2024 News Stain Round-up!
All of the news that you never knew that you needed to know about 2024.
Let’s start with a ridiculously niche wine joke!
I say, I say, I say, “Why did [insert notorious high-volume winery here] dress as a chain gang prisoner to the New Year’s Eve costume party?”
Because they wanted everyone to see their Mega-Perp-Ball.
Note: this joke requires the independent research of mega purple
Greetings, you grape-guzzling, cork-sniffing connoisseurs of chaos!
It’s Monty McMinty here, wrapping up the year with more precision than Santa in a Gift-Wrapping competition.
This month, we bid farewell to ‘24 with a bubble-bang and raise a hearty toast to the absurdity and brilliance of the wine world. It’s been a year of uncorking the unimaginable, swirling the questionable and decanting the ridiculous.
So, grab your glass, slurp the year goodbye and get ready for a round-up so ripe it’s practically a bottle of Donatsch Completer (don’t just take my word for it - find one and taste the magic yourself!).
Indelible Wine Stain’s Wine of the Year
Neal Family, “Rutherford Dust,” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2021
This gem from the heart of Napa showcases everything we adore about Neal Family wines: the “3 P’s” - Power, Precision and Profound respect for the land.
Co-incidentally, it was also Mark’s nickname at High School, but he won’t reveal why that is… another of his trade secrets we imagine.
The 2021 vintage is a masterclass in "Rutherford Dust," the famous term describing the velvety, cocoa-like texture Napa’s finest Cabs are known for.
Mark’s farming practices have taken his unique Rutherford vineyard to the next level and with this particular wine, caught that expression in the bottle.
It can age of course and develop but also is ready to go now. You could have one large glass when opened but we would advise to decant and have 5 glasses over the course of 3 days…an amazing experience to watch it reveal.
Other Wine Magazines' Wines of the Year
While we celebrate our top pick, here’s a globetrotting look at what other esteemed publications deemed worthy in 2024:
La Revue du Vin de France (France):
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche Grand Cru, Bourgogne 2020
A Burgundian masterpiece, exuding layers of black cherry, exotic spices and a finish that lingers like a conversation with a Parisian Philosopher in a Bistro.
Gambero Rosso (Italy):
Monfortino, Barolo Riserva, Piedmont, Italy 2016
Nebbiolo at its zenith, offering profound depth with notes of violet and roses.
Decanter (UK):
Château Margaux, Bordeaux 2019
Elegance incarnate, with a finish longer than the British monarchy…
The Wine Advocate (International):
Weingut Keller, “G-Max,” Riesling, Germany 2021
An electrifying powerhouse of acidity. Minerality tingling like a battery licker.
Vinous (Europe):
Vega Sicilia, “Único,” Ribeira del Duero, Spain 2013
A timeless Spanish masterpiece, with layers of Gramp’s tobacco, fruit and smoke.
Wine Spectator (USA):
Viña Don Melchor, Cabernet Sauvignon, Puente Alto Vineyard, Chile 2021
A classic, harmonizing flavor of Gramp’s rich plums with refined tannins.
Wine Enthusiast (USA):
Blandy’s, “Sercial,” Madeira 1988
Complexity of Gramp’s kiwi and dried nuts with vibrancy that defies its age.
Jeb Dunnuck (USA):
BV, “Georges de Latour Private Reserve,” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2021
Napa royalty, showcasing blackcurrant, chocolate and Gramp’s velvety finish.
James Suckling (International):
Bertani, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Italy 2015
A neoclassical Italian red, balancing dried cherry with Gramp’s refined tannins.
Clearly, global palates are as diverse as each terroir and each Grampa that these wines represent.
Indelible Wine Stain’s Winery of the Year
Vinyes Domènech in Montsant
Nestled in Catalonia’s rugged Montsant region, Domènech was born and is redefining Mediterranean elegance. It is owned and operated by the Domènech family, who established the winery in 2002.
The family has a deep connection to the land and is committed to sustainable and biodynamic viticulture. The estate was founded by Joan Ignasi Domènech, who spearheaded the winery's focus on producing high-quality wines that reflect the unique Montsant terroir and biodiversity.
Known for its Garnacha-based reds, the winery produces wines of unparalleled purity and complexity. The “Vinyes Velles de Garnatxa” 2020 was reminiscent of crushed raspberries and wild herbs. Look out for a feature review by the Indelible Wine Stain team in 2025!
