In Retrospect: My Favorite Locally Available Wines for 2008.

No pictures. No notes. No Musings. No panel of judges, secret or otherwise.

These are my favorite locally available wines for the past year 2008.

Please note the following:

• Around 90+% of the red (Bordeaux, Burgundy, even Rhône) I drink/write about are not locally available - those few that are, are sometimes bought abroad anyway;
• I really prefer Old World wines to New World, though I am always open to trying something new;
• It is no secret that some of the sellers and/or shareholders of the sellers are friends of mine, but, rest assured, this does not affect my judgment;
• A wine's making or not making it in my list doesn't mean much unless we have similar taste in wine - and - though I do try many, I haven't tried all out there;
• Aside from the wines I have posted on in my blog, I have tasted many others but those did not interest me enough to commit to memory, much less write about;
• Some wines may no longer be currently in stock;
• I did not consider price in my ranking;
• The prices are full retail as of the time I purchased the wines (they may have gone up) and are included merely for readers' convenience in case they are considering buying some;
• If I list less than 3 in any category, that means that I didn't think much of the other locally available wines that I've tried in such category, or, as in the case of Tempier Bandol Rosé, there is no other in its class locally available;
• Luxury wines, except rosé, will bear no price as those who would buy these can/should easily afford them anyway; and,
• Those bearing a red asterisk are those I consider as having exceptional quality-to-price-ratio (QPR).

Rosé (Luxury):

1. 2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé* - Sommelier Selection, P2050

Rosé:

1. 2007 Homenaje Rosado* - Terry Selection, appx. P400
2. 2007 Le Rosé de Pavie Macquin - Premium Wine Exchange, appx. P800

Champagne - Luxury:

1. 1996 Dom Pérignon - Premium Wine Exchange, this vintage is no longer available
2. Krug Non-Vintage - Premium Wine Exchange
3. 1996 Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame" - Premium Wine Exchange

Champagne:

1. 1999 Duval-Leroy Champagne Blanc de Chardonnay - Wine Depot, appx. P5000
2. 2002 Champagne Drappier Grande Sendrée - Sommelier Selection, P5070
3. Pommery Brut Royal* - Forth & Tay, appx. P3500

White - Chardonnay:

1. 2006 Laurent Tribut Chablis 1er cru Côtes de Lechet - Sommelier, P2130
2. 2005 Domaine Robert Denogent Pouilly Fuissé "Les Reisses" - Sommelier, P2230
3. 2003 Rustenberg "Five Soldiers", ZEN Asia, this vintage is no longer available

White - Sauvignon Blanc:

1. 2002 Michel Redde Pouilly-Fumé Cuvée Majorum - Sommelier, P3460
2. 2006 Raimbault-Pineau Pouilly-Fumé* - Terry Selection, appx. P1100
3. 1999 H. Bourgeois Sancerre "La Bourgeoise" - Bacchus, this vintage is no longer available, but other vintages and lines from this excellent producer are. Generally very good QPR for all their lines. Look for 2006s.

White - Riesling:

1. 1997 Léon Beyer Riesling Comtes d'Eguisheim - Bacchus, this vintage is no longer available
2. 2006 Bott-Geyl Riesling Les Elements* - Sommelier, P1120

White - Gewürztraminer:

1. 1997 Léon Beyer Gewürztraminer Comtes d'Eguisheim - Bacchus, this is no longer available
2. 2006 Bott-Geyl Gewürztraminer "Les Elements"* - Sommelier, P1660
3. 1994 Léon Beyer Gewürztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles - Bacchus, this vintage is no longer available

White - Pinot Gris:

1. 1997 Léon Beyer Tokay Pinot Gris Comtes d'Eguisheim - Bacchus, this vintage is no longer available

White - Rhône Blend (Marsanne/Roussanne):

1. 1998 E. Guigal Hermitage Blanc - Bacchus, this vintage is no longer available but others are
2. 2005 Cuvée du Vatican Reserve Sixtine Blanc - Premium Wine Exchange, P2200
3. 2006 Domaine du Colombier Crôze Hermitage Blanc* - Sommelier, P1400

White - Spanish:

1. 2007 Protos Rueda Verdejo - Terry Selection, P570
2. 2006 Marqués de Riscal Rueda - I bought it in La Tienda off their wine list, appx. P670
3. 2004 Marqués de Cáceres Blanco Fermentado en Barrica - Terry Selection, P550

Red - Bordeaux (Luxury):

NB: There are many excellent wines and much better vintages in this category available in Säntis and Bacchus, but the wines I drink in this category are normally purchased abroad. Some that were purchased locally though (not necessarily by me) are:

1. 1999 Château Margaux - Säntis
2. 1999 Château Lafite Rothschild - Säntis
3. 1999 Château Cos d'Estournel - either Säntis or Bacchus.

Red - Bordeaux:

1. 1996 Château de Fieuzal - Säntis, appx. P3400
2. 2000 Château Siran - Bacchus/Säntis, this vintage is no longer available
3. 2001 Château d'Issan - Säntis, appx. P3500

Red - Rhône:

1. 2005 Domaine La Roubine Gigondas* - Sommelier, P1725
2. 2001 E. Guigal Côte Rôtie Brune et Blonde - Bacchus, appx. P3600
3. 2001 Domaine Chèze St-Joseph Cuvée des Anges - Sommelier, P2960

Red - Tuscany:

1. 2001 Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Riserva* - Bacchus P2400
2. 2001 Tenute Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva* - Bacchus, appx. P1700

Red - Beaujolais:

1. 2006 Domaine du Tracot Moulin-à-Vent "Jean Paul Dubost" - Sommelier, P2225
2. 2005 Domaine Lapalu Brouilly "La Croix des Rameaux" - Sommelier, P1935

Red - Spanish - Luxury:

1. 1996 Vega Sicilia Único - Terry Selection
2. 2003 Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5º - Terry Selection

Red - Spanish:

1. 2004 Alion Reserva Tinto* - Terry Selection, appx. 3600+
2. 1998 Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial* - Ralph's, appx. P2700
3 1996 Beronia Gran Reserva* - Barcino, appx. P1800+
4. 2003 Alion Reserva Tinto* - Terry Selection, appx. P3500+