To tag along with my Fave Red Wines of 2009, here are my star whites from this past year:

• Man Vintners Chenin Blanc – $9
• Minini Orvieto – $9
• Le Chat Rouge Chardonnay – $11
• Starborough Sauvignon Blanc – $12ish?
• Luna Argenta Prosecco (bubbly) – $12
• Kiona Vineyards Riesling – $12
• Cavas Hill Brut Rose Reserva Artesania Cava (bubbly) – $12
• Borgo Boschetto Pinot Grigio – $13
• Terra Antiga Vinho Verde – $13
• Pascual Toso “Toso” Brut (bubbly) – $13
• 071 Prosecco Veneto (bubbly) – $14
• Villa Cornaro Prosecco – $14 (this is the bubbly that went with Wyatt’s marriage proposal!)
• Fonty’s Pool Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – $14
• Fonty’s Pool Chardonnay – $16
• Holly’s Garden Pinot Gris – $20
• Wolf Mountain Vineyards Plenitude Chardonnay-Viognier blend – $20
• Wolf Mountain Blanc de Blanc Brut (bubbly) – $25

Now that we’re a couple of months into 2010, I took a look back at the wines I tried in 2009 and present to you my list of Favorite Red Wines of 2009! Fave 2009 Whites coming soon!

• Pine & Post Cab Sauv – $9
• Simonnet-Febvre Pinot Noir – ~ $10
• Finca el Origen Malbec – $11
• Lucky Star Pinot Noir - $9
• Mark West Sonoma County Pinot Noir – $12
• Memo Montepulciano – $11
• Morande Pionero Pinot Noir – $10
• Spellbound Petite Syrah – $13
• Alexander Valley Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $?
• Angeline Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $14
• Oyster Bay Pinot Noir – $15
• G5 Puerta Bonita Garnacha – $15
• Eos Estate Zinfandel and Petite Syrah – $15ish? and $16
• Bliss Cab Sauv – $15
• Chateau Fantin Bordeaux Superioeur – $16
• Big Fire Pinot Noir – $18
• Poppy Pinot Noir – $16
• Rivola Sardon de Duero Cab Sauv – $17
• Vina Robles Cav Sauv – ~ $18
• Le Signal Domaine Ligneres Carignan – $19
• Murphy-Goode Cab Sauv – $20
• Wirra Wirra Church Block Cab Sauv – $20
• Chateau Robin Cotes De Castillion – $22
• Louis M. Martini Cab Sauv – $15-$20
• L’Oustal Blanc Minervois – $21
• Twenty Rows Cab Sauv – $23
• Oberon Cab Sauv – $24
• Molnar Family Pinot Noir – $26
• Douglas Green Shiraz Reserve – $20ish?
• Obsidian Ridge Cab Sauv – $29
• Patricia Green Pinot Noir – $30
• Hartford Zinfandel – $30
• Chateau Rollan de By Medoc – $30
• Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir – $??
• Anne Amie Pinot Noir – $??

YUM! The Douglas Green is a new favorite! Their tasting notes say it best:

This elegant, complex and alluring wine was made from outstanding quality grapes, vinified and nurtured with infinite care. Matured in a combination of French and American oak barrels for 12 months this full-bodied wine displays typical Shiraz characteristics of dark berry fruit, clove, and cinnamon spice.

The thing I love best about this wine is that it’s a really balanced Shiraz that doesn’t hit you over the head with tannins and spice. They’re there but they’re done well!

Douglas Green also has a standard Shiraz (not the Reserve). I’ll be on the look out for this one to give it a try.

Origin: South Africa
Where: Highland Wine
Price:  $TBD
Next time: Special occasion

This Hartford Zinfandel deserves a blog post way before now. It’s no wonder it scored 92 points from The Wine News. I tried this Russian River Valley Zinfandel back in mid-August, and wow, was it fabulous. Supple, velvety tannins are a really great addition to the fruit backbone. Check out the Hartford website for info about how they farm and harvest their vineyards – some really interesting stuff. They describe this Zin as:

This old-vine Zinfandel provides captivating aromas of raspberry, boysenberry, blackberry and white pepper and anise, complemented by flavors reminiscent of black raspberries, bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon. Stunningly rich and concentrated, our 2007 Russian River Valley Zinfandel has incredible definition of fruit and sweet luscious tannins.

Origin: Russian River Valley, California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $30
Next time: Get a glass! Special occasion!

What a lovely Bordeaux blend! W says it’s his favorite wine – ever! I’m really wishing I had another bottle right now.

This delightful wine came from France to Highland Wine (seriously, if you’ve never been, go there tomorrow so that Skip, Sawyer, and Houston can set you up with some fabulous wine picks!). It’s 70% merlot (shocking, I know.. merlot!), 20% cabernet, and 10% Petit Verdot.

It has a healthy serving of tannins, and they blend so perfectly with the rest of the flavors. Many heavy-tannin wines seem to have tannins competing on one side against flavor on the other side… but they’re not collaborating together to make a great wine. This wine has two team players with the tannins and the great fruit flavors that mesh together like old friends. If you know French, check out the video linked from the top-right corner of their website.

I’m sure this Bordeaux would go great with a nice steak or other piece of red meat, but in my case it accompanied an improvisation to this fancy grits, chicken, and mushroom dish from Epicurious. I used Anson Mill grits made with milk, baked chicken breast cutlets with rosemary and garlic, topped with a sauce of beef and chicken stocks, white wine, mushrooms, shallots, and bacon. Super yum!

Origin: France
Where: Highland Wine
Next time: Get a case! / Special Occasion
Price: $29

Big Fire Pinot Noir

Since I first had this wine at Canoe about four years ago (my dad and I split a bottle about a year after I graduated from Emory!), this has been a personal favorite! Of course, I’m a sucker for the interesting mix of type faces on the label as well as the bold design. Usually, a great label design equals the worst wine imaginable — thankfully, not in this case.

http://www.rstuartandco.com/

This wine is simply delectable. Everything you’d want and expect from a pinot. Medium bodies and fruity complexity with depth. Very drinkable, not too acidic or too many tannins… very smooth.

Upon checking out their website, the wine lives up to their talk. One of their “house rules” is:

A little wood goes a long way. No need to mask great fruit with too much new oak.

Exactly.

In addition, they’re a fan of the screw cap. I know some people are traditionalists… However, it is SO NICE when you get ready for a glass of wine and you don’t have to go hunting for the wine opener. Or if you’re like me, I’ve broken three rabbit wine openers in the past three years and have finally switched back to the waiter’s variety (thanks to the generous folks over at Highland Wine & Crystal… more great info on them soon!). Or you’ve arranged for a fun, romantic picnic… but you forgot the wine opener! Or you finally get it open… and it’s corked. Needless to say the screwcap is practical from a wine health and integrity standpoint as well as ease of opening standpoint. How could you possibly go wrong? I’m hoping to see more wineries switch over to the screwcap as time progresses.

Origin: Yamhill Valley, Oregon

Where: Smyrna WOB, approx $16-$18

Next time: Get a case!

Patricia Green Reserve Pinot Noir

What an amazing wine… Retail about $30, unfortunately. Perfect with a nice dinner out.

Origin: Willamette Valley, Oregon

Next time: Special occasion!

Where: Wisteria, Rathbun Steak, Smyrna WOB