation criteria.. For me, a fair standard would be: a yearly wine festival, the existence of a local wine industry, long and diverse restaurant wine lists and the ability of the city’s residents to purchase a wide variety of wines.. With those being the criteria, Winnipeg scores on all counts. However, to be fair to the fine wine cities of the world, it scores pretty low.

Wine Festival

The yearly Winnipeg wine festival runs in May and is attended by the city’s glitterati and wine enthusiasts. The six-day festival offers many different tasting events to attend. Some are perennially booked and others are one-off specials. This year the festival chose to set as the theme for the festival “The Wines of Chile.” Thirty wineries from Chile were showcased including these Chilean stand-outs: Luis Felipe Edwards, Miguel Torres Chile and Concha y Toro. For more information about the Winnipeg Wine Festival, visit their website: www.winnipegwinefestival.com/

continued...

Barrel Tasting at Blackwood Lane Winery

August 24th, 2009

Any modest chef will tell you that the best ingredients make the best dishes. Of course, as any layman knows, the best ingredients are only one part of the equation; you also need someone in charge who is a master at their craft. Such is the formula for Blackwood Lane Winery. (www.blackwoodlanewinery.com/)

Winemaker Charles Herrold sources the best grapes in the Okanagan from vineyards he and his partners either own or have secured on long-term lease. He employs the consulting services of renowned Viticulturist Sam Baptiste and uses the newest technology at their modest winery in the Fraser Valley. Herrold, over his 19 years of experience (and of experimentation), has refined his process to produce exceptional wines.

Herrold’s winemaking philosophy could be summed up as “pure”. He uses no additives for extra tannins or flavour but rather experiments with different oak barrels to add complexity to the final blend. He uses a “free-flow” method to extract juice for his icon wine, The Reference, which is to say that the best juice is allowed to flow from the crush prior to the final violent press. This helps impart a smoothness to the wine that allows the drinker to examine and appreciate the multitude of flavours and tannins. Simply amazing.

Blackwood Lane Winery is the brainchild of Herrold and business partner Carlos Lee. They have recently opened a tasting room (open 11-6, Wed-Sun) at their Langley facility where the wines are produced and aged. For a $10 tasting fee (which includes a take-home Riedel glass) you can try:

2008 Chenin Blanc ($24) - Sommelier Series
- Beautifully balanced acidity and mineral finish.
2008 Vicuna Blanco ($19) – Gold Label Series
- A mostly Alsatian blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Gewurztraminer.
2005 Chardonnay ($19) – Gold Label Series
- An oak-lovers treat. Butter bomb with perfect acidity to balance the flavours.
2005 Vicuna Roja ($24) – Gold Label Series
- Unique and very successful mélange of 42% Pinot Noir with the balance a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
2006 Alliance ($59) – Sommelier Series
- Powerhouse Bordeaux blend. 58.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 12.5% Cabernet Franc.

Look for full reviews of these wines over the next few weeks on our sister site: http://www.iconscores.blogspot.com/.

We also tasted the 2006 Reference ($89) which is Blackwood Lane’s signature and a true Canadian Icon Wine. To say this wine is a powerhouse of flavour is an understatement - it’s an entire power station of flavour. Yet, it is also full of refinement and complexity. This is a wine to watch and will surely be a cornerstone of the Icon Wines portfolio.

We were fortunate to be invited into the cellar for a barrel tasting:

The 2007 Alliance was tasted in its final blend and barrel: four-year smoked American Oak. This wine had all of the complexity of the current release.

The 2007 Reference is currently aging in four large barrels made of French Oak sourced from different forests. We tasted each barrel separately, and found that each barrel imparts a unique tannin and flavour. The 2007 may be the winery’s best vintage yet.

We also tried a new port-style wine which is nearly ready. This is a Merlot-based, brandy-fortified treat that should command a $90+ price. Keep your eyes out for its release sometime in 2010. - LC

Cookworks’ Chef’s Table Dinner with Karen Barnaby

Hosted at Cookwork’s flagship location at Granville and Broadway the event began with an introduction of the evening’s two main ingredients: the wine and the food. The wine being Yellow Tail’s Reserve Chardonnay and Reserve Shiraz. The food being Chef Karen Barnaby’s creations of Asian-Fusion small plates.

