La Baronne '05

Country: France

Winemaker: Famille Lignères

Thoughts: Because of the low light at BLT Steak, I wasn't able to take a photo of the bottle itself. But our waiter was kind enough to save the label for me and tape it on one of their postcards. (Plus this gives me a chance to show off the new monitor I got for my birthday, a 22-inch LG LCD.) At any rate, this wine was simply phenomenal - enough that a new ratings system was devised because of it (and, thus, my secret is revealed). The bouquet was difficult to describe; it smelled, for lack of a better term, sparkly. It was fragrant like fresh flowers, but that didn't seem to sum it up quite right - at least not in one word. The taste was mellow; it was like there was untold fruitiness just bubbling below the surface. On the finish, that pent up energy was released like an explosion. The vibrant fruitiness could no longer be contained. Just superb from start to finish.

Ingredients: Vermentino, grenache blanc, grenache gris

Do-over? Absolutely, no matter the price

Final Grade: A+