Selecting the last French wine for my top ten took a lot of consideration. I could have gone with a wine from the Chateauneuf du Pape region in the Rhone and selected a producer like Clos du Pape or Chateau Beaucastel. Or I could have chosen a different Champagne, perhaps Louis Roederer's Cristal, Krug's Grand Cuvee, Tattinger's Comtes de Champagne, or Clicquot's La Grande Dame. But of all the Tetes du Cuvees (best wines of Champagne), I selected Dom Perignon by Moet & Hennessy (yes, the same wine group that owns the infamous Chateau d'Yquem). I chose Dom because I believe it's the ultimate symbol of celebration and class. While it may have been popularized by rap stars and celebrities, the wine is iconic, and displays the very essence of Champagne: glitz and glamor, yet refined elegance. Today the winery's total production is kept secret, but is definitely in the five figure range. A bottle from a great vintage like 1996 (an outstanding year) sells for between $150 and $400, depending on the condition.
Dom Perignon is named after the famous "blind", Benedictine monk. It turns out many of the stories surrounding Dom Perignon are questionable at best. The first was that he was not blind at all, but tasted blind, meaning he would taste his wines without knowing the source of the vineyard. Beyond not being blind he is quoted as saying, "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!" Which turns out was a late 1800's print advertisement for the wine, not an actual quote. But the biggest misconception about Dom Perignon is that he is recorded by some, specifically Moet & Chandon for marketing purposes, as being the discoverer of how to make wine sparkle. He, in fact, was not the first to make sparkling wines. It was actually discovered by an Englishman in the mid 1600's.
In short, his story, while romantic and quasi-believable, is a long list of misconceptions and falsifications. The wine that bears his name, however, is some of the finest in the world. While a bit overpriced, Dom Perignon is the absolute definition of world-famous. Because no matter where you go in the world, when you order a bottle of Dom Perignon, people know you are looking to celebrate something marvelous, even if it's simply delicious Champagne
In response to clamouring demand from members, this stunning, crisp, yet slightly sweet wine is the first Riesling we have ever promoted in a Discovery Selection.As a perfect introduction to Pfalz and its elegant wines, we have selected the Fritz Zimmer Maestro Riesling, made by the ancient wine-making firm of Eiffel-Pfeffer, and named for the singular talent of one of the finest 20th Century German Winemakers.
Out of France and into Italy where plenty of world-famous wines are produced. I could have gone with a producer like Altesino and their award winning Brunello di Montalcino, or Antinori's Solaia, or anything by Gaja, or even Tenuta San Guido's second famous Super Tuscan, Ornellaia. But I chose Sassicaia, often called Sass, for its innovation and trend-setting fame. Sassicaia is considered the original "Super Tuscan," but unfortunately it doesn't get a cape.
Selecting the last French wine for my top ten took a lot of consideration. I could have gone with a wine from the Chateauneuf du Pape region in the Rhone and selected a producer like Clos du Pape or Chateau Beaucastel. Or I could have chosen a different Champagne, perhaps Louis Roederer's Cristal, Krug's Grand Cuvee, Tattinger's Comtes de Champagne, or Clicquot's La Grande Dame. But of all the Tetes du Cuvees (best wines of Champagne), I selected Dom Perignon by Moet & Hennessy (yes, the same wine group that owns the infamous Chateau d'Yquem). I chose Dom because I believe it's the ultimate symbol of celebration and class. While it may have been popularized by rap stars and celebrities, the wine is iconic, and displays the very essence of Champagne: glitz and glamor, yet refined elegance. Today the winery's total production is kept secret, but is definitely in the five figure range. A bottle from a great vintage like 1996 (an outstanding year) sells for between $150 and $400, depending on the condition.
Number four on our top ten list is Chateau d'Yquem, a sweet white wine producer from the southern Bordeaux sub-region of Sauternes. Chateau d'Yquem was the only winery given the status of Premier Cru Superieur (translated "Superior First Growth") in the 1855 Official Bordeaux Classification, the same classification that granted chateaux like Margaux first growth status. The wines of d'Yquem, made up of Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, are widely prized for their complexity, concentration and honey-like sweetness. In great vintages and when stored properly, the wines of d'Yquem can age for a century or more. In 1996 famed wine critic Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave a 100-point rating to a bottle of 1811 Chateau d'Yquem.
For every wine lover there is a time, a place, and more importantly a wine that took your breathe away. A wine that you can still taste every time you close your eyes. A wine that we wish we could have as our house pour or "go-to" for daily consumption. But more likely this wine was a treat, a Blue Chip wine perhaps. You know what I'm talking about; the wines that command respect in any conversation. The wines we dream of or make fun of because we hate their sometimes undeserved popularity and price. Some of these famous wines have made a big splash, demanding people pay an obscene amount of money for them, while others are time honored traditions. With millions of SKU's on the wine retail shelf, there are ten known by almost all. Here is the list of the top ten world-famous wines
