Every musician is on the hunt for a "banger"—the song that takes you to the top of the world. Wine bangers are rock ‘n’ roll bottles that will knock your socks to the moon and back, exceptional creations that have celebrity status in expression, complexity, and mystique. If they say, “Beatles or the Rolling Stones,” we say, “Old World or New World,” “Burgundy or Bordeaux,” or “Grange or Bust!” —Laura Starr
If I could meet five wines before I die, it would be these rock stars below:
1. No. 1. Dominio de Pingus, Ribera del Duero
Grape: Tempranillo Price: $1000+ Why: The area is prestigious, the plot is tiny, the vines are low-yielding, and to top it off, a 1997 shipwreck swallowed 75 cases of this esteemed and already hard-to-get Tempranillo. Pingus Mania ensued…and continues on today.
2. Henschke Hill of Grace 2010
Grape: Shiraz
Price: $1000+
Why: Hailed by many as one of the best Shirazes created, this wine is perfectly balanced juxtaposition in your mouth. Dark, broody, but beautiful; sweet fruit and savoury spice; bold, yet soft; complex, with a velvety finish that never ends.
3. Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc
Price: $1000+
Why: This vineyard produced Tuscany’s first Bordeaux-style wine, challenging the palates of Italians accustomed to the lighter and brighter fares of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. A small plot on limited terrain, plus decades of experience, make this wine difficult to acquire, granting it celebrity status from Italian wine lovers around the world.
4. Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes
Grape: Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc
Price: $1000+
Why: This wine drank from the fountain of youth, and can literally age forever. Like poets trying to write about love, no one can perfectly describe the legendary experience of this supreme Sauternes. It is not the rock star of this bunch, but rather Mozart, appreciating more and more with each passing year.
5. Hiedsieck 1907 Diamant Bleu Cuvée Champagne
Grape: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Petit Meunier
Price: ~$3700 but many have paid much more
Why: Another story of shipwreck, except this wine lives to tell its story. 2000 bottles of bubbles sunk under enemy attack and rested for 80 years on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Discovered by divers in 1997, the bottles resurfaced, aged to perfection under ideal conditions (dark, cool, and low pressure). This wine is a collector’s item, and a rare sip of history.
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