2023 has been an amazing year for me and the No Sediment YouTube channel, so I wanted to share my top 7 wine highlights, including best wines tasted and most memorable wine experiences.
GIVEAWAY CURRENTLY OPEN – Enter for a chance to win an EXCLUSIVE No Sediment Hat! Watch the video to find out how to participate. The winner will be announced in one of my January videos.
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Photos of winemakers
**CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO:
0:00 Introduction
0:55 Barrel tasting @ Pierre Gonon winery
2:35 Surprise wine of 2023
5:21 Starting No Sediment Wine Podcast
6:54 Amazing Architecture of Rioja Wineries
8:34 1973 Vintage Prunotto Barolo
10:27 Visiting Chateau Latour
11:27 My Top Wine of 2023
12:56 Honorable mentions & final thoughts
#nosediment #wineeducation #wine
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Hi everybody this is agnesa from no sediment and today I want to share my greatest wine experiences of 2023 2023 has been an amazing year for me and no sediment wine YouTube channel and I want to share my highlights with you guys of course we can reduce it to
Just my greatest wines of 2023 the best of which I will still list in this video however for me wine is more than bottled liquid it’s about the People You Meet the wineries you visit and the emotions you experience therefore these are my seven best wine experiences of
2023 and be sure to stick around until the end of this video where I will be doing a giveaway of this exclusive no sediment hat to one of you Guys let me paint you a picture we were traveling through Saturn ran which was quite hot and I don’t deal with hot weather very well I felt tired and sleepy all the time and yet we had planned another Winery visit that day which was in San Joseph so North in the
Northern part of rone it was humid foggy and rainy that day really uninviting exhausted we got there but couldn’t find the winery you see even though Pierre G on is the top top Winery of that area they don’t have magnificent signs gift shops and tasting rooms they are vinon
Anyway we managed to locate the winery and meet Jean gonan himself at that moment I was tired and quite frankly irritated at everything and the only thing I wanted to do was go home as soon as possible but boy what a great experience it turned out to be we
Gathered wine glasses and proceeded downstairs into the sellers Jean Gan started with bottled wines of his son Joseph Blan and quite quickly my bad mood was gone the energy he gave us through his stories his wins was something deep and sincere as with all legendary stories I sometimes hear from
My peers we proceeded to taste Barrel samples and at some point he left the room to go and get some older bottles just like Jean gonan their wines are also full of energy offering bright fruit elegance and depth of flavor Pierre Gan wines are by no means cheap
But I think their honesty and humbleness is so something that many of us should learn truly one of the highlights of my 2023 now let’s move to the wine and yet it will also be linked with traveling I had this crazy idea to travel to
Bordeaux by car it takes a good 32 hours just driving from where I live so it can be quite exhausting it just happens that without large detour one can stop in sunet and enjoy fresh freshness and zestiness of L Valley so Blanc we didn’t spend much time there just lunch and a
Walk around the area and as a true cheese lover I found a fromagerie and made some epic choices that I would feel in the car for the rest of the trip but I also found a franu Kat s there and since I read that it is highly regarded
And well respected Winery of the area and yet never tasted it I decided to buy that as well arriving at a truly amazing Palace in bordeau where I got to stay thanks to my friends franu cotat was the very first bottle I put in the fridge to
Open later as a prise for all those long hours spent in the car later comes and I open this wine expecting to have high acidity dry palette and crisp fruit but no it is sweet not lusciously sweet but it has some residual sugar it is dense
And Rich I was so so disappointed I checked the bottle convinced that I have mixed something up that I have taken V or something but sure enough it was Sansa I started to read all imaginable resources about this producer I even asked lir Valley Guru Chris kissak on x/
Twitter and all I got is that this producer Harvest his grapes as late as possible when they are really really ripe and sometimes does as he pleases and sugar can be left disappointed at put a different bottle in the fridge slowly finish my frano Kat sanser in the
Glass and leave it next day comes we wake up early and go to City of Bordeaux walk enjoy ourselves it is my favorite city in France and yet all I can think about is that wine that Fran de 2020 I cannot wait until I am back home to taste it again to taste
That purity of fruit that density and richness and this goes to all my commentators who say that typicity is a virtue no diversity quality a wine that can give you something more than just simple Buzz is a virtue this is now my favorite even though so atypical Sunset
Period this is very personal to me I study at Institute of Masters of wine and those who have studied there or know anything about a study process and requirements understand that you need to interview as many wine personalities as possible for those bloody examples but the reason why this is among the best