Chef Barnaby, of Stanley Park’s Fish House, is truly a Vancouver icon. Her restaurant has been a top Vancouver culinary destination for years. This was my first chance to see her in action and it was a pleasure as she has a wonderful presence and sense of humour. Food was not just prepared for us; we were treated to a group cooking lesson and I was happy to soak up as much knowledge as I could.

The dinner commenced with the Yellow Tail rep introducing the Chardonnay. For our review, please visit http://www.iconscores.blogspot.com/. The Chard was paired with the first four dishes.

First up was “Edamame with Garlic, Chilies & Soy”. A delectable little starter that had just the right amount of spice and paired well with the smoky Chard.

The second dish was “Baked Oysters with Wasabi Mayonnaise”. I enjoyed this dish, but not being a huge mayonnaise fan I was a little overwhelmed by the flavour. This dish also paired nicely with the buttery and creamy taste of the Chardonnay.

The third course was “Tofu Croque Monsieur” followed by “Rare Tuna with Pear, Pine Nuts and Chili Oil”. The Tuna would have been better paired with Yellow Tail’s Reserve Pinot Grigio, but this wine is not yet available in western Canada.

After a short shopping break the dinner resumed and we switched to the Reserve Shiraz for the final two courses “Beef Tenderloin Rolls with Enoki Mushrooms & Laughing Cow Cheese” and “Sake Lees Marinated Sablefish with Sweet Soy Chili Glaze.”

The Reserve Shiraz did not pair well with the Sablefish. It is a very delicate fish that deserved a more delicate and subtle wine like a fine Pinot Noir, not the big full-bodied Shiraz that the Yellow Tail reps were pouring. However, the Shiraz was a nice sipper that went down easily and likely lead to a few more high-end cookware purchases for the host store.

This was the first of the many planned Chef Table Dinners at Cookworks. I highly recommend the experience for foodies and wine enthusiasts alike (they are so often one-and-the-same anyway). To find out more information about upcoming Cookworks events visit their website: http://www.cookworks.ca/

Adventures In Wine Smuggling - The Washington Caper Part II

Previously on AIWS - HC had a plan, the crew, and the caper and was getting ready to make his way to Vancouver WA.

The Haul

The date was fast approaching for the conference and the anticipation of getting these high quality wines at discount prices was really getting me going. Once we got the list together, the partners (HC and LC) scraped together the money we felt we could afford (or should I say the amount that wouldn't raise too much of a red flag with our wives), and finally I went over the the caper check list to make sure everything was a go.

1) The Crew was ready and willing to give me their allotment of wine. Check
2) The getaway vehicle was ready (i.e. a minivan rental). Check
3) The safe house (i.e. the lodge where the conference was held) was available. Check
4) The cash was available. Check
5) The prizes were known. Check
6) The places had been cased (i.e. I made some Google maps to get to the retailers). Check
7) Finally, the bosses (our wives) either didn't know what we were up to or didn't care. Check

Day 1

The day finally came and the excitement was overwhelming. After 6 hours of driving from Vancouver to Vancouver the crew got to the safe house. The crew was excited and ready (to give me their allotment of wine) and right after I checked in it was time to find the prizes. Armed with the maps I had printed I was quickly able to find the first retailer that supposedly had the American Prize. I slowly crept down each isle in anticipation of seeing the Pedestal staring at me. I found the wine section and began searchiing. I looked and looked and just could not find it. Was it sold out, had Dane lead me a stray? Cautiously I approached one of the workers who looked like they were on the up and up (i.e. customer service) and asked them if in fact they had this wine. After 5 minutes of searching I was told that they didn't have it at this location. I was at first discouraged but then the worker mentioned that there was another location a little distance away that may have it. I left the store a little dejected that I had not acquired the prize but hopeful that the next location would have it.

