This time of year, many publications, writers and bloggers come out with their top ten wine lists for the year. Recently, during a discussion of one of these lists, I was asked what the ten greatest wines were. Before answering such a question, I needed to settle on my criteria for judging. Was it the ten greatest in the past year? Was it the ten greatest bottles which would include vintage? What does greatest mean? After some thought, here is what I came up with. First, I need to define great. I don’t mean interesting, contemplative, unique. I mean superlative. I am talking about the kind of wine that makes everything stop as you taste it because it’s just so damn brilliant. Also, I am interested in wines that are produced from year to year and are always (or almost always) great wines. I will not consider one hit wonders. I don’t need a long track record, but for example, the 1990 Château Beauséjour-Duffau was an incredible wine. It is, however, so far above the usual quality of this wine that it would not be considered.