Wine experiences for me of 2023 is because of the people I get to meet and interview starting from the very first one I did with Andrew jefford to the very last I just published with charming and knowledgeable Gia G and funny enough these were the two videos where I felt
The most intimidated and worried I have been incredibly lucky that all my guests agreed to sit and talk with me and spend an impressive amount of time in the world that starts to look very much like Mom book not only that during these interviews I have also learned a lot and
Gained experience that otherwise I wouldn’t have I have also laughed a lot believe it or not I have Frozen have stuttered and every single one of of them has left me with a better feeling than before hi everybody this is agnesa from nose sediment and today stay tuned for the next episode no
Sediment wine podcast is available here on YouTube and on all the major podcasting Platforms I have always said that the wine World allows you to look at it from the angle you are interested the most be it chemistry be biology or physics you can also view it through the prism of economy politics and history and you can also appreciate it through architecture
Architecture is not something that I know a lot about I just simply like to enjoy the Aesthetics of it as a commoner whilea wines were the number one reason I wanted to visit the region the second was the impressive architecture of the wine iies we can of course like it or
Not but one cannot argue that these are not worth visiting or something unique one of the two most impressive in my view was the better known Maris der riscal this famous building made to look like a mature wine is not a winery it is a hotel placed in the middle of what I
Can only describe as the Disneyland for the grown-ups you can visit The Vineyards the winery the sellers the gift shop taste the wines and other at the end even go to the spa the second one bodegas isos I have been wanting to visit for a very long time it is
Designed by the controversial architect Santiago calatrava and built against the backdrop of the Sierra de canabria Mountain creating a truly epic look the grandiosity and uniqueness cannot be expressed in the pictures it was exactly as I imagined it to be and better Roha and its wineries are worth
Visiting even if you don’t enjoy wine at All I am not as old nor as Rich to have Wines in my Sellar from the 70s or 80s therefore it is not something I often get to taste and usually these will be bottles shared with me by my friends colleagues and Industry professionals not all wines have the ability to age as
Long and if you get to to taste back vintages that are older than you are you can only hope this bottle comes directly from the wine maker seller this way you know it is the real deal it has been kept in near perfect conditions all this time and hasn’t really been moved much
On my last trip to Pont Italy in November I visited a lot of Wineries and many producers including Gaa Gaa noted that I often find enjoyment in wines from vintages that critics don’t praise highly and I was incredibly lucky to experience this myself 1973 is considered a weak vintage producing
Wines with no potential unlike 1989 which we also tasted at the setting and is considered a great vintage with a perfect score and yet the greatest wine at that table was the 1973 prunotto Baro it still showed fruit and not barely any fruit almost dying fruit but good dried fruit it also
Showed lovely mid pallet something that old wines often lack it was not just acidity and Tannon it had lean slightly bony body of someone who has seen age but lived beautifully through it and it held in that glass for a long time it showed truffle Black Earth and balsamic
Notes as it opened all wrapped with beautiful dried cherries beautiful wine and beautiful experience on that legendary trip to Bordeaux I also had the opportunity to visit some epic wineries of course some can be more memorable not only because of their wines but also because it is rare that
You ever get to be allowed to enter their premises one of them certainly is chat tour it is a winery that almost everyone has heard about even if you are not involved in the wine industry we were welcome come so warmly there receiving a full tour in The Vineyards
And the wine making area and the sellers all our questions were answered with no rush and of course the cherry on the top was the tasting of Collectibles themselves since catola tour is not a wine I can afford to enjoy often it was definitely a truly impressive birthday
Celebration and definitely one of the highlights of my 2023 and lastly I want to share my number one wine of 2023 and guess what you all experienced it with me it was blind tasting of Stella dealto Brunello de Montalcino 2015 for the no sediment video I went
Into that video honestly thinking that I will not give the highest score to the most expensive wine of the flight I was wrong it turned out to be one of those wines that you don’t simply drink but Savor enjoy talk about come back to after a while and see what else it is
Telling you what it has opened up and is offering in the glass it is not only fruit acid alcohol and tannin it is something else something ethereal it almost felt that the wine itself had a soul that it was sharing with us it was layered and complex it had power and
