The Best of 2020
by James Robinson, Your Co-op Sommelier
Every year I pick a ‘wine of the year.’ How this happens is quite by accident. I don’t employ 100-point scales, exhaustive tasting notes or tasting grids, wine aroma wheels or any other technique or device. The choice … just a spontaneous decision – a revelation really.
While my method lacks formality, codification or structure, there are criteria the wine must meet. First and foremost, the wine must tell a story about who made it and where it’s from. It should speak volumes about a particular time and place, and weave a narrative about the intimate interplay between sun, soil and winemaker. There should be harmony and balance and most importantly, zero flaws – no brett, no mousey-ness, no funk, no manipulation – the fruit should speak for itself. There should be no debate about the wine’s overall quality. It should not require any qualifiers or explanation. It should be at once simple and simply delicious, but it should be utterly worthy of contemplation, conversation and reflection. It should be Miles Davis and John Coltrane in fermented form.
This year, instead of picking just one wine however, I chose five standouts.
Oriol Artigas ‘El Rumbero’ – My top pick. A blend of Garnacha, Syrah and Merlot, grown near the sea and macerated whole bunch, some of which are direct press. Aging occurs in stainless steel before being bottled without fining, filtration or added sulfur. The result is a beautifully floral, ethereal, elegant wine, brimming with authenticity, vitality, subtlety, depth and grace.
Meinklang Frizzante Rose – Made from 100 percent Austrian Pinot Noir, the Meinklang Rose is clean, crisp, dry, effervescent and profoundly rich with elegant floral notes up front and a dark, mineral earthiness at it’s core – a playful yet serious bottle of bubbles from world-class biodynamic vintners.
André et Michel Quenard Chignin Mondeuse 2015 ‘Vieilles Vignes’ – Mondeuse is often criticized for simplicity and rusticity, but this Mondeuse from André and Michel Quenard is anything but. Rich and voluptuous, the Quenard’s Chignin Mondeuse is often likened to a cross between Pinot Noir and Syrah: bright, elegant, and floral, with suggestions of wild fruit, blood, smoke, spice and minerals. Luxurious.
Salvatore Marino ‘Turi’ – A lovely Sicilian orange wine with flavors of grapefruit pith mingling with tea-like tannins. This is the ultimate porch pounder from one of Italy’s top natural wine producers.
Villa Job Guastafeste -- Focused, intense and pure, the Guastafeste employs a long maceration of Pinot Grigio grapes to extract notes of chamomile, artemisia, wild mint and red berries. The flavors are deep and the finish long and profound.
