The Wine List

When I say, “wine list,” I am not referring to that section of the drink’s menu highlighting a restaurant’s vino selection. For me, it is that list of wines that I hope to someday try. Almost every wine lover has one, and it’s a quest to see how many can get scratched off, a personal victory every time one does.

               My wine list has levels. In general, my list consists of specific wines suggested by magazines and wine experts, types of wines from certain areas or wineries, no particular vintage, and recommended wines to be paired with some of my favorite foods. Then, there are my dream wines. These are the historical, rare, ridiculously expensive wines that are featured over and over again in wine publications. The bottles that have shaped the world of wine, that are crafted from vines older than most humans, and are the epitome of the area they represent. My list of dream wines started with the five wineries that make up the Bordeaux First Growths/Premiers Crus.

               The Bordeaux area of France is known for their Red Bordeaux wines typically made with merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, White Bordeaux wines made with sémillon, sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes, and the sweet wine from the Graves area, Sauternes, made via noble rot using the same white grape varieties in the White Bordeaux blends.  In 1855, Napolean III created a system of classifying/ranking Bordeaux vineyards for the world’s fair. For the red wines, vineyards were broken into five categories: Premiers Crus, Deuxiémes Crus, Troisiémes Crus, Quatriémes Crus, and Cinquiémes Crus, with the Premier Crus showcasing the top vineyards. The five Premier Crus include Château Haut-Brion, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, and Château Mouton Rothschild. Mouton Rothschild was promoted to Premier Crus in 1973, and the other four have held this top honor since the beginning. These five famous wineries captured my interest fairly early on in my wine education – I’m not sure if it was the tasting notes or the history behind these storied wines that grabbed my attention – but my dream wine quest had started. And, though I honestly thought I would never even lay my eyes on a bottle of one of these beauties, I was delighted this past holiday season to collect my fourth one.

               My first sip into heaven started in 2020. As my husband and I exchanged gifts for our fourth anniversary, I was, of course, excited and intrigued to see that my gift was wine box shaped. What wine would be representing our anniversary? Opening it up, I lost my breath as I saw the words “Château Margaux.” The story of this famed wine starts in the 1500’s, with the premier bottle gaining notoriety in the 1700’s; in fact, it was one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite wines. I couldn’t believe the representation of wine history I was holding in my hand. To make it even more special, it was the vintage from the year we were married. It was the grandest gift, and I couldn’t help opening it shortly after it came into my possession. It was a mind-blowing experience. The most complex and quality wine I had ever tasted, it was perfumed with aromas of stewed fruits, violet, and hints of truffle and pencil shavings. The tasting notes of plum, red fruit medley, violet, black pepper, pencil shavings and cigar box were complex and immense. It was warming, it was delightful, and drinking it was a memory for the ages.

               That bottle fueled my obsession, and I wondered if I would ever have another wine experience like this. 2022 answered that question.

Our sixth anniversary brought another wine box shaped gift. Inside was my next first growth Bordeaux, Château Latour Grand Vin Paulliac Premier Grand Cru Classé 2006. I was ecstatic! I was holding in my hand another dream wine, another wine I never truly thought I would get to try. Experiencing one was amazing, getting a second was unbelievable. Of course, I didn’t hesitate and immediately enjoyed this wine filled to the brim with notes of red currant, red plum, pepper baking spice, licorice, pencil shavings, and a hint of very dark chocolate. Pairing this wine with the delicious burnt ends my brother smoked is, to this day, my top wine and food pairing. The memory of this wine is ingrained in my mind forever, just like so many bottles have been for others since the 1700’s.

               Shortly after the last drop of my Latour was gone, the Christmas tree went up and a fabulous surprise waited for me underneath, a bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Premier Grand Cru Classé 2015. As I updated my dream list, scratching off yet another dream wine, my happiness was overwhelming. Now I would just need to find the perfect moment to drink this treasure.

               As my knowledge of wine has grown, so has my dream wine list. Being a Pinot Noir addict, I have started reading up more and more on France’s Burgundy area, and many of those wines have started to make their way onto the list. These have been joined by other such bottlings from Italy, Spain and Australia. And, the question remained, would I ever get a sip of one of these magical, memorable wines? The answer was yes.

Each holiday season, my husband and I take a shopping trip to an area mall, as there is nothing quite like a mall at Christmas time. The mall we chose for our 2023 trek was just down the road from a liquor store known for their rare and quality wines. As part of my Christmas gift, he surprised me with a stop at this vino haven and told me I could pick out whatever bottle I wanted.

               When we arrived at the glass case that stored their most special bottles, I saw everything from my missing Bordeaux wines, to top shelf champagnes, to bottles of Château d’Yquem Sauternes, to a Grange bottling from Penfolds. I found myself acting like a kid at a candy store, running from one display to the next, wanting it all and knowing I needed to make a decision. As I bounced from bottle to bottle, I kept going back to those Bordeaux beauties, the wines that started this whole adventure, and I finally made my decision. I chose the next bottle off my grand cru list, Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Premier Grand Cru Classé 2020. Having watched my internal struggle between working on my original dream list or getting something from the newly renovated list, my husband also treated me to a Burgundy lover’s must, a bottle of Domaine Dujac. Feeling giddy and spoiled, I cradled my newest loves home, and started dreaming of the moment when these wines would flow into my glass.

               These handful of moments have been some of the most magical and memorable for me as a wine lover. For each of us that dive into this wine world, getting to experience a holy grail bottle is a point in time that will forever be cherished. As I continue my dream wine list quest, I hope that this new year will bring you the wine bottle experience of your dreams. Cheers!