Structure and yet at the same time it felt fragile it is also surprising how in times of Jammy and Rich fruit they have been able to preserve freshness with bright Cherry driven aftertaste that just lasts forever you know I recently did a wine judging and one of
The fellow judges told me if you think it is 10 then just give 10 so I will give 10 I know I will be having Stella dealto Brunello dealino way more in my wine fridge next year but that is a story for another video looking back on
On 2023 I couldn’t be more blessed with the experiences I had but I would also like to express my gratitude to my friend who opened up their Bordeaux estate for me to stay rentree it was a truly gorgeous time I had there and funny enough I would also like to
Highlight two other experiences in Thea pamon one at the Enrico retto Winery which smells amazing filled with beautiful colors of flowers and bursting with life including bees butterflies and dragonflies I wish to see more wine Estates so alive like his and big thanks to Aldo vaka from prodor Del barbaresco
Who drove around with me in the area and shared his knowledge of the single Vineyards of barbaresco it was just so exciting I hope to catch it on tape sometime soon lastly I want to thank all of you for supporting me and tuning in every week for commenting and sharing
Your your experiences your wines and your frustrations and more you are the best and I’m thankful that I have you as promised I will be giving away this hat to one of you currently it is not available for purchase to enter all you have to do is comment on this video
About your top wine or wine experience of 2023 I will announce winner in one of my January videos but until then Happy New Year and see you you in 2024
30 Comments
GIVEAWAY CURRENTLY OPEN – Enter for a chance to win an EXCLUSIVE No Sediment Hat! Watch the video to find out how to participate. The winner will be announced in one of my January videos.
Great recap, Thank you Agnese! My favorite wine this year was a 2010 Chateau Climens. Sumptuous and such an amazing value. Happy New Year!!
Thank you, Agnese for your work on this channel. Many wine geeks like myself who don't have the money or the credentials to visit wineries and wine regions often, this channel helps a lot in that regard, especially with the new podcasts. The growth of the channel is much deserved and we hope to have you around for much longer here on Youtube!
This year I've learned a fair bit, and I expect to rump up that mark for next year when I get into DipWSET! My best wine experience of the year are two, both recent, but I leave them here in case anyone likes a fun little story:
1) I bought a 12 half-bottle case of wines from around the world at Costco, which replaces the conventional wine advent calendar for December. I've been tasting them all blind, working through the wine to see if I could get them. To my surprise, I've seen that my tasting notes are usually very closely aligned with the correct result even if I often ended up pointing somewhere else, which has given me a MASSIVE, much needed boost in confidence. A couple of days ago I funnelled all the way to a Pinot Blanc, which is a quite neutral variety, and it got me super excited for the next year!
2) I had heard such alluring stories about Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, which I later discovered that it's produced in a remote wine region from Italy that ties back to an endearing personal story (nowhere near Alba in Piemonte!). I even DREAMED about opening that bottle I keep! Finally, I got to taste it one evening in Madrid, and it was one of those rare times when reality goes beyond high expectations. I began scribble down unusual, intriguing aromas which I then read about when learning more about the wine. Now I keep three bottles from different producers and I have no idea what to do with them! I should set up a tasting or something. I think I currently hold the biggest collection of Lacrima di Morro d'Alba in Spain 😂
One of my top wine experiences of 2023 was discovering Capel Vale's 2018 single vinyard Shiraz. It was amazing and powerful, delicious dark fruit. I would also mention watching your weekly videos on Sundays has been something I have really enjoyed. I wish you a Happy New Year.
My favourite, very recent wine was Domäne Serrig Große Lage 2020 wich is just an unbelievable classic Riesling for how young it is. I await its potential🎉
Great job. The most important is that you are happy with what you’re doing. Wish you to keep the passion for wine and stay healthy.
Boris from Bulgaria
Hi Agnese, great experiences in 2023! In general, I like how you have your own style on YouTube compared to other wine channels, and you stand out from the rest! Each of your videos gives inspiration, whether it is to try a new wine, region, grape, plan a trip, do some reading etc. Great job, keep it up and cheers to more great experiences in 2024!
My best experience in 2023 was a visit and tasting before our wedding, at the Oenops winery (Drama, Greece) which wines have accompanied me and my husband throughout our relationship so far – in both "bigger" moments as well as the everyday, "small" moments. After drinking their wines so often, we visited for the first time, re-tasted all of them, and made a selection for the wines to serve at our wedding. It is beautiful how a single sip can bring back so many memories.
