France

This time of year, many publications, writers and bloggers come out with their top ten wine lists for the year.  Recently, during a discussion of one of these lists, I was asked what the ten greatest wines were.  Before answering such a question, I needed to settle on my criteria for judging.  Was it the ten greatest in the past year?  Was it the ten greatest bottles which would include vintage?  What does greatest mean?  After some thought, here is what I came up with. 

First, I need to define great.  I don’t mean interesting, contemplative, unique.  I mean superlative.  I am talking about the kind of wine that makes everything stop as you taste it because it’s just so damn brilliant.  Also, I am interested in wines that are produced from year to year and are always (or almost always) great wines.  I will not consider one hit wonders.  I don’t need a long track record, but for example, the 1990 Château Beauséjour-Duffau was an incredible wine.  It is, however, so far above the usual quality of this wine that it would not be considered.

France's Burgundy Wine Region: A Primer on the History, Wines, Vineyards & Terroir contains an excellent introduction into the ethereal wine of one of the most famous wine producing regions.  No winery is more famous, or produces such legendary wines in Burgundy than Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.  Often abbreviated as DRC, the winery makes some of the most exclusive and expensive wines in the world.  They are, for those lucky enough to have tried them, the pinnacle of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

Georges Duboeuf is practically a legend. Originally from the Pouilly-Fuissé region of Burgundy, Duboeuf was raised on a small farm where his family owned a few acres of Chardonnay vines. His father died when Georges was young, therefore his uncle and older brother, Roger, took over the business. Duboeuf helped out on the family vineyard growing up, even using the manual grape crusher when he was just six years old. By age 18 he was delivering wine on his bicycle from producers to local restaurants. He began bottling Beaujolais to meet one of his customer's demands. Duboeuf became a négociant in 1964, when he founded Les Vins Georges Duboeuf. He is best known for Beaujolais Nouveau, though he produces many others. His wines now hold world-wide appeal and are sold in an astonishing 120 countries.