Top wines of 2011

It's been a while since the last post, but it is time to start up again.  Here are my wines of 2011 in no particular order, except as I remember them, which favors the wines I've tasted more recently.

1. Micheal Chiarlo 2008 Barbera D'Asti (WS 90, $10 CC).  A solid clean Barbera for $10 with good availability?  How can you go wrong?  Like a medium big dark fruit pinot with no earthy notes and good acidity.   Great with Italian food.  And the 2009 just got a WS 90 too, so I look forward to that.
2. Dona Paula 2009 Malbec Mendoza (WS 90, $10-11 CC).  The nicest Malbec I've had a few years. Rich ripe red fruit with hefty mouthfeel (though others say it has no finish).  I like this much more than the Norton's at CC which also get WS 90.  Also the 2007 Dona Paula of which I only got 2 bottles was an even better wine with rich coffee notes and slightly darker fruit.  I've loaded up on this.
3. Tablas Creek 2009 Patelin (WS 91, $18).  This was my favorite wine when tasting at the winery.  Great pure mix of red berry and watermelon with good acidity and minimal tannins.  Super lovely.
4. Beringer Knight's Valley 2009 (WS 91, $18 CC).  This is one of the great buys of a 91 point Napa cab ever.  Even though Knight's Valley is technically in Sonoma, it is between the two and could have been deemed Napa.  Lovely ripe cassis in a medium body that goes down smoothly with a hint of mineral.  Refined and impossible not to like.  Drinking very nicely now.
5. Columbia Crest 2008 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet and/or Merlot (WS 89-91, $11).  Neither of blew me away, so they were not my wine of the year, but they are consistenly better than almost any random wine.  Focused flavors, the right amount of oak.  I keep buying these blind, they are so reliable.
6. Schild 2007 Shiraz (WS 92, CC $16).  Schild was embroiled in a dicey second "run" of their 2008 Shiraz of which the first run got WS 94.  I have every year since the barnbusting 2004, but haven't tried the 2008 which was in somewhat short supply.  The 2007 was widely available at my Costco. And since they have scored over 92 points consistently for the past 6 years for under $20, I don't give a hoot about their inferior second run.  Their 2009 just scored WS 92 and I've been picking some of those up, now.
7. Chronic Cellars 2009 Zinfandel ($9 CC at SLO).  A bizarre zin with ripe but not jammy red berry and a odd but compelling raw cedar/pine note.  I keep asking myself "what is that?" and wanting more to figure it out.  Others don't taste the oddness but like it nonetheless.  Note the 2010 is even more extreme to the point of being undrinkable.
8. Castello d’Albola Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. 2007 (WS 90, $13 various).  The first Chianti Classico I've had with a lovely pure ripe raspberry note and significant acidity.  Just great with Italian tomato sauce but the acidity is a bit much of other foods or just on its own.  Still this is was an eye opening wine for me, as I've found other Chianti's too dirty / earthy to really like.