So, here we are at the end of another year. It’s been quite a special one for me, surviving my first full year of fatherhood, passing the WSET Diploma with Merit, being promoted to Judge at the IWC in London and turning 30 all in the same year. A busy time and I’ve capped it off with my first holiday in 3 years, which whilst included a wine trip to Mendoza, has mainly been me lounging around a swimming pool, occasionally stopping my son from drowning and drinking inadvisably large amounts of wine. Life is good.

Whilst I have a few new irons in the fire for 2019, I’d like to take this opportunity to celebrate some of the ridiculously good wine I’ve had the pleasure of trying over this last year. I buy 99% of the wine I drink and whilst that does limit me in terms of grand, old bottles that are simply out of my price range, I do save up and splurge from time to time. However, there’s so much good, affordable wine out there these days that there’s plenty of great wine that doesn’t require you to remortgage your home and in fact, 3/10 of the best wines I tried in 2018 were under 30 euros a bottle.

Without further ado, and in no strict order, here are the 10 best bottles of wine I had the pleasure of drinking in 2018

Chapoutier Pavillon Ermitage 1991

This was a special bottle of wine and the single best bottle of Syrah that I’ve had the pleasure of tasting so far. It was also the most money I’ve ever spent on a bottle of wine, at a cool €171. These are the sorts of wines I owe to Monvinic; perfectly stored, beautifully presented and just a brilliant moment in 2018. It was still a beautiful ruby colour when poured into the glass and immediately unfurled itself, providing a dense canopy of dried plums, blackberry, smoked meat, wet earth, cracked black pepper and soft leather. Then over the course of 90 minutes it constantly changed and shifted revealing incense, crushed violets, musk, wet leaves and a touch of baking spices. The palate was much the same, yet even more full of life and force, with the silky tannins and subtle acid backbone providing lift exactly when it was needed. I’ve never tried such a complete wine. Brilliantly complex yet so simple in its appeal, mature and soft yet with the persistence and verve that 5 year old wines would envy. I could still taste it, 2 hours later. Utter brilliance. Read here for a full review.

Castagna Genesis Syrah 2006

Another Syrah, this time hailing from Beechworth in Australia. I had the luck to pick up a few bottles of older Australian Shiraz from Monvinic Store earlier during the year whilst they had a significant sale on, and whilst expensive at €72, was such a sublime experience, I regret not a cent. Still remarkably deep and consistent in colour for a 12 year old wine, with lovely garnet bricking towards the rim. The aromas leap out of the glass in typical Australian style, yet the complexity is something else entirely. Ripe, dusty plums and blackberries, dried mint, soft leather, nutmeg, black pepper and black olives see this run a real gamut of evolution, yet it feels balanced and complete. Soft, refreshing and very long. Everything is in harmony; I’ve caught this in a perfect moment. A gorgeous, complete Syrah. Read here for a full review.

Clonakilla Shiraz-Viognier 2005

Rounding out the Syrah selections of 2018 was this ethereal beauty, drank earlier this month before heading off to Argentina. I’d intentionally saved the bottle to share with Martin Moran MW who was visiting Barcelona and it didn’t disappoint! Subtle yet engaging, full of ripe blackberries, damsons, crushed violets, orange rind and warm oriental spices, this kept evolving in the glass as the day wore on. Beautifully fresh and still vibrant, with soft, finely grained tannins and overall, in perfect harmony. A wine to dispel any notions that the New World can’t produce age worthy, elegant wines – a stunning effort and another expensive one at close to €100.

Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2011

The New World marches on and Kumeu River are not only my favourite producer of Chardonnay in New Zealand, but rival the top wines of Catena Zapata in Argentina as being my favourite producers of New World Chardonnay, full-stop. Deepening in colour at long last, just as it approaches 7 years in age. There’s a touch of struck-match on the nose (reduction), but so much flavour intensity: ripe lime, green apple, ripe peach, honeysuckle and gorgeously integrated, toasted oak. Full of zest and energy on the palate with a wonderful, complete texture that lasts throughout the wine and into a long, lime-inflected finish. This could still age for a while yet but I love catching wines at their mid-point, when youthful energy combines with complexity to deliver something quite lovely. A beautiful Chardonnay. I had the good fortune to pick a few of these up on sale at Vila Viniteca for around €35 a bottle, although unfortunately the prices are closer to €50 now for newer vintages. Read here for a full review.

F. Gavnoux Volnay “Le Clos du Chenes” 1983

I was doing some tasting practice with my friend Marti, who you may know better as Catandovinos on Instagram, when he wondered if I’d like to try some older Burgundy he’d picked up on an auction for all of around €15. Absolutely. I have no idea how Francois Ganoux rode out this tricky vintage in such style, but this was singing at 35 years of age. A remarkably vibrant core of red fruit is wrapped in silky tannins and all the evolving complexity that we look for in good Burgundy – musk, soft leather, warm earth, undergrowth, dried violets…. shifting in the glass as time goes by. The greatest compliment we could pay to it was that ‘this is what everyone wants when they think about old Burgundy’.