My top highlight was drinking a bottle of DRC "La Tache" 2014 with one of my best friends although I had to pay for it because I lost a bet against him.😊
Great job on this channel, love the energy and passion. My highlight for 2023 was tasting the Pio Cesare Barolo from 1958, amazing wine still and with beautiful notes.
With your cap you have to taste more wines from the US. 😅. Anyway, as I am from germany it is a little bit harder to purcase wines from the state, but during christmas I opened a bottle 2017 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict 32th vintage from Winemaker Jim Clendenen and it was an absolute blast. …… Keep up the good work and all the best for 2024!
Hi Agnes, big thanks for your videos in 2023, I'm already looking forward to what's coming in 2024! My favourite wine in 2023 was a Santa Giulia 2020 Merlot. Santa Giulia is located in Montalcino, where your favorite of 2023 wine comes from too. Love their Brunello's already for years, and the Merlot that is produced in small quantity was an excellent VFM discovery. I wish you a happy new year from Belgium and lot's of enjoyable wine discoveries in 2024. PS : If I should be lucky enough to win the hat, please sign it before shipping so it will be a real collectors item.
Thank you for all the videos in 2023! My memorable moment is drinking the Catena Zapata Adrianna vineyard white stones chardonnay 2017. It’s minerally driven with taste of oyster shell and zest, smooth and layered. It is a good contrast to my favorite Leeuwin Art Series Chard which is more fruit focused with long length. Can’t wait to taste the Adrianna white bones chardonnay later in 2024!
This year’s best experience was Saint-Emilions portes ouvertes allowing me and my friends to visit more than 10 wineries while walking around this amazing village. May 2024 bring even more sips of wine!
My 2023 highlight happened this past summer in the Piedmont. My wife and I were having dinner at Osteria taStè in Barbaresco. This was definitely some of the best food we had on our month long trip, but what made the experience so memorable were our table neighbors. After chatting for the better part of dinner we discovered that one of them was a former mayor of Barbaresco and the other was a local winery owner. We discussed various wines in the area and they shared a Marziano Abbona Cinerino Lange Bianca which was quite tasty! This was such an amazing experience for us both and is why we love to travel and interact with locals every chance we get!
Thank you Agnese for a wonderful end to 2023. Your channel is my favorite wine centered channel on YouTube! This was one of your best videos ever, not only for the lovely views of wineries and vineyards but for the thoughtful content and wine analysis. I'm a Sommelier too and every Sunday when I go to the gym to do my cardio, I look forward to your input on wine and the people who are part of its production. Congratulations on stepping into the world of podcasts! I love champagne and I recently really enjoyed a Brut Nature Blanc de Blanc from Laurent Perrier, which is operated and run by women!
stella was tied with the sadie columella for best wine of 2023. if you can get more stella di campalto let me know😅 i need more 😍
Very nice 2023 experience in review.
Château La Clarière 2021. Don’t drink it when you open it. I carafed it over night, and the next day it was a delicious St Emilion wannabe but affordable. The oxygen gave the wine more body and deeper color! It was like a 96 pt Bordeaux. My discerning Francophile friends also loved it.
Hello and Happy New Year!
My best wine experience of 2023 was being asked to lead a Blind Tasting of 4 different Bubblies for a well-to-do group of condo owners in November.
I chose 3 Traditional Method Sparklers and a Prosecco ranging in price from around $12US to an entry level Champagne in the $70 range.
At the last minute, I swapped out the Cava for the Chandon California Trad Method Blanc de Noir. That’s where the discussion really got exciting.
This was an engaged, happy group of wine lovers with a fair amount of practical experience, but not a lot of formal wine education.
Well, the Chandon B de Noir had the room in an uproar! The palate showed lovely acidity with crisp strawberry and cherry and a touch of earth.
However, this Sparkler also displayed a classic Burgundy ‘funk’ on the nose: forest floor, mushroom and barnyard – real STANK lol- which had half the crowd (incl me) oohing and ahhing while the other half was convinced the wine had somehow gone bad!
This led to a great discussion of how the best wine really is the one an individual likes best (to paraphrase Jancis Robinson) no matter how well made or expressive of typicity a given wine may present.
Surprisingly, the hit of the tasting was the final blind pour – the Hungaria Trad Method Cuvee which retails for about $12 US!
Thank you for your work and passion in 2023! Looking forwforward to seeing more of you in 2024 🎉
I try to visit wine regions every year and two of my go-to places are Alto Adige (Suedtirol) and Wachau where I fell in love with Gruener Veltliner.
