Matthew Luczy: My top 10 fine wines of 2020

It would be an understatement to call 2020 the most bizarre year of my life. People of all ages could say much the same. Despite the concerning headlines, rampant uncertainty and forced isolation, I’m grateful to have had the company of many beautiful wines – including these top 10 fine wines.

Scroll down for Matthew Luczy’s top 10 fine wines of 2020

I dove especially deep into the Napa Valley this year. There were eye-opening wines from all corners of the region, reconfirming that (in the right hands) beautiful and nuanced Napa wines are indeed alive and well.

California dreams

From many fascinating producer profiles I wrote for Decanter this year, two wines stood out.

First, Heitz Cellar‘s 2014 Trailside Vineyard Cabernet, particularly given how often it lies in the shadow of Martha’s Vineyard. Tasting them side by side over five days left no doubt of its equal status in quality, length and complexity. I was also fortunate to spend a few hours with the 1985 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet from Joseph Phelps. It ranks among the best wines from Napa Valley I’ve ever had.

In my extensive tastings for the 2018 Napa Vintage Report, a handful of wines left a singular fingerprint. Kapcsàndy’s 2018 State Lane Vineyard Grand Vin was one. It has a remarkably ethereal, feminine profile that stood out from the rest.

Several 2020 highlights came from Santa Barbara County, a unique region with the state’s best quality-to-price ratio. Choosing just a few wines was no easy task.

Sta Rita Hills has gained much notoriety from Pinot Noir, although I believe Chardonnay could soon steal the limelight. The 2018 Bentrock Vineyard from Racines is a stunning, crystalline example of tense, mineral-structured Chardonnay from these maritime vineyard sites. Farther north in the Santa Maria Valley, The Ojai Vineyard crafts what is consistently one the best Syrahs in California – the Solomon Hills Vineyard Special Bottling.

French fancies

2020 marked the end of my tenure working as wine director for Mélisse. This two-star Michelin fine-dining staple in Los Angeles provided me with a masterclass in French wine. The temporary closure of the restaurant would kickstart my transition out of the hospitality industry, but not before the opportunity to taste some legendary bottles.

For fans of Pinot Noir-based Champagne there are no finer examples than the wines of Egly-Ouriet, and the 2008 Brut Grand Cru is a legend in the making.

Meanwhile, Coche-Dury’s Corton-Charlemagne needs no introduction. Even in a difficult vintage like 2012, it’s a central star around which other world-class white wines orbit.

Deciding which to select for my top 10 between Domaine de la Romanée-Conti‘s 1996 Romanée-St-Vivant and 2000 La Tâche was a toss-up. While the latter is a fantastic wine and might seem the obvious choice, I found the former more impressive relative to the vintage.

I have long been a fan of Loire Valley’s Clos Rougeard, and am very glad I was able to stash away a few bottles before their price and scarcity skyrocketed. The 2010 Les Poyeux was a real treat to watch unfold over an evening.

From Côte-Rôtie, Domaine Jamet’s 1990 Côte-Brune is the absolute definition of the heights that Syrah can achieve – one of the greatest wines I’ve ever had.

Ending on a high

To close out the year, I’ll be spending time with a few wines from Massican, the only producer in Napa Valley that focuses just on white wines. I have a few bottles of Beaujolais from Jean-Louis Dutraive and Yvon Métras lined up as well.

As I write this in early December, California just issued another stay-at-home order that will likely carry into 2021. Outdoor dining has been suspended in many counties throughout the state, causing further strife for already-limping restaurants.

There’s no better time for all of us to go into that special corner in the cellar where ‘bottles for the right occasion’ are kept, unfurl the corkscrew and open something special.

See Matthew Luczy’s top 10 fine wines of 2020

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