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by Fred McMillin
for March 2004
Which Is Drinking Better Right Now...
Vintage 2000 or 2001?
You stop by your favorite wine shop to buy some wine for tornorrow night's dinner party. There's a big display of California vintage 2001 and vintage 2000 bottles. Which should you buy?
Our recent blind tasting matched a dozen 2000s against their 2001 counterparts, such as two Napa Valley $18 Chardonnays. Here is the winner of each pairing, with the highest rated wine listed last. That is, the further you read the better the bottle.
The Winning Wines
| Rank | Wine | |
| 12th | - | 2000 St. Supery Napa Valley Chardonnay, $18 |
| 11th | - | 2000 Beringer Founders' Estate Chardonnay, $12 |
| 10th | - | 2001 Guenoc Chardonnay, Guenoc Valley, $17 |
| 9th | - | 2001 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc, $9 |
| 8th | - | 2000 Gundlach-Bundschu Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $32 |
| 7th | - | 2001 Edna Valley Vineyard Paragon Pinot Noir, $15 |
| 6th | - | 2001 Dry Creek Vineyard Sonoma County Fumé Blanc, $12 |
| 5th | - | 2000 Talus Lodi Shiraz, $9 |
| 4th | - | 2000 Steele Catfish Vineyard Zinfandel, $18 |
| 3rd | - | 2000 Domaine Alfred Chamisal Pinot Noir, $28 |
| 2nd | - | 2001 Sobon ReZerve Zinfandel, $24 |
And the big enchilada...
| 1st | - | 2000 Cinnabar "Mercury Rising" Red Blend, $17 |
The Answer
The Whites—The three vintage 2001 white winners all ranked higher than the two 2000 winners. Buy the 2001s.
The Reds—Five of the seven red winners were from the earlier vintage. So buy the 2000s.
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About the Writer
Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. For information about the wine courses he teaches every month at either San Francisco State University or San Francisco City College (Fort Mason Division), please fax him at (415) 567-4468. |
This page created March 2004
Copyright © 2004
electronic Gourmet Guide, Inc.