For wine, “best” has little meaning.

Ideally, every bottle opened will be the right one for that particular occasion, whether it is a $20 Oregon gamay or a $100 Champagne splurge. I’ve had a lot of best bottles this year, though not every one was memorable.

Memorable wines strike notes beyond the glass. They stir emotions that forever link the wine and the occasion. They ought to be delicious, though not necessarily profound or brilliant.

I have been lucky enough to have had some truly wonderful wines in 2017. Here are 10 of the most memorable, in no particular order.

1. After I returned from covering the fires in California wine country in October, I opened a bottle at home in New York, a 2013 Napa Valley charbono from Calder Wine Company, to drink as an expression of solidarity.