I approached the second location with nervous excitement. Would this be the place that had the American Prize? I walked into the store and headed right to the area that I suspected would have the wines. As I approached I noticed that the selection in this place was quite a bit larger than the last and this raised my awareness a lot. With the reflexes of a cat and agility of a larger cat I walked through the isles of the wine section. There are the French Bordeaux - must keep moving, there are the Californian chard's, cab sauv's, and zins - must keep moving. Finally I saw the Washington section and things were looking good. A couple of quick scans and there they were. The clouds opened up, the angels sang, and my heart was filled with joy. I had found the American Prize. I quickly grabbed two, paid for them, and got out of the store.

When I got in the car I could barely contain myself. The 2 hrs of tireless planning had just paid off. I looked at the impressive bottles, put them back in the bag, and headed for the safe house. When I arrived the crew were anxious to hear if I had found the Pedestals. A quick smile said it all. That night we talked our geek talk with friends and colleagues and I enjoyed a very nice Oregon Pinot Noir. The next day was going to be big. I had a day of talks and then had to get the French Prizes. But for the moment I was going to drink my Pinot and think of the fine WA wines I had just obtained.

Day 2

Day 2 was full of great talks and getting acquainted with some of the newer techniques in sampling, modeling, and remote sensing. All extremely interesting (well to me anyway). After the talks were complete there was about an hour or two of free time and this is when I planned on going to scope out the French's. I had my route planned out and if I could get what we planned on it would be an extremely productive day.

I arrived at the retailer and got right to it. I whipped in and headed straight for the wines. I realized quick that this selection was not what I thought it would be and had a feeling that this might be the same for the other locations. I was under some time pressure so I had to think quick. I asked a stock person if they knew of the Bordeaux that I was looking for and he mentioned that I would likely have to go across the river to Oregon, and that he couldn't guarantee that they would have the list of French's in stock. I thanked him and started to go to the plan B. I called my partner LC to get his feel and headed for the car. I had remembered that the retailer I was at the day before had quite a good selection and if worse came to worse I could get a couple more Pedestal's. LC agreed that I should check this out the selection at the place I been the previous day and see what I might be able to get. I got into the getaway car and sped off.

I was getting to be a pro and navigating from wine retailer to wine retailer in Vancouver so it didn't take long to get back to the good retailer. I immediately went to the French section and scoped out the Bordeux. As I looked I noticed that none of the wines on my list were available but luckily some of the higher end bordeaux had scores below them and little notes. I quickly did the math and made my choices. Not quite what I might have been expecting but how bad could a 2005 French Bordeaux be? The surrogate French's I ended up with left me satisfied and would be a good addition to the Icon Wines Cellar. I was able to purchase:

Chateau Giscours 2005;
Chateau Fonplegade 2005; and
Domaine Charvin 2005 (Rhone).

I took my haul and headed back to the conference very contented, although I found myself thinking how great it would have been to get those premium French's LC and I had planned for. But as one of my favorite quotes from Brian Fantana of Anchorman says - 60% it works every time. That make's absolutely no sense!

The Run

The final day of the conference was upon me and it was time to take the haul across the border. I sensed that there was a bit of nervousness from the crew as I am sure they thought we would have to pay duties or tax when we crossed. I assured them that we would be fine as long as we declared something but I don't think they were totally convinced. As we approached the border I organized my receipts to ensure there was no fumbling at the border. I had thought about this prior as well, and made sure that I got separate receipts for each pair of wine. It was finally our turn to cross and I could see some of the crew sweating. The customs guard took a hard look at us and asked if we had anything to declare. I said there was about $400 for the car and with a quick OK we were through.

What a great haul. I showed off the spoils to LC and we were both excited to add these prizes to the cellar. Another successful mission in wine smuggling and hopefully we will be able to make a profit on these down the road. And if not, we'll have some great wines to drink. - HC

Adventures in Wine Smuggling - The Washington Caper Part I

60% of the time, it works every time. Brian Fantana (Anchorman)

The Set Up

I’m a stats guy by trade. So I look at wine in a couple of different ways. I love to drink the noble nectar (as LC so elegantly put it) and it amazes me that grapes can produce so many different flavours. However, this is only half the story. Wine investment and the business of wine intrigues me to no end. Graphs, charts, vintage tables, past performance, future prospects, marketing, and the wine “game” all get my blood racing. So when I found out that I would be going to a biometrics (stats applied to natural resources) conference in Vancouver Washington I was a very happy man. Washington State just so happens to be the second largest producer of wine in the grand ole US of A, and Vancouver WA is right on the border of Oregon which is one of the premier Pinot Noir producers in North America if not the world (things were looking up for HC).