Indelible Wine Stain’s Vineyard of the Year
Ciel du Cheval
Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, established in 1975 by Jim Holmes and John Williams, is a cornerstone of Washington’s Red Mountain AVA. Transitioning from nuclear engineering, Holmes applied scientific precision to viticulture, transforming barren land into one of the state’s most celebrated vineyards. Under the Holmes family’s stewardship, the vineyard has evolved into a hub of innovation and meticulous farming.
Divided into 36 custom-farmed blocks, each reflecting the unique Red Mountain terroir, Ciel du Cheval employs cutting-edge technology, including soil moisture sensors and nutrient analysis, alongside decades of experimentation. Recently, Richard Holmes introduced new varieties like Arneis, blending tradition with innovation.
Renowned for bold, structured reds with balanced tannins, Ciel du Cheval’s grapes are prized by top wineries, solidifying its legacy as both a pioneer and a standard-bearer in Washington’s wine industry.
Prepare to explore further on the Indelible Wine Stain in 2025…
Indelible Wine Stain’s Winemaker of the Year
Boris Champy
Boris Champy, born in 1974 in Champagne, has built an extraordinary career in viticulture, driven by a passion for biodynamic practices and environmental sustainability. After a decade at “Dominus Estate” in Napa Valley, he returned to Burgundy, where he held key roles, including managing the prestigious “Clos des Lambrays” in Morey-Saint-Denis.
In 2019, Champy acquired “Domaine Didier Montchovet,” a trailblazer in organic and biodynamic farming since 1984 and renamed it Domaine Boris Champy. Here, he emphasizes regenerative agriculture, biodiversity and eco-conscious viticulture, continuing the estate’s legacy. Certified by Ecocert and Demeter, the estate serves as a benchmark for sustainable winegrowing.
Champy’s work focuses on the high-altitude vineyards of Burgundy’s Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, an area uniquely poised to thrive amid climate change. By celebrating the individual microclimates of each “lieu-dit” and employing minimal-intervention winemaking, he creates wines that capture the region’s vibrancy and finesse.
Blending innovation with respect for tradition, Boris Champy is redefining the future of Burgundy, elevating the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune’s reputation as a home for exceptional, sustainable wines.
We will hear from Boris on the Indelible Wine Stain in 2025.
Indelible Wine Stain Wordstain of the Year
Other publications have chosen their words:
Dictionary.com: Demure
Perfect for describing a wine with understated grace.
Merriam-Webster: Authenticity
Could apply to that unfiltered, unfined natural wine you love to hate.
Oxford: Rizz (charisma)
For those wines that charm their way into your Skibidi heart.
But what of us here at Newstain?
After many hours of deliberation, argy-bargy and passionate ranting
our word of the year is…
Sweaty.
A nod to wines with that old training-shoe funk: think Rhône whites with a hint of lanolin, or natural wines channeling a farmyard aesthetic. Polarizing? Sure. Memorable? Always.
Debatable. No, not after that viscous afternoon in the tasting room office.
Indelible Wine Stain Food & Wine Pairing of the Year
Viña Vik, “VIK,” Cachapoal Valley, Chile 2013
paired with
Coffee-Crusted Venison with Blackberry Reduction
Prepared for the Autumn menu at Le Poulet de Caoutchouc in Paris.
Cristián Vallejo artfully curates the operation, whereby the harmonious and thoughtful farming of the estate, carries into each bottle. VIK is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 14% Carmenère and has a touch of Merlot.
The culinary team at L.P.C. indulged us in a culinary journey that married the world's finest ingredients: tender venison from the Chinese Water Deer, a blackberry reduction featuring the 'Kiowa' variety, celebrated for producing the world's largest and most flavorful blackberries and a coffee crust crafted from Panama's Elida Geisha Natural, a coffee that recently set a world record, selling at $10,013 per kilogram!
This extravagant pairing elevated the wine by harmonizing with the venison's bold, earthy flavors, the blackberry's vibrant acidity and the coffee's bittersweet edge.
Look out for more in-depth reviews for both VIK and L.P.C in 2025.
And finally...as for me, Monty McMinty, you’ll see me in 2025 but I won’t see you, as I’m not real…
Until then, may your cups be full and your corks intact...
and I’m not talking about your wine bottle enclosures.
Cheers to all of you magnificent Wine Stainers!