My favourite wine of 2023 was Alte Reben Chardonnay by Huber (Baden). My greatest discovery was Derthona Timorasso by Vietti and the most bottles emptied were Moscato d‘Asti 😂
I'm pretty new to wine so my top wine experience of 2023 might not be anything special by more experienced enthusiasts' or professionals' standards, but here we go…
My wife and I have really been enjoying inexpensive white wines from Portugal's Alentejo. Following several positive experiences, we decided to try the next step up on the quality ladder and bought a 2021 Esporão Reserva Branco. Initially, I was honestly a bit disappointed. The wine seemed a bit closed and, at the start, didn't offer much in the way of aromas or flavors that we hadn't already noted in entry level wines from the region. As the wine warmed in the glass though, it did open up more and became more complex, but I had still hoped for something more.
A little while after I had finished my last glass, I noticed a beautiful flavor on my palate that reminded me of concentrated lemon and propolis extract. It was such a beautiful and pure flavor that I started asking myself what I'd eaten that would have had that flavor. Then, I realized that I was still tasting the wine! It had been somewhere close to a solid minute since I'd taken my last sip. I'd never tasted a wine with a finish that long before so it wasn't even on my mind to pay attention that long after drinking; I'd completely missed this aspect of the wine while tasting it earlier. I quickly poured myself another half glass and, more slowly and thoughtfully than before, savored every second of the long, concentrated finish that the wine offered.
The way the wine rewarded thoughtfulness and continued focus on its flavors along with how it taught me what a long finish means makes this my favorite wine experience of 2023!
As always, thanks for the awesome content! I'm excited to see what you share in 2024 🙂
Inspiring as ever. Happy New Year's!
Best wine of the year was for sure 2014 Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, enjoyed with dear friends and winelovers a few days ago.
Happy New Year!🥂
Thank you Agnese for a wonderful end to 2023!!! I love your "No Sediment" channel. I love Cava, and for me & my wife our favorite on 2023 was Codorniu – Seleccion Familia Raventos – Reserva – Brut 2018. Cheers !!!
Happy New Year Agnese! My best wine experience of 2023 was discovering a small wine shop here in London that specialises in small growers from France. So every couple of weeks I’ll go in and ask for recommendations from the team to try out.
As an Aussie who loves Italian wines, I haven’t chased too many French wines to date, but now, with some expert help, my little wine world is becoming a lot larger and richer.
I’m looking to do my WSET Level 3 this year and my widening palette will be enjoying all the exploring and “training”! 😀
My favorite 2023 wine experience was the visit of the Leyre-loup domaine in the Beaujolais. It was suppose to be a short wine tasting of there Morgon and Fleurie wines.
But what a visit!!!. We were welcome by the parents of the owner.
First, we had not only a visit of there domaine but also a visit of the famous " Cote de Puy" area.
Now I have a good understanding of the very complexity of the different Beaujolais soil.
Then mister Leyre-loup explain to my two daughters at his domaine the process how to make wine. It was just funny and great !
Last but not least, we were invite to dinner with them. We were suppose to have a "simple" dinner.
After 8 differents dishes, a lot of laughs, interesting talks and a great wine tasting of a lot bottes, a simple dinner has another definition for them.
This diner was also very emotional to me, not only because we had a great encouter with Miss and Mister Leyre-loup but because miss Leyre-loup has the same personality as my deceased grand-mother, who was an important person to me.
To me, what makes wine great are the encouters and sharing good bottles with friends, family and wine lovers.
Thanks you Agnese for your channel. It is always interesting.
My 2024 wine resolutions are visting Francois Chidaine domaine at Montlouis-sur-Loire.
His wines are just great and his 2016 "les Bourdais" was my 2023 greatest surprise.
My another 2024 wine resolution is (visiting Vienna with my family and) to discover Wachau producers and wines.
And this is thanks to you 😊😊😊
My favorite wine experience this year was having a tour and tasting at Dunn Vineyards on Howell Mountain and meeting the Randy Dunn. Looking forward to more of your videos in 2024. Thank you.
Agnese, thanks for all you do for the wine community. My wife and I fell in love with Warre's Otima 10 Year Tawny Port. We love sipping it with a nice cigar by the fire while camping, or laying on the beach together.
Thanks for the video. I think my favorite wine of 2023 was also an old Barolo. It was a 1967 Terre del Barolo, that a friend shared with me. In part it was memorable because 1967 happens to be my birth year.