2020 was the best year ever for us at Wine Swinging!
We know. We know. Pandemic, lockdown, wineries closed, trips canceled, and you can’t smell or drink wine through the mask. We are from planet Earth and experienced all of that along with the rest of humanity.
It’s hard to look beyond challenges and see opportunities where others see only problems. But that’s what we had to do because members of our wine club were counting on us.
The wine was the beacon that helped us to look on the bright side of 2020. And we don’t mean getting drunk, although we did consume more wine than in a typical year. Surprise! Surprise!
So when we think of positive things in 2020, the wine was a big part of it.
Interestingly, we have had the last live wine tasting in the country, the night before the nationwide lockdown in March. We tasted some of the best wines of Toscana. Who knew back then pandemic will last a year?! We would’ve partied all night. Funny that we had to add a “live” adjective while describing wine tasting. Before 2020 it was the norm. Now it’s a luxury.
As with many life challenges, we can look at them as a problem or as an opportunity to try something new. For us, it was the latter.
Within the first two weeks of lockdown, we started doing Zoom tastings with our wine club. We tasted many great bottles together, but the best part of it was that some of our friends confessed later that those Zoom tastings helped them stay sane during the lockdown. They looked forward to the next one every week. The wine was “the social glue” that helped all of us to keep it together.
We also had more than a few wine swinging tasting by ourselves when we opened a few bottles to compare.
Wineswinging 2020: Best Wines We Tasted
Here are some 2020 wines that were our “silver linings” for various reasons:
Whites
Hermann J Weimer Extra Brut Riesling 2016 is a Traditional Method of sparkling Riesling. This rare find comes from one of the best Riesling winemakers in the US located in New York state’s Finger Lakes area.
We had a contrarian view on Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay 2019 for a few reasons. First, we are hardly fans of buttery California Chardonnays, and that’s what the Rombauer is known for. Second, when there’s so much hype about the wine, we prefer, quoting Frost, “the road less traveled by.” To our surprise, we were very impressed by Rombauer Chard when we finally convinced ourselves to buy a bottle and check why people so crazy over it.
Kumeu Village Chardonnay 2017 is the wine that shows that there’s more to New Zealand than Sauvignon Blanc. In a blind tasting, it beat some of the stellar Burgundian Chardonnays.
2015 was hot in the Loire valley of France, and Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Jadis 2015 is a fantastic example of the vintage. Try tasting it side-by-side with the best of New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blancs.
De Lancelotti Chardonnay Le Mie Figlie 2016 was a hidden gem from a boutique winery in Willamette Valley of Oregon. In our view, it’s among the top Chardonnays of the 2016 vintage in the region.
2017 Roco Wits End Chardonnay is another great Chardonnay from Rolin Soles, a veteran and trend maker of Willamette Valley of Oregon.
Reds
If you are a Merlot fan, you must try the 2014 Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot from Toscana, Italy. It’s one of those Super-Tuscans you won’t hear about.
2017 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot from a legendary Californian winery was among the top two 100% Merlots along with the 2014 Avignonesi we had in 2020.
We were somewhat hesitant when it came to Californian Cabs because often they are fruit bombs. Stepping out of our comfort zone, we tasted Conn Creek Anthology 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, and it changed our perspective. We followed with many other Californian reds in 2020.
Château Saint Hubert Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2016 is an excellent example of the vintage and probably the best value wine from the right bank of Bordeaux (Merlot-based blend).
2016 Domaine du Gros’ Nore’ Bandol Rouge is a red blend from the region known to produce some world’s best Rosé wines. If you never had Bandol Rouge, than Gros Nore is an excellent way to set a benchmark.
D’Alessandro Syrah Migliara 2008 comes from the small Toscana wine region in Italy. While Italy is more famous for Chianti and Barolo, this wine can challenge some of the best Syrahs from France’s Rhone and Napa California.
2016 The Walls Syrah Gaspard is another interpretation of this varietal that shows off the Walla Walla terroir of Washington State.
Best Wines for Special Occasions
Billercart-Salmon Brut Réserve NV is the Champagne that was only available at luxury hotels, resorts, and restaurants until recently. Thanks to the change in distribution strategy, it’s no longer the best-kept sommelier secret.
Gosset Petite Douceur Rosé Extra Dry comes from one of the two oldest Champagne houses in Reims, France. It showcases the balance and skill honed for a few centuries.
Bishop’s Ring Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2017 is an accidental find, a delicious Cab, and a real detective story all-in-one.
Clos Apalta Valle de Apalta 2015 is 100 points Bordeaux blend from Chille that would cost $1,000 if it came from Bordeaux, France.
Quintessa Red 2014 is a legendary wine that helped us celebrate our anniversary and made up for closed restaurants and nights out in town.
Ending 2020 with an amazing Champagne was just what we had planned all year. Didn’t you? Franck Bonville Grand Cru Prestige Cuvée perfectly fit the Special Occasion category. It is good enough to become a Special Occasion at any time you want to create one!
Best Wines Under $20
We are always looking for the so-called “holy grail” wines that taste delicious and don’t break the bank. A few from this year are Beyond Ordinary Red 2016, a South African red Bordeaux blend; an Italian Forte Incanto Susumaniello Salento 2018 made with rare indigenous red grape and fruity Spanish red blend – Goru Gold 2017 by Ego Bodega.
This is hardly an all-inclusive list. We can go on but only the best ones deserve to be added to our Wine List.
We hope you have a chance to try any of these wines soon, and let us know your opinion!
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Happy New Year!
