Vine Social: Our Resident Sommelier Tasted About 3,000 Wines Over the Last Year—and These Stood Out

As the end of the year approaches, I’ve been thinking about just how many wines I’ve tasted over the last 12 months. Doing some rough math, I concluded that I taste—not drink, mind you, but taste and spit out—an average of 3,000 wines a year.

Isn’t that crazy?! That number is hard for me to wrap my head around, mostly because a lot of the wines I taste are pretty forgettable. They’re not necessarily bad—although there are some wines that are downright undrinkable—but they’re average. They represent a good value, or they’re a “crowd-pleaser”; perhaps they are an accurate representation of the grape and their region. All of these are good reasons to buy and drink a bottle of wine, but none of these things make a wine memorable.

However, a handful of these 3,000 different wines are incredible. Mind-blowing. Thought-provoking. These are wines I still think about months after I’ve tasted them. They make an impression on my brain, and I find myself comparing other wines to these standouts. For lack of a better analogy, you could say I’ve developed a crush on these wines.

The wines about which I’ve become passionate are not overly expensive. Typically, they are not from well-known wineries, and they may not generate huge scores from critics. The wines that make me do the happy dance are unexpected, surprising little gems that I’ve usually never heard of. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out … BOOM! You never saw it coming. That’s what makes wine such a joy to drink and discover.

Given that I’ve done the hard part of sifting through thousands of wines, I figured I should share these wine discoveries with you.

Trimbach “Frederic Emile” Riesling 2016, Alsace, France ($95): Any sommelier worth their weight will have a riesling they love. There is something so beautifully complex about a wine that can walk a tight rope between being acidic and sweet; have a luscious richness with chiseled structure; and showcase fruity and savory notes with a minerality that could cut glass. The Trimbach “Frederic Emile” Riesling 2016 encapsulates all of this, and more. Juicy stone fruits with hints of mint and fresh herbs jump out of the glass while the first sip zings your tongue with its bright citrus notes. Anyone who thinks rieslings are cloying and sweet needs to experience this wine.

Jules Taylor Pinot Noir 2021, Marlborough, New Zealand ($25): I tend to steer clear from pinot noirs from New Zealand. From a retail standpoint, I’ve discovered that most people either want the complexity and cache of Burgundy, the earthiness of Oregon, or the voluptuous, fuller-bodied style from California. Most of the pinot noirs from New Zealand I’ve tasted have been thin, tightly wound and very acidic. However, I was forced to rethink that generalization when I tasted the 2021 Jules Taylor pinot noir from Marlborough. At the northern tip on the South Island, the vines in Marlborough benefit from a sunny and dry climate, where the grapes can ripen slowly over a long period of time. Combine that with the skill of uber-talented winemaker Jules Taylor, who spares no expense in creating the most amazing wines, and you have yourself one dynamic pinot noir. It has a beautiful, deep garnet color, with aromas of black cherries, black plums and fresh boysenberries, with a subtle nutmeg spice on the finish.

Belpoggio di Paolo 2021, Tuscany, Italy ($20): This wine was a first for me. I have tasted the grape ciliegiolo before, but this was the first time I’ve tasted it as a full-bodied red. I was only familiar with rosés made from this obscure Italian grape with a name that means “little cherry.” The Belpoggio di Paolo and packs a ton of flavor into the bottle. It’s elegant and fruity, with aromas of—you guessed it—red and black cherries, followed by notes of black pepper and vanilla spice. This easy-drinking, velvety red has quickly become my favorite pizza, pasta, movie-on-the-couch, weeknight wine. Bonus: The bottle is beautiful and will impress the pants off any dinner guest!

Clementine Carter Grenache 2021, Sta. Rita Hills, Calif. ($40): I really wasn’t expecting much when this wine was poured for me. I’ve tasted so many grenaches from Santa Barbara, and they are all good, albeit a little homogenous—if you’ve tasted one, you’ve tasted ’em all, I thought. I was wrong: This grenache is exceptional. Just thinking about this wine is making my mouth water. Layers and layers of fruit and spice make you want to keep your nose in the glass forever. Each swirl reveals another fragrance—orange peel, blackberries, cloves, wild strawberries and dried herbs. Blended from three prominent vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills—Spear, Robert Rae and Peake Ranch—this grenache is as close to perfect as it gets.

Domaine de l’Enclos Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy 2021, Burgundy, France ($55): Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite wine comes from Chablis, France. This is a little area in the far northern part of Burgundy where the cold climate and chalky Kimmeridgian soil creates a style of chardonnay that cracks across one’s palate like lightning. This particular estate is run by two brothers who are fourth-generation winemakers in Chablis, and it is evident they were born to make wine here. The fruit for this chardonnay comes from 40-year-old vines in the premier cru vineyard of Beauroy. Meyer lemons, sea salt, orange blossoms and a hint of cardamom spice are all wrapped together with a touch of crème fraiche to create a chardonnay full of energy and grace. This is exactly what you want a chardonnay to taste like!

There are a handful of other epic wines I experienced this year, as well as a ton of wines I tried that I truly enjoyed. But these are the wines that brought me a different kind of joy—the kind of happiness that comes from discovering the unknown, and the pleasure of finding an elevated favorite.

So, cheers to you, 2023. And here’s to the next 3,000 wines!