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Cellar Favorite: 1984 Ridge Zinfandel Geyserville Trentadue
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2024
The 1984 Zinfandel Geyserville Trentadue is one of Ridge’s more obscure single-vineyard bottlings. This cuvée is a blend of 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petit Sirah that came from a vineyard established by Evelyn and Leo Trentadue.
Cellar Favorite: 1985 Cheval Blanc
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Sep 2024
It has been several years since I last tasted the 1985 Cheval Blanc. When this was poured, a guest enquired whether I liked it, to which I replied: “It’s Cheval Blanc…It’s 1985…Of course!”
Cellar Favorite: 2017 Kanonkop Paul Sauer
South Africa, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2024
In South Africa, there is a debate about whether the 2015 Paul Sauer is better than the 2017 or vice versa. They are both great vintages of one of the Cape’s icons.
Cellar Favorite: 2008 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand Cru
France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Sep 2024
I know, I know, I know. With all the discussion about the unaffordability of Burgundy, why this 2008 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru? Simply because this bottle was not scurried away in some dusty cellar. It was not used to make a profit. It was not brandished about to show off someone’s wealth. It had one reason and one reason only–to be drunk for what it is, something as banal and wondrous as wine.
Cellar Favorite: 1985 Lisini Prefillossero
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy
, Aug 2024
Vines planted in their own roots is a subject that has intrigued me for a while, not least after my now infamous article on Liber Pater. The topic arose again recently with Eric Guido’s excellent piece on Tiberio’s Fonte Canale. Addressing ungrafted vines, one must not conflate recent plantings on vines’ own roots and the plots of surviving vines that predate the phylloxera louse in the late 19th century. This story is about the latter.
Cellar Favorite: 1961 & 2012 Mouton-Rothschild
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Aug 2024
Last year, I attended the unveiling of the new artist label at Mouton-Rothschild. This was the first time it was held at the First Growth in Pauillac. Once the artist, Chiharu Shiota, had received her round of applause for her 2021 ‘balloon’ label, guests gathered for dinner featuring two vintages.
Cellar Favorite: 2001 Rustenberg Peter Barlow
South Africa, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2024
The 2001 Peter Barlow from Rustenberg was poured blind at a comparative tasting of South African Cabernets against Bordeaux during this year’s visit. The Peter Barlow acquitted itself admirably, even here, pitted against an impressive 2001 Léoville Las-Cases. The Peter Barlow is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate’s oldest vines, named after the man who bought the property back in 1941. This vintage was made by his son, Simon Barlow, while his grandson, Murray, has been the winemaker since 2012.
Cellar Favorite: 1928-1998 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Aug 2024
When visiting this Pauillac Second Growth earlier this year, Nicolas Glumineau poured several vintages blind. The theme turned out to be years ending in eight, though when he invited me to choose another, I headed for one of the more disparaged of the 20th century, not without sound reason…
Cellar Favorite: 1949 and 1959 Pape Clément
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Aug 2024
Like many Bordeaux estates, Pape Clément suffered during the 1930s and the war. Under owner Paul Montagne, it was not until the 1950s that renovation was completed and the wines could reach their potential. Might that explain why the 1959 Pape Clément outshone the 1949 when served at a Bordeaux-themed dinner in Hong Kong last September? Both bottles came from the same cellar.
Cellar Favorite: 2022 Kei Shiogai Bourgogne Blanc
France: Burgundy, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jul 2024
A couple of years ago, I ordered the maiden Kei Shiogai 2020 Bourgogne Blanc En Pellans from a restaurant list, as members of the fourth estate are persona non grata at the winery in Beaune. I was interested. Sadly, the bottle left me indifferent. When dining in Chablis recently, I decided to try another bottle.