I don’t visit Washington too much and rarely long enough to bring back any quantities of wine. Legally an individual is only allowed to bring 1.5 litres (2 bottles) of wine across the border after spending 48 hrs in the country. But the stars were aligning for this trip. I was heading down with 4 other colleagues (i.e. stats geeks) all of which were willing to help me out by donating their allotment of wine. This meant I had the potential to bring back 10 bottles! Now some may be thinking “what’s the big deal about getting wine in the States, you could get most wines anywhere”. Now this is true in most cases, however for an equivalent French Bordeaux (which LC and I are very interested in for investment) there is sometimes a difference of hundreds of dollars. For example a bottle of 2005 Chateau Palmer goes for about $450 CAD. The same bottle was as cheap as $279 USD when it was available at a big box store across the border.

The potential haul was pretty good. the risks were low, and I had a good crew to help me. The game was a foot.

The Crew

I work with a lot of great people, and I especially enjoy the company of the folks who talk my geek language. Each of the participants in this caper will remain nameless to protect the guilty. As with any great crew each brings something special to the table (although in this case I just wanted their wine allotment) and need to be recognized.

The Hungarian – The technician. This guy could brew wine with a spreadsheet program if it were possible.

Daddy-O – The mediator. Father to six. This guy needs to drink wine.

The Lady – The muscle. Hockey mom and mother to 3 teenage boys.

Slick – The face. Young and talented with looks to boot.

The American Prize

I had recently listened to a Tasting Room with Terry David Mulligan episode that was talking about the results of the Wine Summit in Lake Louise Alberta and there seemed to be a lot of buzz around a wine from the Columbia Valley in Washington called Long-Shadows Pedestal (www.longshadows.com). It had performed quite well against some high end international wines and I was hoping to get my paws on a couple.

Long Shadows has a very interesting approach to wine making. They bring in wine making consultants from all over the world to make their specialty wine which ultimately makes up their flight. In the case of the Pedestal the creator is acclaimed wine making consultant Michel Rolland.

So now I knew what the winery was all about but I didn’t know the availability and retailers. A quick Google search brought up the Long Shadows Website. I promptly e-mailed the info e-mail and was pleasantly surprised when I received a response the same day by an extremely helpful Dane Narbaitz. After a couple of e-mails I discovered that the Pedestal was available in Vancouver BC ($90 CAD) and also in a few stores close to the resort I was staying at in Vancouver WA ($60 USD). It was obvious that if I purchased a bottle or two in the US as soon as I crossed the border these bottles were potentially worth more.

The French Prizes

As I mentioned before LC and I are really into wine investment. We know that from an investment perspective the French Bordeaux are the money makers. We did some research and were able to come up with a list of Bordeaux that we could potentially make some money with. This list included:

Chateau Clos des Jacobin 2005;

Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2003;

Chateau La Mondotte 2003; and

Chateau Pichon-Lalonde 2005.

I was super excited to get these as they were available in a big box store that could be found anywhere. I found the closest one to our lodge in Vancouver Washington and was ready to make a killing when I brought these over the border by potentially selling them after sitting nicely in the Icon Wines cellar for a couple of years. And heck who knows I might even drink them!

Will HC get the prizes and make it across the border? Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of Adventures in Wine Smuggling.

The Spittoon List - Part 2: The Wines

The Spittoon List - Part 2: The Wines


These are the wines we want to taste before we die. What's on your list?

• 2008 Pontet-Canet
• 2006 Long Shadows Pedestal
• 2005 Mouton-Rothschild
• 2004 Mission Hill Oculus
• 2003 Petrus
• 2002 Glaetzer Amon Ra
• 2000 Lafite Rothschild
• 1995 Palmer
• 1992 Coche Dury Perrieres
• 1990 Cheval Blanc
• 1990 Montrose
• 1988 Penfolds Grange
• 1985 Haut Brion Blanc
• 1982 Calon Segur