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Annual Review 2002

There's a slight change to the format of my annual review this year. I've pared my wine categories down to the bare minimum, to facilitate the introduction of some new, broader Winedoctor Awards. I've deliberated long and hard over my choices. Do you agree or disagree with them?

Winedoctor Wines of the Year

White: JJ Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 1990
With my German Wine Saga completed in mid-summer, it's no surprise that my white wine choice hails from that country. It was a head-to-head between this wine and Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Fuder 6 1997, but the Prüm took the award with the complexity of a maturing wine.

Red: Chateau Léoville Barton 1989
St Julien is the epitome of claret, for me at least, and Léoville Barton is one of my favourites. This wine screamed quality in a tasting of 1989 St Julien which I attended in January this year. The best red is always a difficult category, and other notable wines include Antinori Tignanello 1999, Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 1997, Auguste Clape Cornas 1990 and Château Rauzan-Ségla 1985 (last year's winner, and I was again impressed this year).

Fizz: Pol Roger 1990
Pol Roger take the prize once again for their fabulous 1990. This is stunning stuff, and I have no qualms about this wine taking the title of Best Fizz for two years on the trot.

Dessert/fortified: Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Auslese 1998
Another German, but that should be no surprise. The Gunderlochs make tremendous wine, and this 1998 blew me away. Enough for me to go out and buy two cases from the 2001 vintage. Stunning!

Winedoctor Awards

Most impressive producer: Vieux Chateau Certan
A category where I can consider consistency and overall quality rather than just the occasional great bottle. I thought Rauzan-Ségla was in the running until I looked through my notes and found that the tasting I was thinking of had been in November 2001. This year, though, the winner was head and shoulders above the competition, as in a tasting of the 75, 82, 85, 89, 93 and 95 I failed to rate any wine less than excellent. An impressively high level of consistency and quality. Also under consideration were Domaine Tempier, Ridge Vineyards, d'Arenberg and Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey.

Biggest disappointment: Bordeaux 1975
When I created this category I was thinking of individual bottles rather than this rather broad statement. I can comment not on the whole vintage, of course, but only on the six I tasted which included Lynch-Bages, Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Leoville Barton, Langoa Barton, Léoville-Las-Cases and Palmer. All in all they were a pretty dull bunch. Three were undrinkable, LLC was drying out and only the Langoa was near palatable. On the night they were all shown up by a reasonable bottle of Moldovan wine (?!), Negru de Purkar 1975.

Best retailer: The Wine Society
I've bought a lot from this co-operative society this year, including some German and Italian bottles for my themed tastings. Some say the list is less interesting than previously, but the quality is still there. I've also made some en-primeur purchases through them, now stored in 'members reserves' which adds to their weight. Close behind came Lay & Wheeler (despite some almost comical mishaps) who are also very strong on Germany and usually have plenty of offers.

Best bargain: Calon-Ségur 2000
Several months ago a chance check of my mailbox just before leaving work revealed a freshly arrived e-mail from Oddbins Delivers notifying me of some Bordeaux 2000, with the addition "phone for details". A quick phone call was made, but the telephonist at the other end knew nothing of the offer - I was obviously one of the first to call - and had to leave her telephone to find the necessary details. On returning, she read through a list of châteaux mostly far out of my financial reach, but some were not, including the one and only solitary case of Calon-Ségur. I snapped it up at £210 (excluding duty and VAT). The going rate is now nearer £500 (also excluding duty and VAT). Just in case you are wondering, I've split the case with a friend and will be drinking it, not selling it!