I was fortunate to live in Europe during the late 1960's and early 1970's, and my former father-in-law was the procurement officer for NATO/SHAPE Headquarters in Belgium. In that role, he got to know a man who owned the largest wine distributorship in Belgium, and we were occassionally invited to his house in Brussels. His wine cellar contained some 40,000 bottles of wine, many of which were among the finest available. There were two that wines he served us during a dinner that was particularly outstanding included:
1. 1959 Richebourg (chosen by the Chevalier de Tastevin as the best burgundy in France for 1959);
2. 1959 Schloss Vollrads Trockenbeerenauslese.
The best wine that I have had this year was a 1997 Ridge Late Harvest Zinfandel.
The state of Washington, where I live, is now producing some excellent wines. For those who have not tried the following labels, may I suggest you try:
1. Woodmark Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon;
2. Kestrel (their Signature bottlings which have just been released will be excellent and should cellar very well).
Washington state wines from 1998 were uniformly good to excellent, and were even better in 1999.
1. 1959 Richebourg (chosen by the Chevalier de Tastevin as the best burgundy in France for 1959);
2. 1959 Schloss Vollrads Trockenbeerenauslese.
The best wine that I have had this year was a 1997 Ridge Late Harvest Zinfandel.
The state of Washington, where I live, is now producing some excellent wines. For those who have not tried the following labels, may I suggest you try:
1. Woodmark Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon;
2. Kestrel (their Signature bottlings which have just been released will be excellent and should cellar very well).
Washington state wines from 1998 were uniformly good to excellent, and were even better in 1999.