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Cellar Favorite: 1986 Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru and 1989 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Jul 2024
In the fledgling days of my wine career, long before I put pen to paper, I used to visit a reputable merchant in deepest Suffolk. These were thoroughly enjoyable away days from the office. We would often repair to a local fish restaurant to imbibe the rest of the afternoon away, skivers that we were. I vividly recall one occasion when the merchant regaled a bottle drunk recently. He rhapsodized that wine so much that his words have always stayed with me. Unfortunately, even then, 20-plus years ago, this wine was so unfathomably rare that the chances of even finding a bottle, let alone drinking one, were remote. Of course, back then, I had not counted on munificent wine friends…
Cellar Favorite: 1949 Pontet-Canet
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Jun 2024
I recently attended a delightful private dinner in Washington, DC, in aid of the American Heart Association. The vinous theme was Pontet-Canet. Proprietor Alfred Tesseron has been a long-term supporter of this charity, and he had flown over specially for the event, guiding us through several recent vintages. The oldest was a bottle of the 1949 Pontet-Canet.
Cellar Favorite: 1991 Araujo Estate Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2024
Now, here's a rare old bird. The 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard was the maiden vintage after Bart and Daphne Araujo purchased the revered vineyard from Joseph Phelps. In fact, according to Frédéric Engerer, who served this wine blind in London, this was the very last bottle in the original cellar, the estate having been sold to Artémis Group in July 2013. It brought back fond memories of a complete vertical a decade ago in London, and I dug out the accompanying article that I penned for Wine-Journal.
Cellar Favorite: 1924 Bouchard Père & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, June 2024
Since the vintage ends with the right digit, I was tempted to add this wine to my Centuries Of… article. Frankly, this bottle was so amazing, defied logic to such a degree, and was so astounding that it had to be placed on its own pedestal, which is this Cellar Favorite. I did not choose it because readers can just go out and procure a bottle; instead, this is a pertinent reminder of wine’s longevity and that consumers don’t necessarily need to forage for blue chip growers or even the most esteemed vineyards. Perhaps the message of this particular Cellar Favorite is to keep an open mind.
Cellar Favorite: 1988 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2024
A vertical of Robert Mondavi Winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve back to the maiden vintage remains one of the best tastings I have ever participated in. It was one of the few occasions where guests refused to leave because the bottles were so good.
Cellar Favorite: 1947 Château Gilette Doux
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, May 2024
Château Gilette, located in the village of Preignac, is an unorthodox Sauternes estate that has furrowed its path for decades, eschewing the use of oak barrels to undertake extended élevages in concrete vats that can last up to 20 years. I’ve been lucky to experience a couple of extensive verticals over my career and composed a detailed standalone piece in my Wine-Journal days. My last visit was ten years ago, so I’m overdue a return.
Cellar Favorite: Castello di Ama - Looking Back at the 2006s
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Tuscany
, May 2024
I vividly remember the first time I truly fell in love with Castello di Ama wines. It was 2009. After we had gone through the releases, Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti opened a few older wines. It was at that moment that I started to understand how well these wines can age. In the years that followed, I had the good fortune to report on several verticals.
Cellar Favorite: 1994 Penfolds Grange and 1975 Bin 95 Grange Hermitage
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Australia
, May 2024
During my time in Bordeaux tasting barrel samples, I spend most evenings essentially harvesting tasting notes for my annual “Centuries Of…” article that will appear in due course. Ironically, perhaps the best bottle of wine with a vintage ending in four was not from either the Left or Right Bank but from Australia.
Cellar Favorite: 1930 KWV Muscadel Bin 14 Late Bottled Vintage
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, South Africa
, May 2024
Ancient South African ports have a cult following, and though they are not cheap due to demand, they represent outstanding value compared to other wines.
Cellar Favorite: 1938 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côte-Rôtie
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Rhône & Beaujolais
, Apr 2024
When someone whispers into your ear, particularly my ear, that you will never drink this bottle again, the aforementioned ear perks up. The 1938 Côte-Rôtie from Paul Jaboulet Aîné had lived its entire life in a cool dank cellar over in the West Country, so factor in perfect provenance. Though the bottle states Jaboulet on the label, it is more accurate to look at this as an amalgamation of all the growers in Côte-Rôtie at the time since hardly any bottled themselves.