Marquis D’Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs 2004

Keeping it on the Burgundy track, and again in Volnay which I’ve come to realise as my favourite village in the Cote d’Or, along with Chambolle-Musigny. Generally speaking with grander bottles, I prefer to share them with friends and wine lovers alike, but at the time I fancied a bit of solo hedonism, so found a quiet corner of Monvinic on a Tuesday lunchtime and drained the bottle whilst reading a book I’d been meaning to but simply couldn’t find the time for. These moments are few and far between, but very important, particularly during periods of high intensity and stress. Marquis d’Angerville are known for their subtlety and fruit purity, producing elegant wines with an intense red fruit profile. At 14 years of age, this is singing. A mixture of ripe and dried cherry and raspberry fruits form the core, with a distinctive floral note of fresh violets, then the musk, soft leather and sois-bois elements take over. Still lifted and vibrant despite its age, with refreshing acidity and soft, caressing tannins. A long, long finish full of red fruits and warm earth confirm the pedigree of this wine; what a treat!

Sadie Family Wines Pofadder 2012

There were a lot of delicious South African wines to choose from this year, but perhaps unsurprisingly, Eben Sadie and co take the prize. Pofadder is a very well priced, 100% Cinsault from old vines around the Swartland and easily the best example of the variety I’ve had the pleasure of trying. At 6 years old, this bottle was singing and I had the pleasure of sharing it with a friend who’d never tried a single wine from the Sadie Family before. I hope this gave him the motivation to discover more and at €35, it isn’t completely out of budget. My, what a gorgeous nose! Ripe cranberries, raspberries, smoke, earth, anis, dried violets and oregano all mingled together in a very Mediterranean style, yet the fruit is precise and delineated. The sort of wine you want to spend a whole day with. Fresh and vibrant on the palate but with softer tannins than I expected and the same lovely red fruits, herbs and subtle smokiness. Spicy, Mediterranean and yet still so elegant. A superb bottle of wine that I suspect will get even more interesting in another 5-10 years! Read here for a full review.

Eulogio Pomares Carralcobas 2015

2018 has been a pretty fantastic year for new Albariño discoveries, and taking pride of place is this wild, wonderful example from Eulogio Pomares. Galicia has seen a lot of attention from the wine world this year, and rightly so, but Albariño has gotten somewhat lost in all the excitement of native red varieties, mainly from Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras. I wrote an article about my favourite wines from the region here, but Carralcobas is, after some deliberation, the best I’ve tried so far. At €25 a bottle, everyone who can should try and drink it at least once! This is a brilliant example of Albariño, albeit a highly unusual one! Slightly oxidative but absolutely thrilling, with notes of mandarin orange, bruised white peach, wild white flowers, subtle toast and ripe lemons. Taut and crackling with energy on the palate, this is an effortlessly good bottle of wine and beautifully packaged to boot, with an old-fashioned, black-and-white label. Long and thrilling.

Gonzalez Byass Palo Cortado 1987

It’s not often that I get to try single vintage Sherry and indeed, there’s not a lot of it around in general! I had the pleasure of trying a line-up of various vintage Sherry in November, as part of an online tasting I did in conjunction with Ruben of Sherry Notes. Whilst there were a few outstanding examples, this blew me away. Distinctly brown in colour and remarkably lifted on the nose, given its age. Orange marmalade, cinnamon spice, varnished wood, caramel, toffee and old books lift out of the glass, with a slight note of burnt wood peeking through. Then on the palate, this is concentrated, salty and endlessly flavoursome, with the alcohol superbly well integrated into the wine. Powerful, long, complex and majestic; one of the best Sherries I can remember ever tasting. Read here for a full review.

Andrea Occhipinti Rosso Arcaico 2017

Rounding out my list, is this beautiful, pure-fruited and affordable wine from Lazio, Italy. Occhipinti is a famous name in the world of wine, but generally from Sicily to the south, where Adrianna Occhipinti has rightfully forged a name for herself. I bought this on a whim whilst I was searching for her wines, and boy am I glad I did! Absolutely stunning and great value at €15; I shall be buying a few bottles of the 2018 when it’s released! A vibrant, cherry-red colour in the glass and really quite aromatic, although delicately so: ripe cherry fruit, damsons, violets and crushed rocks with just a hint of sweet herbs. The same characteristic yet restrained profile comes out on the palate with lovely red fruits, supple, chalky tannins and refreshing acidity. A beautifully made wine; so simple yet so wonderfully in balance. Surprising intensity and length for such a subtle style. Read here for a full review.